If you believe in gender curses — or superpowers — Sunset politics offers a neat case study.
As Mayor Daniel Lurie considers whom to appoint as District 4 supervisor, history suggests that there’s a clear divide in how successful women have been in the role (and in the years after leaving City Hall) compared with men.
Since San Francisco returned to district supervisor elections in 2000, seven people have represented the Sunset (currently part of District 4). Of the women, all three — Fiona Ma, Carmen Chu, and Katy Tang — have gone onto higher office or become department heads in the current administration. Of the men, two (Leland Yee and Ed Jew) have done jail time, one (Gordon Mar) was booted after a single term, and one (Joel Engardio) didn’t even make it that far, being recalled in a landslide election last month.
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence,” said Caryl Ito, a former president of the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women. “There is clearly a gender disparity in who succeeds and who doesn’t. It appears the men have failed.”
Ito doesn’t necessarily think Lurie’s appointment to the supervisor role should be gender-motivated. But she noted that women frequently enter office with stronger credentials and a focus on community connection.
Alondra Esquivel Garcia, copresident of the San Francisco Women’s Political Committee, said women “have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously.” Female supervisors, she added, “have proved to be qualified leaders who can unify the district.”
Ma — who served as supervisor from 2002 to 2006, currently acts as California’s state treasurer, and is running for lieutenant governor in 2026 — said it often takes women “a lot longer to decide to run for office,” and they are usually inspired to do so “because of some main issue or cause near and dear to our hearts.”
“So when we finally do run, we want to do a good job, and not because of fame or fortune,” she added.
Lurie has faced pressure to appoint a woman to the D4 post after Engardio leaves office Oct. 17. The San Francisco Women’s Political Committee in September sent a letter (opens in new tab) to Lurie urging him to appoint a female supervisor, citing past supervisors Ma, Chu (now city administrator), and Tang (now head of the Office of Small Business) as examples of successful leadership.
“With the rich history of successful District 4 women supervisors,” the letter read, “we firmly believe that a woman is essential not only for representation, but for restoring stability, accountability, and community trust.”
Garcia said the group isn’t backing a specific candidate but wants the mayor’s office to elevate women’s voices in the appointment process
Lurie’s office has been interviewing potential D4 candidates in recent weeks but has not set a time frame for an announcement. At a recent town hall in the Sunset, the mayor confirmed that several people have expressed interest in the role and that the process is moving quickly.
Among the contenders is small business owner Albert Chow, who was a key figure in the campaign to recall Engardio. Chow said women are great leaders, but he’s ready to break the gender curse against male D4 supervisors. He compared his background to that of women who’ve held the role.
“I feel like I’m more like Katy and Carmen — they didn’t expect the role and got appointed,” Chow said. “I want to bring a small-business and true-resident approach. I don’t think there’s anyone quite like me in the mix.”