By Frances Queen

Connie Chan is celebrating her election victory, earning a second term as District 1 supervisor. 

Chan, an incumbent, ultimately edged out Marjan Philhour in a tight race that required three rounds of ballot counting. 

The supervisor, who represents the Richmond District, said her mentality is to bring her full range of experiences, values and skills to her work in representing her constituents. 

Chan moved to San Francisco from Hong Kong at age 13 with her mom and younger brother. The trio settled in Chinatown where she attended public school, which is where she learned English. She graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor’s degree in religious studies. After college, Chan moved back to San Francisco where she held volunteer and paid interpreter and community organizer positions, primarily supporting Chinese-speaking San Franciscans. 

In her early career, Chan worked for District 10 Supervisor Sophie Maxwell. She had the opportunity to build relationships and offer support to Chinese immigrants moving from Chinatown to buy homes in Visitacion Valley and the Bayview. Later she worked for former San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, who is currently winding down her tenure as vice president to President Joe Biden. 

Chan said she is constantly mindful of her constituents’ challenges and concerns and works to find the best ways to solve problems and support the district. In Chan’s eyes, a couple of the biggest challenges residents of District 1 face are homelessness and mental health illness. She said she hopes to see better transit as well as housing that people can afford in the Richmond in her next term. She also hopes to continue to bring more robust small businesses and welcome more tenants to the district. 

In early December, Chan will be introducing legislation for the Alexandria Theatre’s remodel. The building plan includes commercial or community space on the ground floor and 75 residential units above that, out of which 12% will be onsite affordable housing. All of the units will be two- and three-bedroom apartments creating the opportunity for new family housing in the Richmond.  

After a hard-fought election, Chan said she laments that political conversations in San Francisco have become binary. Politicians and citizens are therefore forced to select one of two positions when it comes to controversial issues. She said she believes the City’s biggest challenges require multifaceted solutions. 

“This type of solution involves nuance and intellectually honest conversation about what’s needed to solve issues such as homelessness,” Chan said. 

Chan said she has stayed off social media for two years to avoid toxic rhetoric online. She prefers to meet SF residents in person for conversations that she finds to be more organic and honest. 

Proposition K – closing the Upper Great Highway to private vehicles – is an example of a highly polarizing issue from the recent election cycle. Chan said she will hold proponents of Prop. K accountable for the changes they proposed, and that were passed by the City’s voters. She wants to ensure that the proposed changes for the road to become a park work for her constituents on the west side of the City. 

She emphasized that her door is always open to her colleagues and that she will invite proponents of Prop. K to discuss if there is room for a compromise regarding the closure of the Upper Great Highway. 

In the upcoming term, Chan said she and her team are committed to continued responsiveness to constituent concerns, continuing a partnership with the Civic Joy Fund to bring back the Richmond District Night Market and other events to highlight the district’s commercial corridors. She looks forward to supporting community needs during large events such as Outside Lands and collaborating with community-based organizations, local schools and seniors to best serve D1 residents. Chan and her team will also be working with the new operators of the former Cliff House location to help boost foot traffic in that area, as new businesses are expected to open in 2025. 

Chan lives in the Richmond with her husband and son.