Editor:

Did you receive a postcard in the mail from Marjan Philhour recently? I did, and I was quite surprised, since she hasn’t officially filed paperwork as a candidate for District 1 supervisor, the Richmond District, to represent us in the Board of Supervisors in City Hall. And that got me researching a bit. 

As far as personal musings online and in her social media posts, she’s opined very little since her defeat in the same race November 2020, losing a very tight election to current Supervisor Connie Chan. Before that, she also lost to Sandra Lee Fewer in 2016. Will a third time be the charm? Perhaps it will.

I posted photos of Marjan’s postcard’s front and back on X (Twitter) along with a few of my comments of concern, and wow, did I get an earful of criticism from some Marjan fans, demanding I not knock her and instead support her unequivocally, asserting she’s the best candidate to depose incumbent Connie Chan next year. 

But, not so fast! Is this actually true? Is Marjan and her platform best for the Richmond and San Francisco overall, after the disastrous effects of CO VID, the Defund the Police and BLM movements, after our continued economic downturn, businesses shuttering and leaving town, canceled conventions, empty storefronts, drugs, tents and homelessness infiltrating our neighborhood from elsewhere? How will Marjan do things different from Connie Chan, who has been terrible in her own right?

Candidates for office make public statements, create websites, record short videos with pitches to voters asking for support. Many candidates participate in public forums on stage with other candidates. These are valuable ways to gain insight into the proposals, platform and demeanor of the individual running for office. But often, it’s just not enough. 

Candidates may also fill out questionnaires (some lengthy and very detailed), used for consideration for endorsement by political clubs, civic organizations and unions. Marjan did fill out several such questionnaires and that’s where things became concerning and paint a shocking portrait of how she would be in office: Marjan doesn’t want police officers to be equipped with Tasers. She opposes the death penalty. She astoundingly believes race should be considered in government hiring, contracts and public education and therefore allow for discrimination through a repeal of Prop. 209. She supports wildly controversial (and illegal) safe injection sites. She supports creating a Public Bank, and decriminalizing sex work. She does *not* oppose reparations and is opposed to sweeps of homeless encampments. These are all very current, headline issues for San Franciscans and she’s taken the wrong side.  

She agrees with abolishing ICE and supports the Geary Bus BRT as well as purchasing hotels as supportive permanent housing. She supports rent cancellation, repeal of parts of Prop. 13, repeal of both Costa Hawkins and Ellis Act. In other words, Marjan’s positions are absurdly backwards. She’s not the sweetheart moderate Democrat so many of her supporters make her out to be. She’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, clearly well-mannered and soft-spoken yet embracing hard leftist ideology. This is not what the Richmond wants or needs.

Polls have consistently shown Mayor London Breed is in deep trouble politically, and likely to lose her re-election next year. With this past week’s declaration by Daniel Lurie to unseat the mayor, 2024 will be very interesting indeed. Breed and Marjan have previously worked closely together. Expect them to campaign together. But, given the mayor’s poor standing, coupled with Marjan’s true platform exposed, this will prove difficult.

Marjan Philhour could pivot, of course. Her damning questionnaire responses detailed above were from 2020. Yet she’d be doing a 180-degree reversal, which signifies she’d be reinventing herself. Why, though? Why should Richmond District voters trust a three-time candidate who has hidden her agenda, intentions and policy stances from view? This is how many of San Francisco’s worst city hall officials have gotten elected, voters misled and choosing the wrong candidate. 

Is pivoting on issues a reason to elect someone, or would a different candidate who all along held positions be better aligned with our district’s needs? Let’s see who throws their name into the District 1 candidate hat. June 11, 2024 is the deadline to finalize campaigns. Marjan Philhour is not officially a candidate yet and should not be the knee-jerk reaction to Connie Chan’s incumbency. We must demand honesty. Marjan has a lot of explaining to do.

Richie Greenberg