As San Franciscans celebrate Aaron Peskin’s victory in the race for San Francisco’s District 3 Supervisor, we have spoken clearly and loudly:
We will not sell our souls nor the future of our city to the disdainful and repulsive campaign waged by Peskin’s opponent, Julie Christensen, and the mayor, Ed Lee, who appointed her in January 2015.
Christensen’s campaign junk mailings were disingenuous and distorted Peskin’s record of legislative and community advocacy.
One mailing even had the audacity to use race baiting as a strategy, employing racist anti-Chinese graffiti, “No More Chinese,” and declaring, “Do You Want Justice?”
The Christensen campaign attacked Peskin personally, rather than addressing the main issues confronting San Francisco, such as how to prevent further evictions and how to create more affordable housing stock in San Francisco.
Billionaires pumped a lot of cash into the campaign to try to defeat Peskin.
Christensen and Lee and their deep-pocketed financial backers were surely deluded to think that this election and the soul of the city were for sale. Unfortunately for them, they only insulted the intelligence of the people of San Francisco.
I and other San Franciscans look forward to Supervisor Peskin infusing new leadership at City Hall. San Francisco needs Peskin’s leadership and integrity, and his commitment to working for what is best for the city.
Electing Aaron Peskin as supervisor means that the Board of Supervisors will no longer have to bow down to Mayor Lee.
On election night, I stood with Peskin volunteers and supporters, and the new supervisor himself, holding blue and yellow “Peskin for Supervisor” signs, on the corner of Columbus Avenue and Union Street, while cars drove by honking their horns.
In our midst were Carl Nolte, a highly respected journalist in San Francisco, State Senator Mark Leno, and former supervisor Sophie Maxwell, who had represented the Bayview-Hunters Point District.
When I spoke with Nolte on election night, and talked with Senator Leno, I was reminded of what the word “integrity” really means.
It is a new day at City Hall. Let the principles of democratic governance return to the City of Saint Francis.