{"id":32492,"date":"2024-03-27T12:24:30","date_gmt":"2024-03-27T19:24:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=32492"},"modified":"2024-03-27T12:24:31","modified_gmt":"2024-03-27T19:24:31","slug":"connie-chan-undaunted-by-tough-road-to-reelection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2024\/03\/27\/connie-chan-undaunted-by-tough-road-to-reelection\/","title":{"rendered":"Connie Chan undaunted by tough road to reelection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/users\/profile\/Adam%20Shanks\">By Adam Shanks | Examiner staff writer |<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mar 26, 2024\u00a0Updated\u00a024 mins ago  (SFExaminer.com)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com\/sfexaminer.com\/content\/tncms\/assets\/v3\/editorial\/1\/62\/162f47ec-e3d5-11ee-97c8-1fa0cd23825d\/65f6032b764fa.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267\" alt=\"Supervisor Connie Chan at her reelection campaign rally at Argonne Playground\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Supervisor Connie Chan at her reelection campaign rally at Argonne Playground in San Francisco on Saturday, March 16, 2024.Craig Lee\/The Examiner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Connie Chan is prepared to be outraised and outspent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Richmond district supervisor, who is running for a second term in office, said she\u2019s firmly aware that her opponent, Marjan Philhour, will likely garner more financial support \u2014 but Chan promises not to be out-hustled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve always been underestimated in my life, but definitely in my career, and I come back at it again and again, and I don\u2019t give up,\u201d Chan told The Examiner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chan said her strategy to beat these odds includes highlighting her deep experience in city government, her representation of The City\u2019s Chinese American population and her strong ties to organized labor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>November might test whether those attributes translate into a winning campaign in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s really no magic to this other than hard work,\u201d Chan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The headwinds against Chan appear to be strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf you\u2019re Connie, you\u2019ve got to be nervous,\u201d said Todd David, a political consultant for Abundant SF, one of a cadre of well-financed groups hoping to install more politically moderate leaders in San Francisco government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2022,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/news\/engardio-unseats-mar-in-sunset-supervisor-race\/article_2cf92f4e-65d5-11ed-98ef-978894d9b9e2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Joel Engardio upset Supervisor Gordon Mar<\/a>, becoming the first non-Asian American to represent the Sunset District in decades and leaving Chan as the only Chinese-American on the Board of Supervisors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Labor has suffered losses in recent elections \u2014 its favored measure,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/news\/politics\/supervisor-matt-dorsey-and-ahsha-safai-on-proposition-b\/article_4cf4f6fe-d59e-11ee-9dc3-5bfef224766a.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Proposition B<\/a>, was overwhelmingly defeated in the March&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/news\/politics\/sf-police-staffing-measure-labeled-cop-tax-fails-in-election\/article_21993b80-da7d-11ee-a84d-b710f06c6293.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">primary election<\/a>&nbsp;\u2014 and will have to deftly divide a limited pool of resources in multiple tightly contested supervisor races.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The district\u2019s borders have also changed since Chan defeated Philhour in 2020. They now include the more conservative&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfchronicle.com\/sf\/article\/connie-chan-sea-cliff-18709972.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sea Cliff neighborhood.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the face of those obstacles, Chan is embarking on a campaign to position herself as the Richmond district advocate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chan launched her campaign last week flanked by labor leaders and a cadre of former and current elected officials. Before heading out to knock on doors, they rallied and lamented what they described as the plutocratic takeover of San Francisco politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are living in a world that is upside down,\u201d an impassioned Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin shouted to the crowd at Chan\u2019s campaign launch. \u201cit is our job to turn it right-side up by reelecting Connie Chan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Campaign finance<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Thus far, Chan is close to matching Philhour in campaign fundraising, but that doesn\u2019t include the substantial edge Philhour amassed in her&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/news\/politics\/sf-moderates-hope-voters-end-progressives-dominance-of-dccc\/article_5b0b03bc-d820-11ee-a12f-6bc96a1bdd35.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">race for the Democratic County Central Committee<\/a>. Chan and Philhour both sought and won seats on the DCCC, a typical move for supervisorial candidates who can benefit from the exposure paid for by their DCCC campaigns that are not subject to the same strict donation limits as supervisorial campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chan said she sees her sixth-place finish in the DCCC race as a victory, given the resources poured into the race by the contingent of San Francisco political advocacy organizations commonly referred to as moderate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the moderate takeover of the DCCC from San Francisco\u2019s progressive contingent was largely successful, greatly curtailing the odds that Chan will win the official Democratic Party endorsement in her race against Philhour in November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And, moderates note, Philhour won more votes among District 1 voters than Chan did, 7,006 to 6,027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chan also has to contend with the well-funded effort launched to defeat her by GrowSF, a political organization with tech roots focused on ousting Chan and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/news\/politics\/powerful-pac-growsf-targets-sf-supervisor-dean-preston\/article_bd45fa72-6158-11ed-bdf1-a77a6acdcd1b.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Supervisor Dean Preston<\/a>, the Board of Supervisors\u2019 only member of Democratic Socialists of America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The organization argues that Chan has proven to be an obstacle to housing development, a foe of public transit and disconnected from an electorate that overwhelmingly recalled three school-board members and District Attorney Chesa Boudin \u2014 efforts Chan did not support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To date, GrowSF\u2019s anti-Chan independent expenditure committee has raised about $72,000 to defeat her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not saying whether I win or not in 2024 somehow has much greater meaning than an election \u2014 but no matter what happens, the way that this is unfolding in 2024 speaks in volumes to how fragile our democracy is when people feel like they can approach elections in this manner,\u201d Chan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those backing Chan\u2019s opponent question whether crying foul over the billionaire boogeyman is effective, noting it failed to prevent Boudin\u2019s recall in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt seems like the only message (progressives) really have is \u2018but for the billionaires,\u2019\u201d said David of AbundantSF. \u201cI hope they keep doing it &#8230; it is a losing message, and I don\u2019t know why they keep going back to the well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">experience and allegiances<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Recent elections and polls indicate San Francisco voters are displeased with their elected leaders and more than willing to show them the door. But Chan and her allies still tout her long career in and around City Hall, where she worked as an aide to Peskin and former Supervisor Sophie Maxwell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chan is now chair of the board\u2019s Budget Committee. Although the budget proposal is authored by the mayor, Chan is the supervisor with the most influence over the budget process, and she highlights her stewardship of negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">EX \/\/ TOP STORIES<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"4\" height=\"3\" src=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/image-34.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32495\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/news\/business\/san-francisco-palace-hotel-gm-makes-history-on-job-journey\/article_040af432-e88d-11ee-aa52-5be4d2071267.html#tncms-source=top-stories-article\">Historic Palace Hotel GM &#8216;one of the leaders&#8217; of SF hospitality industry<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Angie Clifton, the first female general manager in the 150-year history of the Palace Hotel, has embarked on a job journey across the continent<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"4\" height=\"3\" src=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/image-34.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32494\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/forum\/aaron-peskin-housing-criticism-misses-mark-art-agnos-says\/article_e578420e-ebac-11ee-b800-d717bca05a0f.html#tncms-source=top-stories-article\">Art Agnos says Scott Wiener&#8217;s Aaron Peskin criticism misses the mark<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The former strongly rebuked Wiener\u2019s \u201canti-housing\u201d label for the Board of Supervisors president<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"4\" height=\"3\" src=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/image-34.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32493\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/news\/politics\/willie-brown-gets-candid-on-crowded-sf-mayoral-election\/article_f333c922-e6f7-11ee-99b2-53746218c554.html#tncms-source=top-stories-article\">\u2018I\u2019d lose\u2019: Willie Brown gets candid on crowded SF mayor&#8217;s race<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Former Mayor Willie Brown spoke with The Examiner about the current race for mayor<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chan and her allies highlight Philhour\u2019s close ties to Mayor London Breed, for whom she previously worked as a senior advisor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe didn\u2019t just work at City Hall,\u201d Kim Tavaglione, executive director of the San Francisco Labor Council, told The Examiner. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of people who work at City Hall, but she worked specifically for the mayor. Once people realize this, they\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, that won\u2019t bring about change.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Philhour noted she worked for Breed for less than two years and has worked for leaders at every level of government \u201cbecause I believe that government can do good things for people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUntil this past March I had never won elected office because I\u2019ve been up against an entrenched machine that supports the current supervisor,\u201d said Philhour, who ran unsuccessfully for supervisor in 2016 and 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Allies in organized labor<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Tavaglione said she and other labor organizers plan to stress to voters that Philhour has the support of developers and real-estate interests, while Chan has the support of working-class union members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen we draw that comparison, it actually does move the needle,\u201d Tavaglione said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, organized labor may not unanimously fall in line with Chan, and there are several battles to fight across The City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLabor\u2019s going to have to make some choices,\u201d David said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Representation in government<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>After Mar\u2019s defeat in 2022, Chan is now the only sitting Chinese American supervisor in a city where some 300,000 Asians and Pacific Islanders live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur community is not a monolith, and we require more people to represent us because I can not speak for all AAPI, clearly,\u201d said Chan, who immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong when she was 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chan argued The City\u2019s \u201ctoxic political climate\u201d has disincentivized Asian Americans from seeking office, noting GrowSF\u2019s effort to defeat her was launched shortly after Mar\u2019s defeat left her as the sole Asian American on the board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey have absolutely no consideration of what kind of loss it was for the community,\u201d Chan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Philhour \u2014 whose parents immigrated to the United States from the Philippines and Iran \u2014 said she isn\u2019t disconnected from the immigrant experience common to San Franciscans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAAPI representation is critically important and I think the reason we have seen so much political change over the past three years is because our Chinese community\u2019s voices need to be reflected in the values and priorities of the people they elect,\u201d Philhour said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Political observers and candidates emphasized to The Examiner that the Asian American community \u2014 and the Chinese community specifically \u2014 is not a monolith, and its voters do not necessarily value ethnic or racial representation above other factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOnce upon a time, there was less of that division \u2014 we\u2019d be proud to have any representation,\u201d said former Supervisor Norman Yee, who has endorsed Chan. \u201cNow when I talk to some of the folks who once upon a time would come out and support me \u2014 not that I\u2019m running \u2014 they care less if you\u2019re Asian American. It\u2019s more like no, we want to feel safe, we want algebra for eighth graders, that type of stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Public safety, quality of life<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Philhour and her backers have hammered Chan for her record on policing at every turn, counting on concerns over public safety to be at the top of voters\u2019 minds when they cast a ballot in November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chan tries to walk a fine line between acknowledging that Richmond residents have had unnerving experiences \u2014 such as seeing a beloved neighborhood shop burglarized or a man having a mental-health crisis near a bus stop \u2014 while still touting the crime data that shows the Richmond is a safe neighborhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But her opponents have seized on Chan\u2019s policing positions. Chan has repeatedly questioned whether increased funding for the police department is correlated to public-safety improvements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chan said her opponents\u2019 approach is an \u201cold trick in politics \u2014 you want your opponents to defend themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m happy to talk about public safety,\u201d Chan said. \u201cMy vision about public safety \u2014 the reality is that law enforcement is key, but a comprehensive public-safety plan is a must.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Philhour, who has the backing of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, is betting that public safety is the central issue for Richmond voters. Chan said she hopes voters will ask themselves toward whom their anger should be directed \u2014 the Board of Supervisors or the mayor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Richmond residents, she said, \u201cwant to make sure that they can be heard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou see a lot of policies coming out of City Hall, coming out of this mayor, are a top-down approach and one-size-fits-all approach,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Connie Chan is prepared to be outraised and outspent. The Richmond district supervisor, who is running for a second term in office, said she\u2019s firmly aware that her opponent, Marjan Philhour, will likely garner more financial support \u2014 but Chan promises not to be out-hustled. \u201cI\u2019ve always been underestimated in&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2024\/03\/27\/connie-chan-undaunted-by-tough-road-to-reelection\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1511],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32492"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32492"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32492\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32496,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32492\/revisions\/32496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}