This past weekend, we interviewed candidates and provided our PAC recommendations here for the March 5, 2024 election!
Please read our statements below for thoughts on our recommended candidates.
SFWPC statement on San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (SF DCCC) – Assembly Districts 17 & 19 recommendations
Assembly District 17 (14 seats) – Carrie Elise Barnes, Gloria Berry, Vick Chung, Emma Heiken, Lily Ho, Anita Martinez, Sydney Simpson, Nancy Tung, Christopher Christensen, Peter Gallotta, Bilal Mahmood, Michael Nguyen, Joshua Rudy Ochoa, Sal Rosselli
Assembly District 19 (10 seats) – Michela Alioto-Pier, Connie Chan, Sandra Lee Fewer, Natalie Gee, Frances Hsieh, Hene Kelly, Leah Lacroix, Jen Nossokoff, Marjan Philhour, Catherine Stefani
The SF DCCC race determines the 24 people who will represent as leadership of the San Francisco Democratic Party for the next four years (March 2024 – March 2028).
The SF DCCC is traditionally the entry point for many candidates into elected office. In the hypercompetitive landscape in San Francisco and California politics, candidates build their campaign infrastructure, name recognition, and political acumen by running for the DCCC.
As we approach 2024 – what POLITICO’s California Playbook is dubbing ‘The Year of the Man? – SFWPC is acutely aware of the need to avoid a massive backslide in representation of elected leaders who identify as women and non-binary at the state and national level. We need to build a pipeline of leaders on bodies like the SF DCCC first.
As we are headed into a critical election year that will determine the future of the United States as a true republic and democracy, as well as our rights to our personal autonomy and expression, we at SFWPC are aware of the role San Francisco plays in charting a course for our nation. San Francisco has long served as a place that welcomes everyone as they are, and sets the example of groundbreaking policy and progress for both California and the nation.
As a staunchly blue city, the Democrats that lead the San Francisco Democratic Party carry the responsibility of ensuring our city holds steadfast as a role model for other Democratic parties and groups in the country.
We are proud to endorse women and non-binary people for 18 of the 24 seats (75%) to do our part in building the pipeline of candidates necessary for equal representation. We appreciate all the candidates who made time to complete our questionnaire and speak to us during their interviews this past weekend.
We received commitments from each of the candidates recommended for endorsement that they will work with us to create an anti-violence policy for the San Francisco Democratic Party. SFWPC has been working with the DCCC since late 2021 on formalizing an anti-violence policy based on a call-to-action from our organization. Unfortunately, this policy has not come to fruition yet, but our recommended candidates have made commitments to us that, if elected, this will be a priority for them in 2024, and we plan to hold them to account to do so.
We had some tough choices to make, and some of the candidates we did not recommend have been allies and valued partners. But for many of the candidates who did not receive our recommendation for endorsement, we have some points of feedback:
- Interview preparedness & familiarity with our organization: Who we are and what we represent and work towards is clearly laid out in SFWPC’s mission, vision, values and the policy agenda available on our website, and we suggested all candidates review those resources in all of our communications with them. We are an organization that is centered in intersectional feminism and racial justice, and candidates seeking our endorsement should know that, understand those frameworks, and be able to speak to how their goals as candidates align with and further that work. To earn our endorsement recommendation, candidates should demonstrate their understanding and commitment in real terms.
- Male allyship is more than speaking about the women in your life: Multiple male candidates told us how they are surrounded by powerful women– their mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, coworkers, etc.–when asked about how they support women and how they’re uniquely positioned to receive the endorsement of SFWPC. Identifying the women in your life and telling us about how great they are is not allyship, nor does it mean that you will prioritize and work towards the policy change required to combat the most pressing issues women and non-binary people are facing, including gender-based violence and harassment, pay equity, access to childcare, affordable housing, etc. Allyship is a verb, not a noun and candidates seeking SFWPC’s endorsement recommendation must demonstrate concrete actions they have taken, and speak to the policies they plan to champion and support in order to earn our endorsement recommendation.
SFWPC statement on San Francisco Superior Court Judge recommendations
For anyone that may not be familiar with the process of judicial appointments and elections, we wanted to provide a little bit of context in addition to our recommendations.
In San Francisco, most judicial seats are initially filled by appointments from the governor’s office, but qualified candidates may also run for open seats in general elections, and incumbents can also be challenged. (The San Francisco Bar Association has an in-depth overview here– while it’s written for lawyers, it is very informative.)
Judges are not “political” in the same way most of our other elected representatives are. It is vital that they maintain impartiality, and evaluate all of the cases and individuals that come before them on the merits presented, and within the guidelines of the law. They cannot advance agendas or seek to enact a preconceived notion or outcome. Judges have a code of conduct and set of ethics –canons– to ensure impartiality and integrity when presiding over matters. These canons significantly restrict what judges can and cannot say publicly about cases and case law.
The San Francisco Superior Court is overseen by a Presiding Judge, who assigns judges across a variety of systems, including civil, criminal, CARE, and juvenile courts, among others. The Presiding Judge makes assignments based on needs like case volume. In the course of their service most judges will rotate through multiple systems.
While upholding these rigorous ethics and procedures, judges can take steps to make sure that the law is applied as evenly and fairly as possible. We asked candidates about ways they could advance equity and avoid re-traumatizing survivors of violence within these frameworks. Our recommendations are below.
Superior Court Judge, Seat 1
The SFWPC PAC is pleased to recommend Judge Michael Isaku Begert for reelection to our membership.
Judge Begert has served in the San Francisco Superior Court since 2010, and has led the CARE court, which consists of three treatment courts: Veterans Justice Court (VJC), Community Justice Court (CJC) and Drug Treatment Court, since 2019. Judge Begert demonstrated a deep understanding of the challenges facing the individuals that end up in his courtroom, support for survivors of violence and avoiding their re-traumatization, and a clear understanding of the support and accountability needed to get folks out of crisis and into stability.
As an organization that believes in transformative and restorative justice, we recognize the positive impact that this innovative justice system can have on our communities, particularly communities of color, with a judge like Judge Begert at the helm, and highly recommend reelecting him for Superior Court Seat 1.
Superior Court Judge, Seat 13
The SFWPC PAC is pleased to recommend Judge Patrick Thompson for reelection to our membership.
Judge Thompson spent nearly 30 years as a civil attorney and was appointed by Governor Newsom in 2022. Judge Thompson currently presides over preliminary hearings, and is a firm believer and adherent to judicial process and procedure. He works to create an accessible space, respects those appearing before him, strives to ensure all those who engage with the judicial system understand what is taking place. By requiring simple processes that make court less intimidating– like requiring all parties to use plain language instead of legal jargon when communicating with those appearing in court–individuals in court can feel more comfortable, heard, and make more informed choices about their legal options. Affording dignity to all individuals and ensuring victim protections in court is crucial. As a Black man that has experienced crime, Judge Thompson understands both the biases that persist in our society and the obligation to victims. SFWPC is glad to recommend the reelection of Judge Thompson.
SFWPC statement on State Assembly, District 19 recommendation
The SFWPC PAC is pleased to recommend CATHERINE STEFANI for Assembly District 19 to our membership. From her activism in the community to her work as a local elected official, Catherine has consistently authored and advocated for policies that align with SFWPC’s mission, vision and values. Her voice on the need for gun safety reform, centering survivors of violence, and the need to thoroughly investigate assaults is needed in Sacramento. At a time when women legislators are being termed out and increasingly replaced by men, Catherine’s lived experience and perspective are critically needed.
SFWPC statement on US Senate recommendation
The SFWPC PAC recommends BARBARA LEE for Senate in the March 2024 Primary. Lee’s judgment on important issues, and consistent willingness to stand firm on her principles, even if she is standing alone, earns her our recommendation in this contest.
Barbara Lee’s record of accomplishment on issues impacting women is unmatched in this race. From her authorship of California’s first Violence against Women Act in the California Legislature, to her work as the Chair of the Congressional Pro Choice Caucus, to her consistent advocacy on repealing the Hyde Act and separating it from the appropriations process, we trust Barbara Lee to forcefully advocate on behalf of women’s rights in the Senate, including holding Judicial nominees to account at this precarious time in our nation’s history.
Lee has remained steadfast in her principles, even amidst significant rebukes from the political establishment, including from those within her own party, and her judgment consistently proves to be prescient. From casting the lone vote against authorizing the use of military force in Afghanistan in 2001, to calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza this year, we trust Barbara Lee’s judgment to represent us well in the Senate.
Her perspective as a Black woman is greatly needed in the Senate, which is currently 75% male, and California deserves to be represented by at least one woman at this critical moment in our nation’s history.
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