Today, frustrated San Franciscans filed a petition letter with the Department of Elections to recall District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio.
Residents in San Francisco’s Sunset District are spearheading the recall campaign against Engardio over his support of Proposition K.
Prop K was the ballot measure to close part of The Great Highway to cars and eventually turn it into a park. Fifty-five percent of San Francisco voters said yes on Prop K, but more than 60 percent of voters on the west side of the city, including many in Engardio’s district, voted against it.
Westside residents say closing the road will make traffic worse and commuting much more difficult. Some don’t think it’s fair that the entire city was allowed to vote on a measure that will disproportionately affect westside residents.
Those spearheading the recall effort say Engardio “disregarded the needs and concerns” of District 4 residents, when he sponsored and campaigned for Prop K.
Engardio was elected in 2022 on a politically moderate platform. He narrowly defeated incumbent Gordon Mar. The Supervisor is no stranger to recalls. Two years ago, Engardio supported successful recall efforts against former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, and school board members.
In a statement, Engardio said that he “supported Prop K because [...] it solves unavoidable concerns about the environment,” referring to coastal erosion along the road. He also added there is precedent for citywide approval for such measures: In 2022, San Francisco voted no on Prop I, permanently closing JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park to cars.
The recall campaign has three months to gather about 7,500 District 4 voters’ signatures. If successful, the Department of Elections will hold a special District 4 election on whether or not to recall Supervisor Engardio.
