The race to replace Chris Daly — the always progressive, sometimes hotheaded supervisor who has dominated District 6 politics for almost a decade — is becoming one of the most important battles of 2010, with the balance of power on the board potentially in play.
Through whatever accident of politics and geography, San Francisco's even-numbered districts — five of which will be up for election next fall — haven't tended to fall in the progressive column. Districts 2 (Marina-Pacific Heights) and 4 (Outer Sunset) are home to the city's more conservative supervisors, Michela Alioto-Pier and Carmen Chu. District 8 (the Castro) has elected the moderate-centrist Bevan Dufty, and District 10 is represented by Sophie Maxwell, who sometimes sides with the progressives but isn't considered a solid left vote.
District 6 is different. The South of Market area is among the most liberal-voting parts of San Francisco, and since 2000, Daly has made his mark as a stalwart of the board's left flank. And while progressive are hoping for victories in districts 8 and 10 — and will be pouring considerable effort and organizing energy into those areas — Daly's district (like District 5, the Haight/Western Addition; and District 9, Mission/Bernal Heights) ought to be almost a gimme.
But the prospect of three progressive candidates fighting each other for votes — along with the high-profile entry of Human Rights Commission director Theresa Sparks, who is more moderate politically — has a lot of observers scratching their heads.
Is it possible that the progressives, who have only minor disagreements on the major issues, will beat each other up and split the votes enough that one of the city's more liberal districts could shift from the progressive to the moderate column?
A FORMIDABLE CANDIDATE
A few months ago, District 6 was Debra Walker's to lose. The Building Inspection Commission member, who has lived in the district for 25 years, has a long history on anti-gentrification issues and strong support in the LGBT community.
Jim Meko, who also has more than a quarter century in the district and chaired the Western SOMA planning task force, was also a progressive candidate but lacked Walker's name recognition and all-star list of endorsements.
Then rumors began to fly that school board member Jane Kim — who moved into the district a few months ago — was interested in running. Kim has been a leading progressive voice on the school board and has proven she can win a citywide race. She told me she's thinking seriously about running, but hasn't decided yet.
Having Kim in the race might not have been a huge issue — in District 9 last year, three strong progressives competed and it was clear that one would be the ultimate winner. But over the past two weeks, Theresa Sparks has emerged as a likely contender — and if she runs, which seems more than likely at this point, she will be a serious candidate.
Sparks picked up the kind of press most potential candidates would die for: a front-page story in SF Weekly and a long, flattering profile in San Francisco magazine, which called her "San Francisco's most electrifying candidate since Harvey Milk." Sparks does have a compelling personal tale: a transgender ...
Forget "Progressive" versus "Downtown." Good grief, what do those labels really mean!?! D6 voters want someone who will equally meet with tenants and landlords, developers and neighborhood groups, etc. A supervisor who will leave his or her agenda back home in a cardboard box and face every tough decision with an open mind.
But most importantly, we all want a supervisor who has SPECIFIC plans, clearly laid out. I've heard the phrase "more housing for everyone" a thousand times, please tell us how it will be built and who will finance the projects? The candidate with the most specific plans to fix D6 problems gets my vote.
Tim Redmond and Jane Kim agree that if Jane is going to enter the race, she needs to present a case that, on the issues that matter, she'd be a better Supervisor. If she decides to run, she'll have no trouble presenting a strong case that she'll make an excellent Supervisor. Jane has real breadth and depth of policy perspective and the bona fides of a true progressive leader in San Francisco. Her work particularly around restorative justice in school disciple speaks volumes for how she'd approach "law and order" issues in the Tenderloin in contradistinction to Sparks.
What this article doesn't say, but is implied, is that Jane Kim will be a spoiler if she gets in, and runs the high risk of ending her political career if she hands this race off to a moderate.
Her move will be perceived by many as based on self-interest, not trying to move a political agenda.
She will burn bridges with many on the left, and even if she wins, which is possible, her career will be marred.
There are other considerations to justify a run, but my main concern is that Jane needs to present a plan on how, given the existing lay of the political land including IRV, the progressive vote will not be divided due to lack of transfers caused by exhausted ballots to elect the moderate/conservative in the district.
The Guardian blacked me out in 2000, even though they covered Hank Wilson and our campaigns performed exactly the same, and should not pretend that James Keyes does not exist in 2010.
The Guardian also endorsed Dennis Herrera for reelection this time around. I'm glad they're around but they most certainly have their editorial and political biases and preferred framings of which readers should be reminded.
-marc
It is true that Jane needs to present what she brings to the table that is different from the people who have strong progressive credentials and have an established track record in the district, and she also needs to present how she doesn't further divide the vote.
That will be difficult, if not impossible for her to argue, and again, she runs the risk of being seen as the person who ensured the victory of a moderate, and possibly ending her political career on that note.
It is true that Jane needs to present what she brings to the table that is different from the people who have strong progressive credentials and have an established track record in the district, and she also needs to present how she doesn't further divide the vote.
That will be difficult, if not impossible for her to argue, and again, she runs the risk of being seen as the person who ensured the victory of a moderate, and possibly ending her political career on that note.
-marc
Comment on: The battle for District 6
In order to comment on an article, you must Log In.
