Every candidate endorsed by Local 21 was successful in the November election. Endorsed by L21, Mayor Ed Lee won re-election as did City Atty. Dennis Herrera, City Treas. José Cisneros and Dist. Atty. George Gascon. Additionally, longtime Local 21 ally Aaron Peskin won a hard-fought race to return to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Peskin’s fight for the District 3 Board of Supervisors seat was one of the most visible in the November election. Local 21 members stepped up for Peskin and affordable housing by volunteering 125 times along with a coalition of a dozen labor unions and community organizations. Members walked door to door to talk to voters, reached out by phone and helped get out the vote. Peskin took an early lead and eventually won by a margin of 54% to 46%. Affordable housing was a big winner in the election. Three of four affordable housing ballot measures backed by Local 21 won voter approval. Proposition A, a $310 million bond to build low, moderate and middle income housing garnered 74% of the vote. Proposition D won easily with 74% of the vote, giving the green light for the conversion of 40% of the eight acre Mission Rock parking lot area into affordable housing. Proposition K also received more than 74% of the vote. It gives first priority for surplus City property to affordable housing for low, moderate and middle-income people. Unfortunately, Proposition F to regulate short-term rentals like AirBnb was defeated. Among the other ballot measures that passed was Proposition B by Supervisor Katy Tang. It expands paid parental leave in cases where both parents work for the city. Each parent will now be eligible for a full paid leave. For a complete look at election results and Local 21’s endorsements please click on our Political Action page. |