San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio, known for bringing down officials via recall efforts, seems almost certain to find himself targeted in one as well. Recall organizers announced on Saturday that city elections staff confirmed over 99 percent of the surveyed signatures met validity criteria during their review on Friday.
I feel as though David defeated Goliath,” remarked Albert Chow, an organizer for the recall effort. “Nobody informed us that we stood even a remote chance of succeeding with this.
To be eligible for a recall election, campaign organizers required 9,911 verified signatures from registered voters within District 4 by the deadline of May 22.
The recall effort eventually gathered roughly 14,000 signatures and by the close of Thursday had handed them over.
just under 11,000 signatures
To the San Francisco Elections Department that it has been confirmed internally.
“This truly embodied a grassroots initiative,” Chow stated. “We put in extensive work to review each signature meticulously before submitting them” to the election authorities.
Jamie Hughes, leading the recall effort, mentioned that the sample fell just short of qualifying immediately due to a duplicated signature. She stated that now, the Department of Elections must validate each of the provided signatures, a process that might take multiple weeks.
“We had great faith in our verification procedure, dedicating significant effort to it, particularly during the last seven days,” he stated, also mentioning that he believed strongly once all the tallying concluded, the signatory petition would satisfy the required criteria for inclusion on the ballot.
Engardio, who had upset numerous residents by supporting Proposition K—a measure leading to the closure of part of the Great Highway for developing Sunset Dunes park—stated in a written release that he acknowledged public worries and was collaborating with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to enhance both vehicular movement and footpath security as well as other local citizen support initiatives.
Engardio expressed confidence that despite the possibility of the recall measure qualifying for a vote, his constituents would likely be against it.
I advocated for an inclusive and clear democratic procedure where everybody could have an equal voice through voting,” he stated. “Everyone also had plenty of chances to promote their views both for and against the matter.” He added, “I encourage folks to discover Sunset Dunes and our shoreline from fresh perspectives. Our coastline is shared by all and has never been easier for people to access than it is today.
Engardio likewise condemned the recall attempt, stating that it wouldn’t lead to reopening the Great Highway and establishes a “poor example” for removing public officials due to policy disputes.
“If we initiate a recall every time we disagree on an issue, our government will cease to function,” he stated.
In 2022, Engardio, who previously worked as a journalist, won a seat on the Board of Supervisors. He leveraged his backing of the successful 2022 recall of multiple school board members and District Attorney Chesa Boudin to secure his election.
Engardio secured the District 4 position following three prior failed attempts at becoming a supervisor. With a background as a journalist, his campaign focused on enhancing public safety and increasing transparency.
However, Engardio enraged numerous individuals in his constituency after backing and casting his vote for the measure to shut down a 2-mile section of the city’s westernmost seaside avenue, the Upper Great Highway, to vehicles in order to transform it into a park.
Proposal K faced opposition from most voters in the Sunset and Richmond districts, which are nearest to the Great Highway; however, it garnered more than 54% support across the city.
The measure
spurred a lawsuit
even before the
park
Opened on April 12, and people living on the western side complained about the highway being closed, calling it a “battle against vehicles” that would worsen their quality of life and lengthen their travel time.
Previously, Engardio justified his vote by stating that citizens throughout the city should have the opportunity to express their opinions on the ballot measure aimed at shutting down the Upper Great Highway and converting it into a park. He also contended that recalling an elected representative solely due to one vote would not be “beneficial for our progress as a community.”
Chow stated that missed the point entirely.
We’re letting go of Engardio because he interfered with the community,” Chow stated. “Even after being advised otherwise, he chose to act contrary to the wishes of the community.
Chow and others were notably upset upon discovering Engardio’s funding, which included significant backing from prominent figures such as Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman, who contributed $125,000 to the supervisor’s campaign.
His base consists of tech billionaires, not D4 residents,” Chow stated. “The aim is to remove someone who isn’t serving the interests of those who supported him.
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