SF Board of Supervisors President David Chiu & His Odd Prospects

As the New Year approaches, not only has the San Francisco local media covered the political guessing game as to who will be the next mayor, but so has the national media. The other day, the Wall Street Journal profiled current San Francisco Board of Supervisors President David Chiu and his odd circumstances of possibly becoming the next mayor:

Mr. Chiu’s unusual situation is the result of the vacancy being created by departing San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who leaves for Sacramento next month to take the job of California lieutenant governor. That leaves San Francisco’s 11-member Board of Supervisors with the option of choosing an interim mayor to serve out the remaining year of Mr. Newsom’s term. If Mr. Chiu were selected, he would resign his supervisory post, a spokesman said. But if no interim mayoral candidate can win six board votes, it would fall to Mr. Chiu as board president to oversee both branches of city government as “acting mayor.”

Now, the basic tenets of our government is the separation of powers and checks and balances, certainly at least at the federal level, but I believe this applies to all levels of government in the United States. Chiu has also expressed how demanding holding down two jobs would be! There has been some speculation as to whether or not Chiu wants to be just the interim mayor as well as the next elected mayor. With California Attorney General-elect Kamala Harris vacating San Francisco District Attorney seat, some have suggested that Gavin Newsom may be appoint David Chiu the next attorney general to replace Harris.

I first met David a little over two years ago when he was first running for supervisor for District 3, and got to know him a little bit better during his campaign through a mutual friend and even volunteered by walking some precincts putting door hangers in the district.

With a few weeks to go, we could have two Asian American mayors in the Bay Area – the first for San Francisco and the first for Oakland, and that would truly be historic. I can’t wait to see what happens.