The four-month sprint to gather enough signatures to potentially oust San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio will soon begin. But the embattled Sunset district representative is ready to defend himself.
The Department of Elections has approved the circulation of a petition aiming to recall Engardio over his support for the Great Highway closure, giving the organizers until May 22 to gather 10,000 signatures and trigger a special recall election.
“Our team is going to reach out to the community to get signatures,” said Vin Budhai, who founded the recall campaign. “There are approximately 1,000 people signed up already on the campaign website, and they’re ready to sign and help.”
Engardio, who represents District 4, where the Great Highway is located, faces backlash over his support of Proposition K, which passed citywide with 55% approval but was rejected by 64% of voters in his district. The measure will close a two-mile stretch of Upper Great Highway to vehicles and create an oceanfront park.
Opposition to the closure remains strong among west-side residents, who argue that cutting off road access will disrupt commutes and increase traffic in the area. Many critics of Prop. K felt Engardio ignored the input of his constituents.
The recall campaign, “Our Neighborhood, Our Future Supporting the Recall of Supervisor Engardio,” has raised about $10,000, according to Budhai. It has hired two staffers from former Supervisor Aaron Peskin’s mayoral campaign, Otto Pippenger and Jamie Hughes, to do the fieldwork.
The 10,000 signatures needed to trigger the special election represent about 20% of registered voters in the district.
Engardio has assembled an experienced anti-recall team and maintains that his track record on public safety, small business, and education speaks for itself. His campaign, “Stop the Recall, Stand with Joel Engardio,” launched in January.
Engardio said many Sunset residents have indicated that they don’t support the recall effort, even if they don’t agree with all his positions.
“Our campaign to stop the recall has strong grassroots support,” Engardio said in a statement. “Residents tell me the entirety of my work — not just one issue — is what matters to them. They know a recall is disruptive and costly.”
The city has won approval from the California Coastal Commission for the road-to-park transformation, including new bike lanes, enabled by Prop. K. The closure is expected to happen this spring, with community discussions on design and traffic changes planned in future months.