Why You Should Think Twice About the SF Democratic Committee’s Endorsements this November

San Francisco is a famously liberal city where voters are rarely, if ever, presented with a choice between red and blue. Instead, candidates and policies tend to be different shades of blue. Parsing this difference can be challenging for SF voters. That’s why an endorsement from the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (SFDCCC) holds so much influence. Voters rarely look deeply into the organization guiding their voting decisions. But a closer look at the voting records from the SFDCCC’s endorsement meetings reveals that many of our elected officials display a lack of courage when faced with decisions about the city’s toughest issues. 

District 4 Supervisor and SFDCCC member Gordon Mar’s recent support for two opposing housing measures on social media is a perfect example of how elected officials take advantage of SF voters’ lack of awareness for their own political gain.

This November, voters will decide between two opposing affordable housing measures which are nearly identical, except that one will result in more housing actually getting built. Housing advocates say Prop D has more realistic guidelines that will streamline housing, while Prop E’s restrictions are so narrow that very few projects would be approved. Prop E’s passage would render Prop D void, so voters must choose between them. Prop E was put forth by the Board of Supervisors, the body of which Mar is a member, so it seems impossible he would not understand this.

Yet Mar still publicly supports both measures. A member of the SFDCCC, Mar voted yes on  both Prop D and Prop E—essentially refusing to take a position. Ultimately, the organization voted to endorse Prop E despite the fact that over 52,000 voters signed a petition to put Prop D on the ballot and the measure is backed by the Mayor, Senator Scott Wiener, and the housing advocacy group SF YIMBY. Prop E was put on the ballot by the Board of Supervisors, not voters.

Above: Screenshots of the voting records from the SFDCCC’s endorsements meeting.

The SFDCCC’s members vote in ways that are both hypocritical and antithetical to their public positions regularly. Another example this election season is District 6 Supervisor candidate and SFDCCC chair Honey Mahogany, who publicly supports affordable housing on her website, in debates, and on her social media. At the SFDCCC’s endorsement meeting, she voted yes on Prop D, but abstained from voting on Prop E. If Mahogany supports Prop D, wouldn’t she want it to get the SFDCCC’s stamp of approval?

The SFDCCC is the type of political organization that can be tedious to keep track of. But it is the local branch of the national Democratic party, and its voice will continue to be a prominent one. Let’s show the SFDCCC that we’re paying attention.

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