San Francisco Elections Department announced on May 29th that a recall special election for District Four City Council member Joel Engardio will be held on September 16, 2025. This marks the city’s first recall process initiated against a sitting city council member.
The department confirmed on Thursday that 10,523 valid signatures were submitted for the recall action, exceeding the threshold required to initiate the special election, which was 20% of the registered voters in District Four, totaling 9,911 valid signatures.
The main reason for the recall of Joel Engardio is his support for Proposition K, which aims to permanently ban cars on a two-mile stretch of the Great Highway on weekends and holidays since the COVID-19 pandemic, transforming it into the “Sunset Dunes Park.” The proposition was approved by the city’s voters in November 2024 with a 54.73% approval rate.
However, in District Four represented by Joel Engardio, as many as 63.7% of voters opposed the proposition, criticizing him for not adequately seeking community input and overlooking issues such as traffic congestion and impacts on local businesses. Before the referendum, residents of the district held several protest events.
Observers analyze that while Proposition K easily passed at the citywide level, the opposition votes were highly concentrated in District Four. Especially since the recall election is limited to voters in that district, these dissatisfied voters could likely be a decisive force in the special election.
Despite the pressure, Joel Engardio remains optimistic. In a statement on Thursday, he emphasized that even if he is recalled, the road will not reopen to vehicles.
He stated that his initial push for Proposition K was to allow residents, both supporters and opponents, to have the opportunity to express their views on the future of the coastline through the democratic process.
San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department stated that since the opening of Sunset Dunes Park in April, tens of thousands of people have visited. Supporters hail it as a huge success.
Joel Engardio said, “I understand that for some in the community, Sunset Dunes represents a challenging change, but preliminary data clearly shows that this park is restoring coastal dunes, bringing new customers to local businesses, and becoming a place where multiple generations can enjoy walking, biking, and nature together.”
Moreover, Joel Engardio holds a four-to-one fundraising advantage and has received support from major donors and other political leaders.
Some voters also question the necessity of this recall, believing that it will increase additional costs for the city government and is retaliatory, especially since Joel Engardio’s term will end in 2026.
The recall election in September will be San Francisco’s third major recall action against elected officials in recent years. In 2022, residents successfully recalled former District Attorney Chesa Boudin and three school board members. Joel Engardio’s momentum in the 2022 District Four City Council race was largely fueled by his support for these two recalls.
In 2019, Councilwoman Sandra Lee Fewer faced a recall effort after harshly criticizing the police association but did not progress to a formal process. In 2007, Council members Aaron Peskin and Jake McGoldrick faced recall actions, which also did not meet the threshold for a recall. In 2004, Councilwoman Sophie Maxwell faced a recall but failed to gather enough signatures to trigger a special election.
Furthermore, Joel Engardio is also the first openly gay city council member in District Four, residing in Lakeshore with his Taiwanese husband, Lionel Hsu.