Candidate Spotlight: District 5 Supervisor
Voting is an essential part of civic engagement, but it can be confusing, especially in local elections. There are some hyper-local issues that we’re deciding on in the upcoming election in SF on November 5th.
TechEquity Collaborative does not endorse candidates, but we are summarizing their backgrounds and platforms to provide some insight into the 2019 ballot. If you live in San Francisco, you can find which district you’re in here.
What’s the background on the race?
After former District 5 Supervisor London Breed won the 2018 mayoral special election, she appointed Vallie Brown to take over as D5 Supervisor. This election determines who will serve the remainder of Breed’s original term. The seat will be up for election again in 2020, but this year’s special election winner is expected to gain a large advantage for the 2020 race. Observers have noted the importance of this race on the composition of the Board of Supervisors for years to come.
Vallie Brown
Vallie Brown is the incumbent District 5 Supervisor, after being appointed in 2018. Previously, she was a legislative aide for Supervisors London Breed and Ross Mirkarimi.
Brown is not considered a member of the progressive wing of the Board of Supervisors, partially due to her appointment by Mayor Breed. She has, however, broken with the Mayor by supporting last year’s Proposition C (which would have raised corporate taxes to fund services for unhoused people) and agreed with other Supervisors to spend windfall money on teacher salaries and services for unhoused people. Overall, she is viewed as having a more incrementalist approach to addressing the housing crisis than other candidates. Recently, Brown has come under fire for evicting tenants in 1994 from a building she purchased and in which lived.
While in office, Brown has sponsored legislation to raise affordability requirements in a new housing project in her district at Divisadero and Fillmore. She also authored legislation creating a Vehicular Navigator Center to provide services to people living in vehicles. Brown supported SB 50, the major rezoning bill allowing denser housing near transit that did not make it through the legislature this summer, with amendments. She also supported the successful effort to expand conservatorship, or compelled treatment, for people with severe mental health issues, and the municipalization of PG&E.
Brown is endorsed by Mayor Breed, State Senator Scott Wiener, Assemblymember David Chiu, and Supervisors Norman Yee, Sandra Lee Fewer, Catherine Stefani, Shamann Walton, and Ahsha Safaí. She is also endorsed by the San Francisco Democratic Party, SEIU Local 1021, and YIMBY Action. See her full list of endorsements.
Ryan Lam
Ryan Lam is a local political journalist. He self-identifies as a Republican.
If elected, Lam has stated he wants to build at least 1,000 units of affordable housing and provide legal counsel to all San Francisco residents. He would seek to sever the city’s relationship with at least half of the organizations currently providing services to unhoused people and build a navigation center in the district. Lam would push for additional mental health facilities in District 5. Lam also prioritizes cleanliness and safety in District 5 as well as serving small businesses in the city.
Lam has not highlighted any major endorsements.
Nomvula O’Meara
Nomvula O’Meara is a film producer. If elected she would seek to strengthen renters’ rights, find housing for people with mental illness issues and those without housing.
O’Meara has not highlighted any major endorsements.
Dean Preston
Dean Preston is an attorney and founder of Tenants Together, a statewide renters’ advocacy organization. He is a self-identified progressive activist and democratic socialist. Preston lost a close 2016 election against London Breed for the District 5 seat. Last year he authored Proposition F, which guaranteed a tenant’s right to an attorney in eviction proceedings.
If elected to the District 5 seat, Preston has stated he wants to build 10,000 units of public housing. He is in favor of using public lands for 100% affordable publicly owned housing and supports land banking and community land trusts. Preston is skeptical of the YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) movement that advocates for the production of all types of housing, saying that in San Francisco they are “just another word for developer.” Overall, Preston is described as having a vision of “dramatic, sweeping change” when addressing the housing crisis.
Preston opposed SB 50, and also opposed the housing project at Divisadero and Fillmore, rejecting the 20% affordable unit ratio established by Vallie Brown’s efforts in favor of a 33% ratio. Preston also disapproved of the expansion of conservatorship for people with severe mental illness issues. He supports municipalizing PG&E, and would also like to see a pilot program for free Muni service with the eventual goal of free public transit.
Preston is endorsed by Supervisors Sandra Lee Fewer, Aaron Peskin, Gordon Mar, Matt Haney, Rafael Mandelman, and Hillary Ronen. He is also endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America SF, United Educators of San Francisco, and the San Francisco Tenants Union. See his full list of endorsements.
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