With District 9 Supervisor David Campos vacating his seat in November, several candidates are vying to replace him, including civil rights attorney Joshua Arce, who has vowed create a more cohesive community in District 9.
“For me, it’s always been about working with those who don’t have a voice in government, building a coalition, organizing, crafting a roadmap to policy change and working through policy makers to get it done,” said Acre, who is no rookie to San Francisco politics.
Arce was raised in the San Fernando Valley and attended UCLA before moving to San Francisco in 1997 to attend law school.
“The work I did right out the gate was wrongful eviction. This is the kind of work that drew me [to civil rights],” Arce said. “Once I had these legal tools to provide a legal defense, I found that these tools were really valuable in situations when folks are at the last line of defense.”
The U.C. Hastings graduate will be on two ballots this year: first in June for the Democratic County Central Committee, where his campaign has raised more than $78,000, and then in November for the District 9 Supervisor seat.
Arce, who was recently endorsed by former San Francisco mayor and current Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, was also president of the San Francisco Environment Commission for three years.
A Mission resident living at 24th and Harrison streets, he said he wants to see a close-knit community discussion happen in District 9.
“We’ve lived in the same apartment for the last seven years and we feel there’s a certain lack of a way for all of us to talk to one another from all our diverse backgrounds,” Arce said. “My campaign motto is to work for all of us. I love the power of a diverse community coalition that have people from all backgrounds.”
Hailing from a background of farm workers and janitors, Arce said he feels a strong connection with the labor movement, and is also an advocate for breaking the incarceration cycles that tend to happen because of joblessness.
“We are impacted in so many ways by the cycles of mass incarceration and recidivism,” Arce said. “I’m working on a partnership that will recognize that the first six months that someone comes home from custody are where the propensity to repeat is highest. It’s in the first six months that joblessness is the indicators whether someone will repeat (the cycle).”
Arce believes that District 9 residents need better representation in the policy making process.
“District 9 wants to know that you will be there to represent and that you can deliver on a progress policy agenda,” Arce said. “At the same time, District 9 residents are very concerned about day-to-day quality life concerns—public safety, support for families, schools, street lights, simple things.”