Why the Democratic Party Was Right to Take No Position on Prop. A

By Gordon Mar

The recall election of District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio has become one of the most polarizing political battles in San Francisco. As a former supervisor for the district and an elected member of the San Francisco Democratic Party County Central Committee, I believe the Party made the right choice on Aug. 27th in voting to take a No Endorsement position.

This recall should be decided by District 4 voters, free from outside interference – especially when tech and crypto billionaires have already poured more than $784,000 into the campaign. At a time when trust in democracy is fragile, the Democratic Party was right not to add to that outside influence.

A Complicated Recall

I have long opposed the use of recalls as a political weapon, supporting them only in cases of misconduct or ethical violations. That’s why I opposed the 2022 recalls of the district attorney and School Board members, even though I disagreed with some of their policies. Policy differences should be resolved in regular elections.

However, I believe this recall is more justified than the previous ones. Many residents feel Supervisor Engardio misled voters on one of the district’s most contentious issues. He campaigned on one position to get elected, then reversed himself once in office and went further by spearheading a citywide ballot measure – without any input from the very constituents he misled. And while much of his supervisorial campaign was built on the divisiveness of the 2022 recalls, he now argues he shouldn’t be subject to similar anger when it comes to neighborhood street issues. That contradiction has not gone unnoticed.

My Experience With the Great Highway

I also want to emphasize something unique to my perspective. I am closer than anyone – Supervisor Engardio included – to the strong feelings about this issue, not just about the closure of the Upper Great Highway to cars, but about the importance of meaningful public input on divisive decisions.

During my time as supervisor, my staff and I spent more time on this than on any other issue, by a wide margin. From April 2020, when I requested the roadway be repurposed during the pandemic as a safe space for recreation, to installing three dozen new stop signs and speed bumps to address neighborhood traffic concerns, to working with Mayor London Breed to reopen the highway to cars on weekdays in August 2021 when families were going back to work and school, to my final legislation in December 2022 keeping the compromise in place as a three-year pilot program – every step was shaped by extensive town halls, community meetings, and neighborhood engagement.

I know first hand how deeply people feel about this issue and how critical it is for leaders to listen rather than dictate.

Why “No Endorsement” Was Right

That is why I strongly advocated for the Democratic Party to take a No Endorsement position on Prop A. Taking a side would only have deepened division in District 4 and aligned the Party with the massive outside spending by wealthy interests already distorting the race.

By taking a No Endorsement stance, the Party chose the fairest and most democratic course – one that respects the right of District 4 voters to decide for themselves.

At a time of increasing polarization, Democrats should be a force for unity, not division. The Party’s No Endorsement position is not neutrality; it is a principled commitment to fairness, democracy and respect for the will of voters.

By Gordon Mar is a former District 4 supervisor and member of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee.