I’m running for Supervisor in District 7 because I care too much about this City to sit on the sidelines while City Hall falls short on the big issues.

As a small business owner, parent, and west side resident, I’ve seen the challenges our community faces, and I’m ready to bring fresh solutions.

I’m focused on making San Francisco safer and more livable. Like many of you, I’ve been a victim of crime, and I refuse to accept that this is the new normal. I believe we can fix the City with thoughtful, well-developed policies that hold people accountable and course-correct when necessary.

District 7 has a unique way of life that deserves better representation at City Hall. Our neighborhoods need safer streets, stronger support for small businesses and reliable transportation. I’ll work to ensure our concerns are heard and acted upon, and I pledge to be accessible and accountable as your representative.

I’m not a career politician. I’m a pragmatic leader who values results over process. My roots run deep in San Francisco, where my family has lived for generations, and I’m committed to making sure this City remains a vibrant place for families like mine and yours.

I’m asking for your support to protect our west side and help restore the San Francisco we all know and love. Together, we can make a real difference.

Learn more at matt4supervisor.com.

Editor’s note: Multiple attempts were made to contact Edward Yee who is listed as a candidate running for supervisor of District 7. The efforts were unsuccesful. Space will be made available in the November issue if Yee wishes to submit a column.

Wherever I go door-knocking in District 7, whether it’s Merced Extension, West Portal, or Forest Knolls, I hear one common refrain repeatedly: “We need change at City Hall.”

From the second I take office, I promise to bring change.

I am a firefighter, a Marine Corps veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, and ordinary citizen who still believes in San Francisco and is remaining here to help fix the City I love and that has given me so much.

When my grandparents immigrated here from Ecuador in 1952, they chose San Francisco because it was the place of opportunity. My grandfather set up a private family medicine practice in the Mission District. He was one of the first Spanish-speaking doctors and served the community for more than 40 years. He passed away in 2008, but his former patients recognize the Pinto name and come up to me even today.

This sense of community still exists. This is why I’ve always claimed that San Francisco is the biggest small town in the country; everyone seems to be linked by no more than a few degrees of separation. This is unique among American cities. But our way of life has declined for years, and it has reached a boiling point. This is why I am running.

I’m not a City Hall insider, nor is this a career move. I’m running because our City has a leadership void that I believe I can fill. I come from the community and I’m for the community. I have held various leadership positions in the district as president of Sunnyside Neighborhood Association, positions on the board of West of Twin Peaks Central Council and as a Veteran Affairs commissioner. It’s time for government to address the most important concerns of San Franciscans.

Complete shutdown of the open-air drug markets. This is objectively our most urgent crisis today. I have personally helped administer Narcan to dozens and dozens of people. They normally survive but sometimes they don’t. Much of this happens downtown, sometimes in full view of City Hall, sometimes with the dealer nearby. No other candidate has the close personal perspective that I do. I will have a zero-tolerance policy for open-air drug dealing and will accept nothing less.

Restore public safety. Every candidate nowadays intends to fully staff SFPD, even the ones who called for its defunding in 2020, like my incumbent opponent. But I am the only candidate who also wants to rebuild the Hall of Justice, restore full staffing of the Sheriff’s Department, and reform the police commission. Public safety requires every link in the chain to be intact, from police to the district attorney to the court systems.

Eliminate corruption. Our government is bureaucratic and immense in size. I will immediately call for an audit of all departments and commissions and eliminate and consolidate unnecessary and redundant positions. I will call for all contracts to be centralized and focused into one office for better accountability. I will call for performance-based metrics and zero-based budgeting to be written into every contract for increased transparency.

Reduce Homelessness. An entire industry exists which is not interested in solving homelessness, but rather perpetuating it. We have a litany of nonprofits that, as far as anyone knows, has no clear mission and no expectation of results. I will advocate for shelter space while not tolerating anti-social behavior on our streets.

Sensible housing. We can intelligently provide for growth without destroying our single-family-home neighborhoods.

Schools. As a Lowell High school graduate, public education is very important to me. I will not play politics with our kids’ education. I support magnet schools and early advanced educational opportunities.

These aren’t outrageous demands, but they clearly are not in the interests of our government. As supervisor, your concerns are my concerns. Let me prove to you that the city that used to know how still knows how! Please support my campaign for common sense politics!

Learn more at stephenmartinpinto.com.

Over the past four years, I have prioritized the very diverse needs of the west side and delivered on safety, support for small businesses, housing, transportation and support for families with children and seniors.

I am proud of my legislative record, the robust services my office has provided to my constituents and the millions of dollars we have been able to direct to the west side to make our neighborhoods better. I am proud that, despite the escalating negativity in our public discourse, I have represented us well and have been a civil and respectful bridge builder. If re-elected, voters can be assured that I will continue to represent them in the same way, while continuing to deliver progress and practical results.

Thousands of neighbors have participated in making their westside neighborhoods better and safer through our participatory budgeting program, which has shaped millions in city investments in beautiful public spaces and safety improvements. We created and improved Lakeside Landing, turning an ugly underused parking lot into a beautiful community space that has transformed the commercial corridor. We have improved safety all over the district – crosswalks, lights, stop signs and much more.

I cut the bureaucracy for little libraries, benches, murals, and small and large improvements made with love by volunteer neighbors. We supported merchants to take advantage of the new shared spaces (parklets) program. I led safety improvements to our Muni infrastructure, securing funding and getting implementation of improvements to the L-Taraval and K-Ingleside lines, new bicycle lanes and pedestrian safety improvements throughout the district.

Seniors can be assured that the safety net we have had in this City for more than 150 years will be there for them, as we saved Laguna Honda Hospital, which is now once again certified and taking patients. I implemented ambassador programs on West Portal, Irving Street and Ocean Avenue to support safety for shoppers and merchants and created and funded a successful citywide graffiti abatement program.

We continue to struggle with homelessness and a dire housing shortage in San Francisco, but under my leadership, we have made it easier for westside homeowners to build in-law units, and we have entitled thousands of units at Stonestown Mall and the Balboa Reservoir will break ground at the end of this year.

As a mother of three girls who grew up and attended school in District 7, and as a current public school parent, I will continue to work on the City’s support for our public schools. I will hold the school district accountable for the funding it receives from the City while continuing to support the district’s efforts to grow enrollment and pave the way to success and excellence.

My family came to San Francisco when I was 12 years old, fleeing the Salvadorean civil war. This magical place, a place of freedom and opportunity, gave my family refuge from violence and an opportunity to thrive like it has done for millions of people for our entire history as a City. My story is a very San Francisco story, where a girl like me could grow up to become a mother, set roots on the westside and become the first woman to represent District 7, and the first Latina elected to any district in San Francisco.

My experience, accomplishments and strong legislative track record show that I am by far the most qualified candidate in this race. I represent the interests of our district, and I work hard. I have been a leader on key issues on the Board of Supervisors, such as housing, public safety, government accountability, health care, and services for children and seniors.

If re-elected, I will continue to make progress and deliver results for the west side based on a pragmatic approach focused on getting things done for our community, without drama or political posturing. I would be honored to continue to serve District 7 as your supervisor for the next four years.

Learn more at myrnamelgar.com