Welcome back to our weekly “Meet the Candidates” series, in which District 1 supervisorial candidates who have filed to run respond to a question in 100 words or fewer.
Answers are published each week, but we are also archiving each answer on this page for District 1, to make it easier for voters to browse.
Mission Local is holding a District 1 candidates forum on Thursday, Oct. 17, at the Internet Archive at 300 Funston Ave. Join us and hear from all five candidates on their plans for the district.
Several express Muni lines that ran through Richmond during weekday peak hours — 1AX, 1BX, 31AX and 31BX — were suspended during the pandemic due to decrease in ridership and have not been restored.
This week, we ask candidates: Do you plan to restore the express Muni lines (1AX, 1BX, 31AX, 31BX)? If so, what’s your plan?
Jeremiah Boehner
- Job: Marketing specialist and U.S. Army veteran
- Age: 39
- Residency: Tenant, living in District 1 since 2006
- Transportation: Driving
- Education: University of San Francisco
- Languages: English
Yes, once demand is there. I’ll keep track of office vacancy rates and when they reach pre-lockdown levels, we will start bringing them back.
Endorsed by: San Francisco Republican Party
Connie Chan
- Job: Incumbent District 1 Supervisor
- Age: 46
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 2011
- Transportation: Driving and walking
- Education: Bachelor’s degree, University of California, Davis
- Languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin
When I first took office as supervisor, I called for the full pre-pandemic restoration of our transit lines to meet the needs of our residents. My office worked with the community to advocate for the eventual return of the 31-Balboa, 18-46th Avenue, 1-California Express, and 38-Geary Rapid lines, which are all back in service today. Muni is a lifeline for many San Franciscans, including essential workers and seniors, so there is more that needs to be done.
Yet the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is facing a fiscal cliff by 2026 and cannot restore many bus lines citywide. This … read more here
Endorsed by: Nancy Pelosi, San Francisco Fire Fighters Local 798, San Francisco Labor Council, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, Local 21, Service Employees International Union 1021 … read more here
Sherman D’Silva
- Job: Owner of a laundromat on Geary Boulevard
- Age: 51
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 1973
- Transportation: Driving
- Education: Bachelor’s degrees from San Francisco State University
- Languages: English
Let me start by saying that the first responsibility of any representative is to be honest with their neighbors about what they can do and what they cannot do. Considering the financial condition of Muni, I do not see those lines coming back right away. I would of course prefer to add the lines back, but I do not have insight into what San Francisco’s budget will look like a year from now. There are many variables that will need to be considered. Promising anything at this moment in time would be irresponsible.
Jen Nossokoff
- Job: Vice president of a healthcare company and physician assistant
- Age: 39
- Residency: Homeowner, living in District 1 since 2020
- Transportation: Walking, biking, public transportation, driving
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and master’s degree from Samuel Merritt University
- Languages: English
Yes, I plan to bring back express Muni lines like the 1AX, 1BX, 31AX, and 31BX as quickly as possible, without waiting for ridership to return to pre-pandemic levels. Early investment in public transit is critical to encourage ridership, reduce car dependency, and build a sustainable transportation system for the future.
I was glad to see the introduction of the 1X California as an intermediary step toward restoring these services, but delaying the full return of these essential lines only prolongs the challenges that residents face with longer commutes, congestion, and limited transit options.
Additionally, I would like to introduce … read more here
Endorsed by: Everytown For Gun Safety, San Francisco League of Conservation Voters, San Francisco Women’s Political Committee (#2), Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate
Marjan Philhour
- Job: Business owner, former advisor and fundraiser to London Breed
- Age: 50
- Residency: Homeowner, born in District 1 and moved back in 2006
- Transportation: Biking, walking, driving and public transportation
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley
- Languages: English
Restoring express Muni lines like the 1AX, 1BX, 31AX, and 31BX is a critical component of our public transit infrastructure and ensuring that Richmond District residents have efficient and reliable transportation options.
These lines provided vital service to commuters, especially those who relied on faster transit across the city to get to work. My plan to restore these express lines is rooted in the broader commitment to increasing transit accessibility, and reducing traffic congestion. The pandemic caused cuts to these lines that were based on data and the drop in ridership since people were working from home more.
As supervisor … read more here
Endorsed by: San Francisco Democratic Party, TogetherSF, San Francisco Police Officers Association … read more here
Money raised by District 1 candidates
Candidates are ordered alphabetically and rotated each week. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at junyao@missionlocal.com.
Read the rest of the series here. Illustrations for the series by Neil Ballard.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.
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Accused Nima Momeni says ‘bad joke’ led to stabbing
Nearly a month into his trial for allegedly killing Cash App founder Bob Lee, Nima Momeni took the witness stand for the first time to describe the stabbing, which he said began after Lee attacked him over a “bad joke.” Jurors today got to hear Momeni, who has been sitting quietly in the courtroom through weeks of testimony, speak about what led him to stab Lee three times in the early morning hours of April 4, 2023. Momeni has been accused of murder, but his attorneys have claimed self-defense.Momeni wore a navy blue suit, spoke with a light Iranian accent, and appeared nervous: He repeatedly cut off attorneys asking him questions and refilled his cup of water several times, prompting Judge Alexandra Gordon to at one point give Momeni a framed “Inhale, Exhale” mini-poster from her bench.Momeni said today that Lee […]
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Related
Accused Nima Momeni grows combative
In a contentious second day on the witness stand in his own murder trial, Nima Momeni struggled — or refused — to provide much detail about the April 2023 stabbing death of Cash App founder Bob Lee, or to explain his behavior in the days after the killing. Instead, Momeni was argumentative under cross-examination by prosecutor Omid Talai, who attempted to cast doubt on Momeni’s claim that he acted in self-defense. On Wednesday, Momeni offered jurors his narrative of what happened in the early morning hours of April 4, 2023, when Lee ended up bleeding out in the street with three stab wounds. Momeni testified that Lee had pulled a knife on him after he cracked a “bad joke” about spending more time with his family instead of strip clubs. Lee’s reaction forced Momeni to defend himself. Momeni said that he had no idea […]
Chyanne Chen leading in D11, where most provisional ballots have been counted
The San Francisco Department of Elections just released the results of another 6,106 ballots. The total of processed ballots is now 396,543 — 75.93 percent of the electorate.Perhaps 15,800 ballots remain. Of these, 14,400 are provisional ballots cast throughout the city and at City Hall on Election Day. Scrutinizing provisional ballots requires additional time, and not all may be accepted. Let’s dive right into the only two remaining contested races: District 11 supervisor, and the fourth and last open spot on the Board of Education:In District 11, Chyanne Chen is still leading with 11,931 votes to Michael Lai’s 11,727 — just a 204-vote difference. Lai gained one vote compared to yesterday.“Most of the provisional ballots for D11 are now reviewed and processed and those votes are included in the preliminary results reports,” said Elections Director John Arntz. “The remaining provisional ballots are […]
Accused Nima Momeni says ‘bad joke’ led to stabbing
Nearly a month into his trial for allegedly killing Cash App founder Bob Lee, Nima Momeni took the witness stand for the first time to describe the stabbing, which he said began after Lee attacked him over a “bad joke.” Jurors today got to hear Momeni, who has been sitting quietly in the courtroom through weeks of testimony, speak about what led him to stab Lee three times in the early morning hours of April 4, 2023. Momeni has been accused of murder, but his attorneys have claimed self-defense.Momeni wore a navy blue suit, spoke with a light Iranian accent, and appeared nervous: He repeatedly cut off attorneys asking him questions and refilled his cup of water several times, prompting Judge Alexandra Gordon to at one point give Momeni a framed “Inhale, Exhale” mini-poster from her bench.Momeni said today that Lee […]
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