Four candidates have filed to run against incumbent Supervisor Connie Chan in District 1, which spans the Richmond, Lone Mountain, Golden Gate Park, Lincoln Park and the University of San Francisco.
In our “Meet the candidates” series, we are asking every supervisorial hopeful in the November 2024 election one question each week. Candidates are asked to answer questions on policy, ideology, and more in 100 words or less.
Answers are being published individually each week, but we are also archiving each answer on separate pages for each district, to make it easier for voters to browse.
For the first week, the question is: What is your No. 1 issue in this election, and what do you plan to do about it?
Jeremiah Boehner
Public Safety: We cannot fix our problems until people feel safe on the streets, in their homes, and on the buses. We need to fully fund our police department and do all we can to keep the officers we have. I will work hand in hand with [Richmond Station Captain Christopher] Canning and the Chief of Police to bring back officers and find new ones. I will work to remove the members of the police commission who care more about criminals than everyday citizens. I’ll oppose any new commissioners that are not pro-police and public safety.
Connie Chan
Incumbent District 1 Supervisor
Richmond District families deserve safe and clean streets, affordable housing and a government that works for us. This administration has failed to deliver on the most basic government services, and residents deserve better.
I have not been afraid to rein in City Hall’s wasteful spending, ask city departments tough questions, and demand results.
I fought for police ambassadors to patrol our neighborhood commercial corridors, expansion of Street Wellness Outreach and Crisis Response Teams, and help for our small businesses, tenants, and aging homeowners fighting against displacement.
I have and will continue to fight for the Richmond as District 1 Supervisor.
Sherman D’Silva
The No. 1 issue facing the Richmond District is, unfortunately, crime. Whether it be garage burglaries, car break-ins, shoplifting at our neighborhood store or enforcing basic traffic rules we need to feel safe in our homes, on our streets and at the places we visit, shop and dine. In order to deter crime before it occurs we need to add additional patrol officers on the street. I will triple the amount of law enforcement officers currently available in the district so that the response time of a police officer is comparable to citizens’ request for fire or ambulance assistance.
Jen Nossokoff
During my campaign for supervisor, and while in office, my No. 1 priority will be to create an environment of collaboration by leading with optimism and integrity. Conversations around the big issues facing our city, like safety, housing and economic recovery, are dependent on city leaders’ willingness and ability to work productively with each other. I believe that our problems are solvable, and I am going to work in good faith with our community, local businesses and whoever is on the board of supervisors or is the mayor, to put the needs of the city first.
Marjan Philhour
Public safety is my top priority. Prolonged legislative hostility towards police has eroded public trust, decreased access to important tools and technologies for police officers, and resulted in the increase of crime in our community.
We feel the dysfunction in our streets every day. I am committed to moving the Richmond in a new direction, making our neighborhood safer for everyone by:
- Ensuring a fully staffed police department that is equipped with 21st century technologies.
- Alleviating administrative burdens to allow officers to spend more time in the communities they serve.
- Implementing police commission reform that would increase transparency and accountability.
Candidates are ordered alphabetically. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at junyao@missionlocal.com.
Read the rest of the series here. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.