Because Supervisor Aaron Peskin terms out next January, five candidates have filed to run for the seat to lead District 3, which includes North Beach, Chinatown, Union Square, the Financial District, Russian Hill and Nob Hill.
Between now and the November election, Mission Local will ask each candidate one question per week, and candidates will get 100 words to respond. We will compile all responses to the 40-odd questions on a “Meet the candidates” page, so that voters can get a full picture of their stances.
Question one: What is your number one issue in this election, and what do you plan to do about it?
Moe Jamil
Deputy City Attorney, San Francisco City Attorney’s Office
As District 3 Supervisor, I’ll hold our City government accountable for standing with our communities and ensuring our neighborhoods are clean and safe. I know City Hall inside and out from years of experience in the City Attorney’s Office and as a community leader. I’ll bring strong leadership to City Hall to re-establish trust, make sure District 3 residents are heard, and address everyone’s frustrations with the state of the City. I will remain open and accessible, actively meeting with — and listening to — voters’ concerns. By doing so, I’ll demonstrate that I’m committed to transparency and responsiveness as District 3’s next Supervisor.
Sharon Lai
Economic recovery leader at the World Economic Forum, former board member at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
Public safety: After being attacked on MUNI and rising anti-Asian hate, I tripled the public safety budget for SFMTA to increase ambassadors, visibility staffing, outreach staff, as well as increased data transparency with SFPD.
As District 3 Supervisor, I will:
- Build interdepartmental relationships, reduce inefficiencies, use appropriate technology to address hate crimes, theft and personal attacks.
- Hire, train, retain police officers: Tackle the 600 vacant police positions and streamline the job they should do. Expand alternatives like community policing and focus the officers’ time on violent crimes, instead of paperwork.
- Increase pedestrian safety to stop senseless fatalities and injuries now!
JConr B. Ortega
Self-described formerly homeless, DAD democrat, leatherman, boxer
Sustainability is the biggest issue we face. What’s happening now, in both our district and the city, cannot be sustained any longer. Crime, homelessness, loss of businesses and the City at risk of bankruptcy; our city is on the verge of collapse. My RR&R plan is to remove drugs dealers (include deportation) and get addicts into treatment. While Prop 47 supports thieves, alternative ways of accountability can be developed to ensure thieves learn their lesson. Rebuild our community’s infrastructure and reinvest by making it easier and faster to start a business, encourage innovation and support our youth!
Danny Sauter
Executive Director, Neighborhood Centers Together
My top priority is ensuring that everyone feels safe in San Francisco. This starts with a fully-staffed first responder network, from police officers to street crisis teams and 911 dispatchers. I will increase hiring bonuses, especially for those who speak priority languages, like Cantonese to serve our Chinatown community.
We also need to do more with our existing resources. This means utilizing the latest technology to prevent and solve crimes and getting police officers out of the station and into the neighborhoods so that we have a community-oriented safety response.
Matthew Susk
Former lead with Divvy Homes
When I was growing up in District 3, I was encouraged to explore San Francisco by walking around the community. I now speak with elders who are afraid to go out after dark, and young families who are worried about walking their children to school. That is unacceptable. As supervisor, ensuring the safety of our streets will be my number one priority. We will recruit the best law enforcement officers, fully staff the SFPD, arrest fentanyl dealers and compel all hospitals to treat those suffering from drug addiction and mental health issues.
Candidates are ordered alphabetically. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at yujie@missionlocal.com.
YUJIE ZHOU
REPORTER. Yujie Zhou is our newest reporter and came on as an intern after graduating from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. She is a full-time staff reporter as part of the Report for America program that helps put young journalists in newsrooms. Before falling in love with the Mission, Yujie covered New York City, studied politics through the “street clashes” in Hong Kong, and earned a wine-tasting certificate in two days. She’s proud to be a bilingual journalist. Follow her on Twitter @Yujie_ZZ.More by Yujie Zhou
