June 2016 Primary - Statements for Candidates for DCCC

Statements from Candidates for DCCC are below. Or you can select individual statements from the list at the left of this page.

This is the question asked of all candidates:

In 350 words or less, please tell us why you are seeking election/re-election to the DCCC.

Candidate name: David Giesen

I intend to educate the electorate regarding the role land values play in political power. An understanding of the economic dynamics of land values illuminates solutions to a number of the chief persistent issues facing San Franciscans, namely low wages and outrageous rents.

Currently the DCCC and its constituency  have either but an incoherent appreciation of land value economics, or they are irresolute in applying their understanding to resolving the issues noted above. My candidacy and election aim to repair this situation.

I am a land rent communist, meaning I recognize that land values emerge with the growth and presence of community. As a fiscal conservative who heralds that value belongs to the creator of value, I advocate for socializing the entirety of land values, using the revenue to meet all social needs.

However, I recognize that realizing that mighty ambition is far-fetched, and so I endorse and support that legislation which circumstantially comes nearest to socializing land values and untaxing earned income.

The housing crisis facing San Francisco can be largely redressed by depriving land owners of income derived from land values while at the same time diminishing taxes on buildings and their construction.

Socializing land values kills land speculation, raises heaps of public revenue, and raises wages. The public is at enormous disadvantage in resolving the wealth divide in the absence of understanding real estate dynamics.

I see the DCCC as the ideal vehicle for educating the electorate, free from much of the lobbying sector’s influence upon legislators. 

Candidate Name: Jon Golinger

I believe San Francisco is a special place worth fighting for. That's why I love it, that's why I live here, and that's why I've worked so hard for years to protect San Francisco’s beauty, vibrancy, and unique character.

I’m running for a seat on the SF Democratic Party County Central Committee to reclaim the SF Democratic Party from the real estate industry and corporate lobbyists who have taken it over to serve their own interests. A real estate lobbyist should not be the Chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, which should be fighting to keep families in their homes, not helping to evict them by blocking Ellis Act reform and opposing tenant eviction protection measures. I will vote to replace the Chair with someone independent of the real estate lobby and work to ensure that the SF Democratic Party becomes a leader in the fight to stop unfair evictions and create affordable housing.

For the last fifteen years, I have worked hard to preserve San Francisco’s environment and unique character. I worked together with the Sierra Club and Save the Bay to stop the SF Airport from paving over two square miles of the Bay for new runways. I led the battle to pass 2004’s Proposition I, which got MUNI to replace its dirtiest diesel buses with cleaner hybrid‐electrics. I fought to pass the Coit Tower Preservation ballot measure to limit commercial activity and private events at Coit Tower and to prioritize the funds generated at Coit Tower to preserve Coit Tower and its historic New Deal‐era murals. I led the No Wall on the Waterfront campaign to defeat the 8 Washington high-rise luxury condos and to pass Prop. B in June 2014 to give voters the power to protect our waterfront by requiring voter approval for waterfront height limit increases.

I have been endorsed by State Senator Mark Leno, former Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, former City Attorney Louise Renne, the Tenants Union, and the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, among others. I would be honored to have the support of the Noe Valley Democratic Club. 

Candidate Name: Sophie Maxwell

I am seeking election to the DCCC because my experience as neighborhood leader, community leader, and a member of the Board of Supervisors gives me a unique and valuble perspective into initiatives and candidates.

I believe the party should be part of the solution to the issues confronting people and putting the party resources at their disposal bringing more people into the party.

I am willing to make that commitment.

Candidate Name: Rebecca Prozan

The Democratic Party needs help, and  I bring the right credentials for the job.

As a lifelong Democrat, organizer, and fundraiser, I bring years of experience running campaigns and strategy to this position. I have advised numerous Democratic elected officials in their campaigns, including Willie Brown for Mayor, Kamala Harris' inaugural run for District Attorney, Bevan Dufty for District 8 Supervisor, Rachel Norton for School Board, Steve Ngo and Alex Randolph for City College Board. In these positions, we have been able to strengthen the City's democratic rolls and base.

In 2008, I was POTUS' Northern California liaison and delivered a message from then Senator Obama opposing Proposition 8; later I was an elected delegate from San Francisco to the 2008 and 2012 conventions.

I love serving on the SF DCCC as it gives me the opportunity to do even more to shape a progressive Democratic Party Agenda on immigration, environment, police reform, homelessness, and youth voting, ensure the Party has sufficient financial resources to GOTV, and continue San Francisco’s tradition of being a beacon for Democrats across the country.

Candidate Name: Francis Tsang

I am running for the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC) to make sure the San Francisco Democratic Party remains an inclusive body that represents our diverse residents and communities. I am the only Asian American incumbent running in Assembly District 17, and one of the youngest DCCC members. As a native San Franciscan and lifelong Democrat, who has received the Volunteer of the Year award in 2008 from the California Democratic Party, I was truly honored to be appointed to the DCCC.

For the last year, I have been working hard to register new Democrats, pass policies that strengthen the values of our Party, and support Democrats in City Hall, Sacramento and Washington, D.C. I am running for reelection because I want to continue the great work we have done together, and continue to engage our Democrats on issues that affect our City.

We are living in a truly controversial time. Our City is facing a housing affordability crisis, a growing homelessness population, and other challenges of a growing, successful San Francisco. As a member of the DCCC, and as a person who has work in public service for the last 10 years for the Mayor’s Office, working for both Gavin Newsom and Ed Lee, I work hard for our communities and diverse neighborhoods, and I want to continue to push for real solutions more innovative and coordinated strategies to address the homeless crisis, including expanding the successful Navigation Center, moving forward with progressive approaches on mental health, and bringing more resources to help our homeless population living on our streets. I want to address the housing crisis by continuing to build housing at all ends of the economic spectrum so that San Francisco can remain a city for everyone. I want to make sure families thrive in our City and our youth grow up with pride in their San Francisco.

We must all work together to push our City forward and accomplish what must be done. I would be so honored to have the endorsement of the Noe Valley Democratic Club.

Candidate Name: Rafael Mandelman

I have been active in the San Francisco Democratic Party for nearly fifteen years, serving on the boards of the Noe Valley Democratic Club (three years as president), the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club (two years as president), the Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club and most recently the District 8 Progressive Democrats.  First elected to the San Francisco DCCC in 2006, I have served as a member and vice chair of that body and have served on the Resolutions Committee of the California Democratic Party. As a member of the SF DCCC, I have at various times helped lead the Party’s voter registration efforts, chaired the local Party’s Resolutions Committee, and worked to strengthen relationships between the Party and our partners in labor, the environmental movement, the tenants rights movement, and the peace movement.

If re-elected, my priorities will include:

1.     Helping elect excellent progressive candidates at every level of government;

2.     Engaging more young people, women and minorities in the work of San Francisco Democratic Party; and

3.  Developing the grassroots of the Party by encouraging the formation of new Democratic Clubs and other organizations and structures to build the Party and make it relevant to more people.

Candidate Name: Pratma Gupta

As a full scope women's health care doctor including being an abortion provider, mother of a toddler and triathlete, you can guarantee that I have endurance, tenacity and discipline. I currently serve on the City's Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, the board of directors of the California Family Health Council, the San Francisco Medical Society’s delegation to the California Medical Association, and is Secretary to the Lower Haight Merchant and Neighborhood Association. All of these experiences have helped me realize my desire to influence change and advocate for my community on a larger level by running for public office. I am also in the current Emerge California 2016 class and understand the importance of getting more women at the decision making table. As a medical provider, I am trained to listen and utilize a shared-decision making model to come up with a plan. I will take these skills and apply them to our San Francisco residents so that they can be heard and supported via my participation in the DCCC. Thank you in advance for your support, and I look forward to working with and for you.

Candidate Name: Joshua Arce

I am running for the San Francisco Democratic Party Central Committee because we need real leadership to stand up for those left out of San Francisco’s increasing wealth. On the one hand, the City is blessed with a robust economy and record low unemployment, while on the other there are staggering inequalities in income and equity that must be rectified. The challenges we are faced with today need big solutions, and we need them now. The San Francisco Democratic Party is the natural place to bridge divides and to ensure that equity for all San Franciscans is the priority of our elected officials and endorsed candidates.

I have proven myself as a member who promotes progressive policies that move our Party forward. I have written and co-sponsored resolutions that:

-        Promote sustainable communities through fair-wage union jobs, local hiring, affordable housing, environmental sustainability, and transit-oriented development

-        Reaffirm the importance of the City's Sanctuary City policy amid increasing attacks against immigrant families

-        Call on Federal, State and Local elected officials to support increased gun control measures, making San Francisco the first Democratic County Council in California to endorse the Safety for All Act for increased gun control across our state

-        Lay out a roadmap for building more affordable housing in San Francisco

-        Endorse a mandatory solar policy for new construction in our City

-        Demonstrate support for community-based policing and for the #BlackLivesMatter movement

Candidate Name: Frances Hsieh

I am running for Democratic County Central Committee because I believe the party has lost focus on some of it’s more important functions – educating voters; maximizing voter registration, education, and turnout; and supporting candidates and measures that uphold our Democratic values. As a native San Franciscan and life long democrat, I’m committed to strengthening and reforming our party and expanding outreach among our communities of color and throughout San Francisco.

I have 20 years of electoral and political campaign experience supporting democratic candidates and issues, from field work on local ballot initiatives to strategic direction for candidates for local and state office. For the past 7 years I have been a Legislative Aide for Supervisor John Avalos, working on issues of affordability and being a voice for underrepresented and marginalized communities. Previously, I was the Deputy Director of Public Affairs for NARAL Pro-Choice California, educating voters and advocating on behalf of pro-choice legislation and candidates.

If elected, I am committed to working proactively with our clubs on education and registration events in every neighborhood and district, bringing the resources of the party to the clubs and to our neighborhoods. I believe we need to do much more proactive work in all of our communities of color, particularly those in the southern half of our city. I hope to have your support and endorsement.

Candidate Name: London Breed

I am running for the DCCC because I am a lifelong Democrat and I want a seat at the table of the Democratic Party and to participate in the decisions the party makes around policies and candidates. I also want to make sure that we are registering new Democrats. The party wields enormous opportunity to influence the policy priorities of the voters, as well as elected officials like myself. With a seat at the DCCC, as well as on the Board of Supervisors, I believe we can make incredible change in many areas such as creating affordable and healthy neighborhoods, improving public transportation and supporting public safety.         

Though we may live in different districts, I have been in San Francisco my entire life. As a lifelong Democrat, I’ve spent my career supporting the party platform, registering voters, shaping policy and running for office.

The Noe Valley Democratic Club has a strong history of engaging residents and voters and has a real opportunity to advance the Democratic Party – especially in this Presidential election year. With so many new residents in both of our districts – many of whom are either not registered to vote or consider themselves decline to state – it is imperative that we as Democrats get out and register our neighbors as Democrats in every district.

I would be honored to have the endorsement of the Noe Valley Democratic club, and to work side by side with you to advance the Democratic Party platform as a member of the DCCC.

Candidate Name: Scott Wiener

I am running for reelection to the DCCC because of my lifelong commitment to the Democratic Party and my ongoing desire to help build it, make it successful, and ensure that the party is a strong voice for our shared progressive values.

I registered as a Democrat the day I turned 18 in 1988, and I have been working to build the party ever since. I founded a Democratic club in college, campaigned for many Democrats, and co-chaired the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club.

I have served on the DCCC since 2004 and have been a committed member. I served as chair of the DCCC from 2006-08, during a time when we registered 15,000 voters. I have continued to be an engaged member, including helping raise funds for the party.

Candidate Name: Malia Cohen

I believe in the California Democratic Party Platform. I believe in the equality and inherent dignity of all people. I believe our state and our national government must protect the rights to freedom of expression, assembly as well as the equality of opportunity, for all. I support the notion that justice for all requires constant vigilance and a thorough examination of laws and governmental actions that disproportionately impact diverse segments of society.

I stand with the party that stands for all. I am running for re-election to the DCCC because I believe we need to have strong Democratic leadership and representation of the party in San Francisco. As a member of the DCCC, I have been an advocate to preserve our democratic values by tackling issues including gun control, protection of our water resources, law enforcement reform, protecting Sanctuary City policies and women’s reproductive healthcare access.

I not only have experience, but also an unwavering commitment and pragmatism to guide the DCCC. I will continue to stand strong in the face of the hatred, bigotry and ignorance we see playing out in national politics. We need to unite as a party to ensure that we elect a Democrat to the White House.

Candidate Name: Michael Grafton

Even though I believe in the Democratic Party as the true “small d” governing party, I can see in San Francisco that a lot of Republican Party corporate values have bled into the Democratic Party.   One would expect a more robust grassroots party in San Francisco, not a blander version of the Republican brand. I do believe that both parties need to work together and compromise on legislation, but that a belief in government as a force of good should be the driver of our local decisions.  Our local Democratic Party needs to undergo what is called “values clarification” for it to attract new voters, rather than default those new voters to Decline to State status. 

Below is how I believe I would improve the county central committee:

Voter Outreach:        

(1)   Instead of conducting the monthly meetings in the state office building, the meetings should rotate to the eleven supervisorial districts.  This would make it easier for folks in the districts to attend a meeting, get to know the SF DCCC and its role in the Democratic Party, focus on an issue of particular concern to that district, and hold both the supervisor and the SF DCCC accountable to that district.

(2)   Expand the voting membership to include two 16 to 18 year old pre-registered Democrats to the SF DCCC, and have mentorship provided by the Sue Bierman Memorial Internship Program.   This would provide substantive power to youth, and would provide the visibility to the schools in pre-registering teenagers as Democrats.

Appointment Process:         

There should be a sunshine policy regarding notification of open SF DCCC seats.   These openings should be chosen by an election of the SF DCCC members, and not merely by appointment by the chair, and not by acclamation, but instead by the potential candidates presenting their qualifications to the full SF DCCC.   There should be a requirement that at least three candidates are part of the pool, before a replacement is voted upon.   This transparency will reduce the tendency to appoint one’s ideology, rather than one’s “fit” and contribution to the committee.

Candidate Name: Jill Wynns

My decision to run for the Democratic County Central Committee is inspired by my commitment to the Democratic Party and my interest in strengthening the party and increasing its effectiveness. I believe that the party should be focused on issues related to the positions of the party and not to be a shadow Board of Supervisors. We should insist that the Board of Supervisors do their job.

I hope to contribute to making the DCCC a forum for the reasonable discussion of serious issues.

We must demand more aggressive leadership from our Democratic elected officials and not be satisfied with just going along with the caucus leaders.

Of course, as a twenty-four year veteran of the Board of Education, my primary example is that the Democratic party has not been strong enough on funding public education and protecting the authority of local communities to make decisions about their schools. Therefore, I hope to help the Democratic Party and the Central Committee in San Francisco to be more focused on education and children issues.

Candidate Name: Wade Woods

I’m running for the DCCC because I’m tired of seeing the issues that affect working families and low-income individuals being overlooked by the Demo Party.  As we see the population grow we see the Demo registration go down and the numbers turning out to vote growing smaller.  As a native San Franciscan I look around and find my friends and neighbors being driven out of the city by the astronomical cost of housing.  while the DCCC doesn’t write and pass legislation it can be an advocate and help drive the issues.  It can educate the voters and be a force in elections.  The DCCC has not been out there in the community, as I talk to voters in the community, especially in the African American community they have no idea what the DCCC is or what it does this has to change.  I’m running to turn the DCCC into an active and positive force in this city stop it from becoming a city of only the very rich and very poor. Our city must be a diverse city where there is a place for everyone.  Thank you and I look forward to meeting your members.

Candidate Name: Gary McCoy

I have worked in City Hall, building relationships and focusing on constituent issues for nearly 5 years, and under 3 Supervisors - Supervisor Scott Wiener, Board President London Breed, and as Chief of Staff for Supervisor Julie Christensen. I have served as Vice Chair for the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee – first appointed by Supervisor John Avalos to represent District 11, and later appointed by Supervisor Scott Wiener to represent District 8. On that committee, I did extensive work on the Vision Zero Taskforce in advocating for better data collection from collisions so that we could better understand how to prevent pedestrian injuries and fatalities. I have also been very active in the recovery community, serving on the Advisory Board for the Castro Country Club – an LGBT clean and sober space dedicated to helping folks stay sober and access resources.

I have been actively involved in the HIV & AIDS, homelessness, substance and alcohol recovery, and LGBT communities for many years. Having lived with HIV and experienced chronic homeless in the mid-2000s, I have consistently given back to my communities and engaged them to be actively involved in local politics and the Democratic Party. My dedication to the Democratic Party, that in no uncertain terms has saved my life, when combined with my community activism makes me an asset on the DCCC as a real grassroots candidate.

If elected to the DCCC, I will continue to engage Democrats in the communities I have served. It is important to provide a voice for these communities to the San Francisco Democratic Party to make sure its values align with ours. I would continue to register new voters, as I have been doing. I will also do outreach and offer support to all of our locally chartered democratic clubs. More importantly, I work well with others, and have a positive reputation for building coalitions and bringing folks together to hash out real solutions.

Candidate Name: Cindy Wu

I seek to build a DCCC that is focused on representing all Democrats in San Francisco. Everyone should have a voice regardless of gender, race or income. I am especially interested in providing a voice for immigrants and low-income people who may have barriers to participating in the Democratic Party process.

My top three issues are affordable housing, tenants’ rights and transparency in government. I have been working on social justice and affordable housing issues in San Francisco for the last 15 years. As Deputy Director at Chinatown Community Development Center, I have built skills in negotiation, project management, and critical problem solving. And have used these skills to serve for the last four years on the SF Planning Commission, serving as both President and Vice-President.

I want regular folks to have a voice for their local neighborhoods and rights for where they live. If elected to the SF DCCC, I would be fair but driven by values based in equity for all. 

Candidate Name: Bevan Dufty

I am seeking reelection to DCCC because of my commitment to low-income, homeless and marginalized citizens in our City.

This is my 40th year of public service, beginning in 1976 when I began working for Rep. Shirley Chisholm of Brooklyn, the first Black woman to ever serve in Congress and 1972 Presidential candidate.

After 22+ years in San Francisco City government, I have a deep connection to the neighborhoods of our City and have served thousands of our citizens in making government more effective and responsive.

I am particularly able to address systems that serve the poorest of our citizens and I worked diligently to establish the SF Navigation Center which has significantly address the elements of traditional shelters that have kept people from accessing services and left them on the street.

I worked with Carol Yenne of Noe Valley and others to successfully house an individual who had been living, and come close to dying, on the streets of Noe Valley for many years.

Noe Valley is my goto neighborhood for Sid. We dine regularly at Barney’s, get frozen yogurt at Easy Breeezy or candy at Buttons, paint pottery at Terra Mia, bought her bike at Noe Valley Cyclery and shop for every one of Mom’s birthdays at Gallery of Jewels and sometimes grab a great haircut from Robert at SuperCuts.

I championed and won approval for the Noe Valley Association and shepherded renovations of Sally Brunn Library, Noe Courts, and Upper Noe Rec Center. More than most DCCC candidates, I have directly helped improve the neighborhood’s quality and vitality. I would be honored to, once again, have your endorsement.

Candidate Name: Zoe Dunning

As a proud Democrat, I am a steadfast advocate for social change. Our party’s core values resonate deeply with me, and I want to continue playing a leadership role in embedding those values throughout our city, our state, and our nation.

One of our values is equality and standing up and speaking out against injustice. I have spoken out against injustice by working to break down barriers impacting underserved communities, such as the LGBTQ community. I challenged the military’s policies prohibiting gays from serving, and publicly came out as a lesbian naval officer and took a leadership role in working to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.  In 2010, I was recognized for this and given the honor of standing next to President Obama when he signed the repeal of DADT.  In 2011, I was awarded Woman of the Year in Senate District 8 for my commitment to the LGBT, women’s, and veterans’ communities.

I served for 22 years in the Navy and Navy Reserves and was also a leader of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which set the groundwork for opening up military service for LGBT service members. As Co-Chair of Alice, I worked closely with candidates and elected officials to help communicate the wishes and desires of the LGBT community.

I am devoted to continually addressing social, political, and economic inequalities in San Francisco. Social Justice is near and dear to my heart, as evidenced by my work on the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. No one is free until we are all free. If I am re-elected, I pledge to continue my work as an advocate for the people of our city and as a leader in building a more just society.

• 1st Vice Chair of the SF DCCC, unanimously elected by my peers

• Chair, SF DCCC Finance Committee, helping to raise the money necessary for a strong local party

• Co-Vice Chair, CA Democratic Party’s LGBT Caucus

• Member, CA Democratic Party’s Finance Committee

• Immediate Past Co-Chair, Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club

• Former 2nd Vice Chair, CA Democratic Party’s Veterans Caucus

I would be honored to have the Noe Valley Democratic Club’s endorsement for my campaign.

Lastly, I currently serve or have recently served in a number of party leadership positions:

In addition to these roles in the Democratic Party, I also serve on the San Francisco Library Commission.

Candidate Name: Shaun Haines

My roots in the community run deep and my experience has enabled me to form solid connections. The Democratic Party needs grass roots activists that who come from the people they represent and who can actively engage the community on every level. I have a demonstrated track records in terms of community and civic engagement through various forms of leadership.  As a San Francisco Native who has lived in every district I have a connection to community. I can use my life experience to motivate existing San Francisco Democrats to register and to get out to vote.

Beyond registering new and engaging existing voters. I will continue my work to address my top three priority issues:

Rebuild Communities of Color

·       Evaluate employment policies and compose legislation that eliminates practices that are exclusionary to persons of color.

·       We need to eradicate the pipeline to prison that traps so many black and brown citizens.

·     We need to improve educational resources and programs in low income communities to close the achievement gap.

Social Services Reform

There are major gaps in the services that are organized to prevent our people from becoming homeless. There are also gaps in the services that are organized to support our people on the path out of these homelessness. I know from firsthand experience that these services are woefully insufficient to get the job done. What is available is insufficient to meet the current demands. Our resources are failing to bring many out of poverty.

Candidate Name: Jo Elias-Jackson

To create fairness and equity, to elect/support officials who will be accountable to the regular citizens of our city, state, country.  To increase voter registration and to dialogue in racial and cultural humility, as well as to resolve the issues of homelessness and mental illness; to bring more diversity into the workplace.

Candidate Name: Tom Hsieh Sr.

Members:

Beyond the important mission of the DCCC to register, educate and GOTV voters, the DCCC holds the most critical role in shaping and forming policy and leadership in San Francisco.

As the Asian American population continues to grow, I want to make sure our DCCC cultivates them into the Party. I have been a Democratic activist for many years and can help mentor younger leaders who wish to make a difference in our society through our Party. I have a tremendous amount of experience to offer fellow members and I look forward to working with them in a productive manner to address the pressing needs of our time.

Thank you for your consideration to endorse my candidacy.

Candidate Name: John Burton

Dear Friends,

Throughout my more than 50 years of public service I have always let my record speak for itself. I believe strongly in the values of the Democratic Party and feel it is the party of the working people and that it is our responsibility to create equal opportunities for a decent quality of life for all.

I would welcome your endorsement.

Peace and friendship,

John Burton

Candidate Name: Gladys Soto

I have what it takes to be a unifying force for the DCCC. For 20 years, I have been working in several nonprofits organizations serving low income community members. I am a product of public education, I attended San Francisco City College and graduated from SFSU, earning a Masters' in Counseling. For over a decade, I have been involved in politics. I have phone banked, precinct walked, merchant walked, attended numerous rallies, protests, registered new voters, gathered signatures, run for the SF School Board in 2012, and won two assembly delegates races. Also I have been a board member of several non profits and Democratic Clubs. I am the SF Latino Democratic Club Representative to the California Democratic Party Chicano Latino Caucus. A position I earned for being the top caller for a Democratic Latino Mayoral candidate in San Diego. I was appointed to the Library Citizens Advisory Committee and the SFUSD Bilingual Committee. I was part of a community effort to help with the petition for Prop I that collected 15,000 signatures in 20 days, and worked on the Prop I campaign as a Volunteer Coordinator. Currently, I am serving as one of the Senate Delegates representing Senator Mark Leno's District. I helped organize over 200 people to testify for Senator Mark Leno SB 364 bill in Sacramento to change the Ellis Act to help tenants. And of course, I am proudly the mother of Youth Commissioner Giovanna Soto, a Senior at Lowell, and William , a 5th grader at Rooftop. Senator Mark Leno, Assemblymember David Chiu, Supervisor Scott Wiener and the the Laborers International Union 261 are my four biggest endorsements.

Candidate Name: Arlo Smith

I have previously served on the SFDCCC for 35 years (1980-2015).  Before that I was a Democratic club President.  Have been a Democrat since 1960, when I argued with other kindergarteners whose parents were supporting Nixon.  I was Parliamentarian of the SFDCCC for over 30 years.  I resigned from the SFDCCC only because I changed districts.

I consider myself a JFK-Bill Clinton- Dianne Feinstein Democrat.  In the present election I am supporting Hillary Clinton.  During my 35 year tenure on the SFDCCC, I have always watched out for the grassroots.  Before 1980, the SFDCCC had chartered few clubs, and the attitude of SFDCCC members was that Democratic clubs “get in the way” of the SFDCCC.  I wrote the provisions of SFDCCC by-laws and rules that make club chartering easy for the grassroots.   When several clubs endorsed non-Democrats in a nonpartisan race for Mayor, I (and Mary Jung) opposed any discipline, taking the position that we cannot enforce party loyalty in nonpartisan races.

To give grassroots Democrats a better chance to be elected to the SFDCCC, I will propose the following when re-elected: (1) that the number of elected members be increased from 24 to 31 – 18 in the 17^th District and 13 in the 19^th District. (2) that the SFDCCC adopt campaign contribution limits the same as limits for campaigns for Supervisor.

Supporters include Mayor Lee, Sheriff Hennessey, Assemblymember Chiu, Supervisor Wiener, Former State Senator Carole Migden, Matt Dorsey, Zoe Dunning, Rebecca Prozan, Leah Pimentel,. Kat Anderson, Joe Engardio, Tom Hsieh, Mary Jung, Megan Levitan, Eric Mar, Trevor McNiel, former BART Director Michael Bernick, former SFDCCC Chair Matthew Rothschild, Supervisor London Breed, San Francisco Building Trades Council. San Francisco Firefighters Association, Alice B. Toklas Lgbt Democratic Club, Bart Director Nick Josefowitz

Candidate Name: Alix Rosenthal

In my 6 years on the DCCC, I have dedicated considerable time and energy to the party, and my main objective in getting re-elected is to continue to work hard on the DCCC’s party-building activities.  As its Treasurer from 2010-12, I balanced the checkbook and made sure that our reporting to government agencies was completed properly. As Second Vice Chair from 2012 to today, I am responsible for running the party’s endorsement process for every election and also for issue resolutions. I have enthusiastically served as a San Francisco delegate to the state party convention for the last 6 years. I have worked to recruit and train Democratic women to run for office, including serving as a trainer for the Emerge Program, and running a slate of women candidates in 2012. I have also written resolutions on a wide variety of topics, from removing the personal belief exemption for vaccinations to urging the Mayor to appoint a mother to the Board of Supervisors. For a complete list of my resolutions, please go to my website at www.votealix.com.

I am dismayed by the large number of current and former elected officials who are running for seats on the DCCC, and I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that the party is going to fall apart if all 21 of these folk are elected.

I understand why elected officials want a say in party activities - particularly endorsements - but I have been frustrated that these elected officials will take seats from party activists who have the time and energy to dedicate to party activities.  To that end, I have proposed a bylaws change giving the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors ex officio seats on the DCCC, and adding 7 new seats for grassroots activists. This will leave more seats open for party leaders who have never held another office, and given the makeup of the current board of supervisors, it won't change the left-moderate balance on the committee. I am looking forward to a spirited debate at our meeting next week (April 13). 

Candidate Name: Leah Pimentel

I am running for re-election to the San Francisco Democratic Central Committee (DCCC). In this role, I have fought for an affordable San Francisco that supports middle-class families. 

I am a tireless advocate for democratic values, and if re-elected I will continue to lead the San Francisco Democratic Party’s effort to shape critical policy initiatives that support women, families, and environmental justice.