District Supervisor Races: Newcomer, Incumbent To Represent Ingleside
Newcomer Myrna Melgar will represent District 7 and Ahsha Safai will continue representing District 11 on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in January 2021.
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While ballot counting dominates the news at the national level, the results are in for the District 7 and 11 supervisor races.
District 7
Come January, Myrna Melgar will be the next District 7 supervisor after candidate Joel Engardio conceded the race a day after the election.
Despite being in third place overall in first-place votes, just behind Vilaska Nguyen and Engardio, Melgar overcame the deficit by receiving a majority of votes from Nguyen and candidate Emily Murase once they were eliminated in ranked choice voting.
Melgar, the former president of the Planning Commission, wrote an email Wednesday to thank her supporters.
“This is not my victory, it is our victory,” Melgar stated. “Over the last months, you canvassed for countless hours, made phone calls, and donated to help me cross the finish line. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.”
Melgar, the first Latina elected to the board in 25 years, resides in Ingleside Terraces.
“I want to extend my deep gratitude and respect to the other candidates in the race who ran strong campaigns and have shown a deep commitment to the welfare of our community,” she stated.
Melgar will replace termed-out Board of Supervisors President Norman Yee, who endorsed Melgar as his replacement. District 7 includes neighborhoods such as West Portal, Lake Merced and part of Ingleside.
District 11
In the District 11 race, incumbent Ahsha Safai won against former supervisor John Avalos, who had represented the district from 2009 to 2017. Avalos conceded the race on Thursday in a Facebook post.
“It appears that we fell short in our effort to win a seat for working people on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors,” Avalos stated. “Nevertheless, we made a strong showing to demand accountable leadership at City Hall. I couldn’t be prouder of our campaign and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your participation and your many contributions to the Avalos 2020 campaign.”
Safai and Avalos went head-to-head in 2008, with Avalos winning.
“As your RE-ELECTED Supervisor, I am committed to continuing the work we began four years ago; fighting for resources, Unifying and Recognizing ALL parts of the district and making sure District 11 is the best place in San Francisco to live and raise a family,” Safai posted on Facebook.
The supervisor, who represents the Excelsior, Outer Mission and Ingleside, said he will continue to work tirelessly for the district, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to seriously impact the district.
“There is no higher priority for me than ensuring our community recovers safely from this crisis,” Safai stated.
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