Thank You and Election Results

While we came in second place, there’s much to be grateful for.

I want to thank all the volunteers who knocked on doors, hosted house parties, put signs in their window or handed out flyers at Muni stations and grocery stores. Some did all of the above! I also want to thank our generous donors who made my campaign for supervisor possible.

Our community outreach won many new friendships and thousands of votes. Our message and ideas also won hearts and minds – including the sole endorsements of both the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner. Even our campaign video, an homage to film noir, was named by San Francisco Magazine as one of the most memorable this election season.

Understanding the results
San Francisco uses a ranked choice/instant run-off system for electing supervisors. Voters can rank up to three candidates as their first, second and third choice.

After first-choice votes are counted, the candidate in last place is eliminated. Their second-choice votes are then redistributed to the remaining candidates. This process repeats until one candidate remains and is declared the winner.

There were five candidates in our race. The incumbent received 39 percent of first-choice votes and I came in second.

After multiple elimination rounds and redistribution of votes, this was the final tally:
Yee: 11,816
Engardio: 8,717

Click here to see all vote totals and how votes were redistributed as each candidate was eliminated.

Superstar campaign team
My campaign manager Chris Eldred and field director Sean Brady were first-timers in those roles, but you wouldn’t know it. They used innovation and ingenuity against opponents with more resources, seasoned political operatives and institutional support than we had.

We had lots of devoted volunteers and supporters (many appear in the group photo below). I’m really happy they represented multiple generations. The youngest was 17 and the oldest was 74. We all worked together with the goal to give our kids and grandkids a future in San Francisco.

I was impressed with Lowell High School senior Ophir Simayof, who started as a campaign intern and became an integral part of the staff. She’s also editor of her school newspaper.

A retired grandmother served as our volunteer accountant. Jan Scott spent countless hours doing all of the financial compliance with the Ethics Commission. The campaign could not function without her accounting skills and attention to detail.

Our campaign team will always remember Sergio Klor de Alva. He was the first person to join the campaign, serving as coordinator, and he greatly influenced our future-focused platform. Sergio was only 24, but had touched many lives in his San Francisco and Oakland communities. When I see Sergio’s picture near my desk, I am reminded every day to carry on his giving spirit. Sergio’s family set up a memorial fund for young people of limited financial means to pursue work for social change. It’s called “Sergio's Live Your Dream” and you can learn more about it by clicking here.

Looking to the future
The work to ensure the next generation has a future in San Francisco will continue. Too much is at stake. In the picture below you will see some of the many people who came together to support a forward-looking campaign. Thank you for being a part of it.