Welcome back to our “Meet the Candidates” series, where District 8 supervisor candidates respond to a question in 100 words or fewer. Answers are published every Wednesday.
To see what candidates said previously on topics like housing and street conditions, read their answers here.
District 8 includes neighborhoods in the center of the city, including the Castro, Noe Valley, Glen Park, Twin Peaks, Duboce Triangle, Dolores Heights, Parnassus Heights, Ashbury Heights, Corona Heights and Diamond Heights.
Whoever wins the District 8 seat will have to work with Mayor Daniel Lurie. As the mayor, he has a lot of power — he gets to set the city’s budget and direct departments’ operations, and as the city’s leading politician, he has the largest bully pulpit.
Though the Board of Supervisor’s power is circumscribed, they have some tools at their disposal. They can negotiate with the mayor, try to redirect money, question city officials at oversight hearings, pass legislation that challenges the mayor’s priorities and use their platforms to influence public opinion.
This week’s question: What is a policy of the Lurie administration that you disagree with? As a supervisor, what could you do to change the mayor’s approach?
Gary McCoy
- Job: Former staffer to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and former vice president of policy and public affairs at HealthRIGHT 360
- Age: 48
- Residency: Renter, has lived in San Francisco for 24 years and District 8 for 15 years
- Transportation: Driving, biking, public transit and walking
- Education: Former City College of San Francisco student, certified phlebotomy technician from Bay Area Medical Academy
- Languages: English
I deeply respect Mayor Lurie’s work to build more housing, including the Family Zoning Plan and his push to reform single-stair rules that block mid-sized apartments.
That said, I disagree on scale. His ordinance stops at four stories, which is only a modest step past current code. Single-stair buildings fit on our narrow lots and leave room for family-sized units with windows on more than one side. San Francisco should allow a minimum of six stories so these buildings pencil out and are worth building.
Endorsed by: Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, State Sen. Scott Wiener, Supervisor Matt Dorsey, San Francisco Labor Council, Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, San Francisco Tenants Union, UESF … see more here.
Michael Nguyen
- Job: Patent attorney
- Age: 44
- Residency: Renter, has lived in District 8 since 2006
- Transportation: Driving, public transit and walking
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Southwestern University, law degree from University of California Law San Francisco
- Languages: English, some Spanish, some Vietnamese
I disagree with Mayor Lurie’s punitive approach to cleaning up downtown, which has mostly moved unhoused people around the city, instead of addressing the root causes. Neighbors across District 8 tell me people are being pushed from block to block with no real plan.
As Supervisor, I’d work on the mayor’s Breaking the Cycle directive and press the mayor to fund all four pillars: prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and enforcement. I’d ask what’s stopping us from matching Zurich’s results. I’d also push to reintegrate people into society and explore partnerships with nonprofits and new revenue solutions to end this crisis.
Endorsed by: GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club (#2), San Francisco Green Party, former supervisor Dean Preston, UESF, Working Families Party, UESF … see more here.
Darshini Patel
- Job: Former DoorDash employee, worked on the 2012 Obama campaign and the 2024 Harris campaign, former Obama staffer
- Age: 38
- Residency: Homeowner, has lived in District 8 for 10 cumulative years since 2010
- Transportation: Public transit, walking and biking
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College
- Languages: Gujarati, English
I disagree with Mayor Lurie’s decision to spend $14 million on RESET, an arrest-based program the City Attorney warned carries “very high legal risk,” while trans-led programs helping people find work and access healthcare faced cuts.
I also want safer sidewalks, a healthier community, and a fully housed population, but arrest counts aren’t treatment outcomes, and announcements aren’t accomplishments.
As supervisor, I’d fight to restore those services, require RESET to report how many people receive care and remain in it, and vote against renewing Flock’s surveillance contract. Our budget and policies should reflect our values and deliver real results.
Endorsed by: UESF, Solidarity Club SF, San Franciscans for Social Housing, Small Business Forward, Supervisor Myrna Melgar (#2), Rose Pak Asian American Club (#3)
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 io@missionlocal.com.
Election Day is on Nov. 3, 2026. You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.
