march 2024 primary

 SF Democratic County Central Committee

What is the DCCC?

  • The Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC) is the local branch of the national Democratic Party.

  • It’s a board made up of 24 elected members, 14 representing the West Side of San Francisco (Assembly District 19) and 10 representing the East Side of San Francisco (Assembly District 17).

  • These non-paid positions are elected to represent the Democratic Party and its values.

  • The board’s main power is in their ability to grant the endorsement of the Democratic Party to local candidates and ballot measures, but they also have the power to grant charters to new Democratic Clubs around the city.

Why You Should Care

The San Francisco DCCC is the most powerful board you’ve never heard of. The DCCC has incredible influence in San Francisco politics. Their endorsements elevate candidates in local elections, making candidates more appealing to donors and voters. And since San Francisco is a one-party city—Democratic candidates almost never have Republican opponents—the DCCC’s inclusion of their endorsed candidates on the party-sponsored election mailers carries huge weight. 

The DCCC’s ability to amplify one Democratic candidate over another gives endorsed candidates a massive advantage. But political insiders on the DCCC use these endorsements to elevate allies, rather than developing party leadership that’s more representative of San Francisco voters. That power should be used to elevate political newcomers—not existing elected officials who already have the benefit of name recognition and fundraising muscle. 


The DCCC should be a force for democratic values—both the party and the ideal. Unfortunately, the SF DCCC doesn’t always live up to those values. There’s been a lot of drama on the DCCC over the past few years. Take for example the time the DCCC tried to block a charter for a new democratic club simply because DCCC leadership didn’t agree with the new club’s brand of center-left politics. This isn’t the type of behavior we should see from San Francisco’s most influential political organization.

Our Vision for This Office

The DCCC should be a mix of political newcomers who want to grow their leadership skills, combined with seasoned politicians who can offer guidance. As the local branch of the Democratic Party, at the bare minimum the DCCC should represent the average San Francisco Democrat, promoting causes that move the city forward, and endorsing results-oriented candidates like the slate we’ve listed below.


Since the DCCC is supposed to be made up of local community leaders rather than SF political household names and their allies, it can be hard to navigate who’s who. That’s why our recommendations come as a slate—all these candidates have been vetted for their commitment to common sense politics, rather than their insider relationships. They’re also divided by Assembly District. If you live on the East Side of San Francisco, select all of our recommendations in Assembly District 17. If you live on the West Side, select all of our recommendations in Assembly District 19. 


Not sure about your district? Check it out at the Department of Elections website.

Assembly District 17
Why we're voting for her: Werbach’s private sector and nonprofit leadership experience give her the experience needed to thrive in this role. She sits on the board of directors for the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco and is the Chief Operating Officer for the Drew School, a private college preparatory school.
Why we're voting for him: Sangirardi is an LGBTQ activist and professional fundraiser for political and nonprofit causes. Sangirardi is a staunch pro-housing advocate and is the Director of Development at California YIMBY, the state’s largest pro-housing advocacy group.
Why we're voting for him: The founder of an early childcare startup, Lai has worked in the education tech sector for a large part of his career. Lai has the business leadership and entrepreneurial experience to help inform his decision making and governance on the DCCC.
Why we're voting for him: Lee is a well-known education advocate who works to improve the San Francisco Unified School District and Board of Education. Lee owns a general contracting business, and has also worked in real estate investment, development, and biotech.
Why we're voting for him: With a career focused on finance and venture capital, and volunteer experience in the education and addiction recovery spheres, Lee has both the business acumen and civic spirit to excel in the DCCC. He has volunteered with the Lowell Alumni Association as a board member, and Positive Directions Equals Change as an advisor.
Why we're voting for her: Currently the president of the Noe Valley Democratic Club, Barnes founded her own communications company, working with private clients for twelve years. In addition to this strong private sector experience, Barnes’ managed the Yes on D campaign in November 2022, the San Francisco ballot measure designed to create more housing.
Why we're voting for him: An executive in the San Francisco City Attorney’s office, Zamora brings years of experience in government and LGBTQ activism to the table. Zamora was president of the San Francisco Young Democrats—one of the city’s largest Democratic clubs—and served as a representative for the Bay Area in the California Democratic Party.
Why we're voting for her: Tung has proven leadership credentials, serving as Chief of the Vulnerable Victims Unit in the San Francisco District Attorney’s office and as a member of the DCCC. Since her election in 2020, Tung has been a voice of reason on the DCCC.
Why we're voting for her: Mahmood is an entrepreneur and the co-founder of ClearBrain, an analytics startup that was later acquired by the international software company Amplitude. Mahmood also started the 13 Fund, a philanthropic foundation that supports San Francisco’s Asian community.
Why we're voting for him: Currently a candidate for District 9 Supervisor, Chandler previously worked as a political organizer for the Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest LGBTQ rights advocacy group, traveling the country organizing support for marriage equality measures.
Why we're voting for her: A legislative aide for Supervisor Myrna Melgar since 2022, Heiken has experience forging relationships in government and guiding bills through the legislative process. Heiken also has a Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown.
Why we're voting for her: Ho is a civically-engaged activist and San Francisco native with extensive experience both in politics and the private sector. Ho founded the Delta Chinatown Initiative, an organization that supports public safety initiatives for the Chinese American community in San Francisco.
Why we're voting for him: Akbar is a vocal addiction recovery advocate and the co-founder of Positive Directions Equals Change, an addiction services nonprofit in the Bayview that offers classes and support groups every day of the week. Akbar is also a member of the Adult Probation Department’s Community Advisory Board, where he provides input and engagement insight.
Why we're voting for him: Currently San Francisco’s District Six Supervisor, Dorsey has been laser-focused on improving public safety citywide. Dorsey supports making our police department more competitive, and authored legislation to increase the number of officers in the city’s police department.

Assembly District 19
Why we're voting for her: Currently San Francisco’s District 2 Supervisor, Stefani has supported credible solutions to our city’s toughest problems: homelessness and mental health. She maintains an excellent working relationship with the Mayor and is adept at meeting the needs of her district while demonstrating political courage on citywide issues.
Why we're voting for her: In both work and private life, Barz advocates for the causes she cares most about. In her day job, Barz works on making public transit more technology-friendly while volunteering as a community organizer for KidSafeSF, a grassroots street safety organization.
Why we're voting for him: As president of the Chinese American Democratic Club (CADC), Quan leads one of San Francisco’s largest and oldest Asian American Democratic clubs. Quan works to increase Asian Americans voter registration and Asian American voter turnout, and has been an advocate for the Stop Asian Hate movement and public safety.
Why we're voting for him: Co-founder of the Westside Family Democratic Club, Gupta has the qualifications needed to excel on the DCCC. Gupta holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and leads one of the Bay Area’s biggest affordable housing nonprofits.
Why we're voting for her: An activist fighting AAPI hate, Tu co-founded Dear Community, a non-profit dedicated to promoting Asian-owned small businesses while organizing and supporting Asian cultural events. Tu is a lifelong resident of the Sunset and is focused on making SF safe for everyone.
Why we're voting for him: A political researcher, Calamuci has worked for the NorCal Carpenters Union for over 15 years, studying the economic conditions of construction and organized labor’s strategic needs.
Why we're voting for him: A local Democratic activist who has been involved with a variety of advocacy groups, including the Edwin M. Lee Democratic Club, Chen currently serves on an advisory board to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.
Why we're voting for her: A healthcare executive with an MBA from Northwestern University, Coles is a leader in local Democratic Club politics and sits on the Board of Directors of Huckleberry Youth Programs, a homeless youth advocacy organization.
Why we're voting for her: A long-time resident of the Richmond District, Philhour has years of experience working both as a small business owner and in politics at all levels. Philhour helped form the Balboa Village Merchants Association.

Why we're voting for her: Alioto-Pier has proven leadership experience in city government, serving as San Francisco’s District Two Supervisor from 2004 to 2011. Since 2005, Alioto-Pier has owned and operated a vineyard in Napa with her husband, giving her valuable business experience to go with her public service.

Paid for by TogetherSF Action (tsfaction.org). Not authorized by any candidate or committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.