Welcome back to our weekly “Meet the Candidates” series, in which District 1 supervisorial candidates who have filed to run respond to a question in 100 words or fewer.
Answers are published each week, but we are also archiving each answer on this page for District 1, to make it easier for voters to browse.
Next week, I will be at Diamond Coffee N’ Pastry at 1014 Clement St. at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5. Drop by and share your thoughts, or reach me at junyao@missionlocal.com.
We asked the candidates this week: Do you plan to bring in more tourists to the Richmond? If so, how?
Connie Chan
- Job: Incumbent District 1 Supervisor
- Age: 45
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 2011
- Transportation: Driving and walking
- Education: Bachelor’s degree, University of California, Davis
- Languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin
Time Out magazine has declared the Richmond as one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world, thanks to our diverse small businesses and vibrant communities surrounded by the Golden Gate Bridge, Ocean Beach, Lands End and Golden Gate Park. As supervisor, I have worked with the National Park Service to activate the Cliff House, and now we will continue to push for it to reopen. I also worked to remove bureaucratic red tape so Seal Rock Inn can reopen its dining space. We worked with the Park Chalet and the Richmond District Police Station to prevent car break-ins that had … read more here
Endorsed by: Nancy Pelosi, San Francisco Fire Fighters Local 798, San Francisco Labor Council, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, Local 21, Service Employees International Union 1021 … read more here
Sherman D’Silva
- Job: Owner of a laundromat on Geary Boulevard
- Age: 51
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 1973
- Transportation: Driving
- Education: Bachelor’s degrees from San Francisco State University
- Languages: English
I would support promoting and advertising the Richmond District’s unique neighborhood character, its parks, museums, restaurants and shops. After all, the Richmond District is a short Muni ride from Union Square and Downtown.
However, I do not believe it’s a good idea to encourage tourists to lodge in the residential areas of San Francisco, such as the Richmond District. We do not want to encourage additional residential units to participate in Airbnb-type services, as they end up removing vital units that would otherwise be used by our district residents.
Jen Nossokoff
- Job: Vice president of a healthcare company and physician assistant
- Age: 38
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 2020
- Transportation: Walking, biking, public transportation, driving
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and master’s degree from Samuel Merritt University
- Languages: English
The Richmond has so much to offer, from its hidden gems to its well-loved landmarks. By welcoming more tourists, we can help our local businesses thrive and create a more connected, activated community. Improved transit options, which are part of my platform, will be essential in making it easy for visitors to discover everything our neighborhood has to offer without adding to the traffic burden.
To achieve this vision, we can focus on several key strategies:
Celebrate the Richmond’s unique character: The Richmond is a neighborhood rich in stories, where every corner has its own tale to tell. From the … read more here
Endorsed by: Everytown For Gun Safety, San Francisco League of Conservation Voters, San Francisco Women’s Political Committee (#2), Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate
Marjan Philhour
- Job: Business owner, former advisor and fundraiser to London Breed
- Age: 50
- Residency: Homeowner, born in District 1 and moved back in 2006
- Transportation: Biking, walking, driving and public transportation
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley
- Languages: English
The overall goal to create a safer, cleaner, and more vibrant community will naturally attract more visitors to our neighborhood from other parts of the City and beyond. I am focused on fully resourcing our police department, cleaning up our streets, supporting small businesses, and making the neighborhood more accessible. While these efforts may make the Richmond District a more appealing place to visit, the main priority remains improving the quality of life for residents.
Specifically, my vision for our neighborhood focuses on:
Public safety: By fully funding and staffing the police department, and restoring community policing and foot patrols … read more here
Endorsed by: San Francisco Democratic Party, TogetherSF, San Francisco Police Officers Association … read more here
Jeremiah Boehner
- Job: Marketing specialist and U.S. Army veteran
- Age: 39
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 1 since 2006
- Transportation: Driving
- Education: University of San Francisco
- Languages: English
I plan on bringing more tourists into the Richmond in different ways.
1. I’ll make sure that Richmond District businesses get a fair amount of exposure in our city’s tourism advertising.
2. I’ll set up a program for businesses that want to participate to have influencers come to the Richmond to highlight our businesses, parks, and other events like the night market.
3. Make sure that when we have events like Outside Lands that visitors can visit our restaurants and bring their food into the events.
Endorsed by: San Francisco Republican Party
Money raised by District 1 candidates
Candidates are ordered alphabetically and rotated each week. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at junyao@missionlocal.com.
Read the rest of the series here. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.
As a lifelong resident of the Richmond, I can assure this is not an issue for 90% of my neighbors.