Freshman Supervisor-elect David Chiu following his election
to President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Thursday.
Chiu, a progressive, is the first Chinese-American
to be elected to the board presidency.
Photos by Luke Thomas
January 11, 2009
Elections indeed have consequences. In November, through deft grassroots campaigning, self-proclaimed progressive candidates won four open seats on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. In so doing, Supervisors-elect John Avalos, David Chiu, Eric Mar and David Campos joined veteran Supervisors Chris Daly and Ross Mirkarimi to maintain a solid progressive majority on the Board.
Shortly after the election, a leadership battle ensued between Daly and Mirkarimi which held the choice for a new Board President in the balance until mid-afternoon Thursday. With no fewer than seven rounds of voting, we watched as progressives retained control of the Board’s helm.
Following the swearing-in ceremony came the nominations and voting for the board presidency. It was predicted the moderate-conservative faction on the board would throw its support behind Supervisor Bevan Dufty or Sophie Maxwell, but the Newsom-controlled bloc ultimately settled for Maxwell. On the left, four progressives were nominated.
The first round results tallied: Maxwell 5, Mirkarimi 4, and John Avalos 2.
After subsequent rounds proved neither Mirkarimi, Avalos or Maxwell could garner the majority six votes needed to ascend to the presidency, Chiu, 38, emerged as the consensus/compromise candidate. Mirkarimi, who now held the swing vote in his grasp, had no politically safe choice but to go with Chiu over Maxwell.
A somewhat surprised Chiu strode to the podium, his stature strikingly similar to his Napoleonically-sized predecessor, Aaron Peskin. As he did, progressives breathed a sigh of relief when Mirkarimi voted for Chiu, and in so doing, he began the process of healing his rift with Daly.
Superviors Chris Daly (right) and John Avalos (left)
rise to congratulate Supervisor David Chiu’s ascendency
to the board presidency.
For his part, Chiu has shown interest in diplomacy in indicating that he wants to work with the Mayor and the more moderate-conservative leaning colleagues on the board to tackle the $576 million budget deficit the City faces. Collaborative efforts are at a premium these days and I fully support the Board working closely with the Mayor to bridge the enormous budget divide.
That said, as we sit immersed in historic budget deficit times, I am grateful that the progressive majority on the Board will look out for the most needy among us. With Chiu’s stewardship, we will see the Board challenge the Mayor when/if necessary to protect social services and jobs when the budget scalpel kicks into high gear.
Editor’s Note: Chiu assigned Avalos budget chair.
Potential 2011 mayoral candidates Dufty and Mirkarimi not rising to the presidency gives them the time necessary to do the people’s business through thoughtful legislation and prepare for their expected mayoral campaigns. For now, all eyes are on Chiu who just assumed the City’s second most powerful position. If his dedicated past and diverse experience as a civil rights attorney, Senate Budget Committee legislative aide, Small Business Commissioner, and Ninth Circuit judge clerkship are any indication, after settling in and getting used to the presidential reins, Chiu will, hopefully, prove the progressive consensus choice was in fact a good one.
San Francisco Board of Supervisors President David Chiu.
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