In a special election held in San Francisco on September 16th, City Council member Joel Engardio from the fourth district was successfully recalled by the voters.
According to the data released by the election office at 8:30 pm that night, out of 15,468 counted votes, 64.65% (9,969 votes) were in favor of the recall, while 5,452 people, accounting for 35.35% of the total counted votes, supported Engardio and opposed the recall.
The main reason for Engardio’s recall was his proposal and support for the K project, which aimed to permanently ban cars on a two-mile stretch of the Great Highway since the COVID-19 pandemic, transforming it into the “Sunset Dunes Park”.
The proposal was approved by 54.73% of the city voters in November 2024, but 63.7% of the voters in the fourth district represented by Engardio opposed it, criticizing him for not adequately seeking community input and ignoring issues such as traffic congestion and its impact on businesses.
Mayor Lo Wei, in a statement made that evening, thanked Councilman Joel Engardio for his contributions to San Francisco over the years.
However, he continued to say, “As I campaigned for mayor, I heard from many families in the west side about their feelings towards San Francisco over the years: that their government officials have been imposing on them rather than negotiating together, and government officials have not been working for their well-being.”
Leanna Louie, a resident who participated in the recall movement, said, “The residents of the Sunset District have spoken up. This is their night, and they have expressed their true thoughts through their votes, which is important because that is the essence of democracy.”
Ms. Wei, who actively participated in the recall movement, expressed her pride in the power shown by the community.
Wei stated that the recall movement had limited funding, raising just over $200,000, but with a large volunteer network, they achieved a miracle.
In comparison, Engardio’s supporters raised over $800,000, advertising on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Nextdoor, and sending people to canvass door-to-door.
The recall campaign against Engardio was initiated in February, signature collection began in March, and by May, they had gathered 10,523 valid signatures, exceeding the threshold required for a special election: 20% of registered voters in the fourth district, which is 9,911 valid signatures. Wei stated that over 85% of the signatures were collected by more than a thousand volunteers, who went door-to-door explaining without deceiving anyone.
She mentioned that the outcome of the special election signifies that “as a public official, his boss is not the mayor, not the backers behind the scenes, but us, taxpayers. If he no longer represents us, then we have the power to remove him from his position.”
The vacant fourth district City Council position will be appointed by Mayor Lo Wei. Lo stated in the announcement that his team is considering candidates for the role of the fourth district City Council member.
Leanna Louie, who previously ran for public office, expressed a hope for a truly representative council member for the Sunset District, saying, “A good council member should listen to the voices of the voters, understand the needs of the Sunset District, including residents of the Richmond District.”
Louie stated, “This recall was actually a joint effort of the Sunset and Richmond districts. Many people need to travel between the two districts via the Great Highway, but an essential transportation lifeline has been cut off, which has made everyone very dissatisfied.”
She hopes that the next council member will understand these issues affecting the community.