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Isn’t It Ironic: the Aftermath of District Runoffs

CRACKS IN THE MACHINE: With only a 33 percent voter turnout, the election of nine new supervisors was in some ways a repudiation of Mayor Willie Brown.

During the campaign, many candidates criticized Brown and the so-called “Democratic Party machine,” which has had a virtual monopoly on local elected offices.

However, that’s changed a bit. Among the eleven newly elected supervisors, one is a member of the Green Party and another is not affiliated with any political party.

And contrary to its reputation, the “machine” was fractured, especially between the mayor and a few big cat Democrats who disagreed with his selection of candidates, one of whom is contemplating his own run for mayor.

Although Brown and John Burton, State Senate pro tem president, are life long friends, there were differences between them in whom they supported.

Burton advocated for Sup. Leland Yee in District 4 (Sunset) and the triumphant Chris Daly in District 6 (Downtown/Tenderloin), while Brown supported Tom Hsieh and Ron Dudum in District 4, and Chris Dittenhaffer in District 6.

In the November campaign for District 10 (Bayview/Hunters Point), Linda Richardson, who was Brown’s pick, nudged out Johnnie Carter, a Burton aide who left the race for supervisor to run unsuccessfully for College Board.

Then there was the “partying” going on two hours before the polls closed last week. Burton was hosting his annual birthday bash (and fundraiser) at the Fairmont Hotel’s grand ballroom. Burton was showing off his newest grandchild, courtesy of daughter Kimiko and Emilio Cruz, to over 1,000 well-wishers who could have — and perhaps should have — been walking the precincts on behalf of the mayor’s candidates.

The funny thing: Burton’s birthday was actually three days later, on Dec. 15.

Meanwhile, Assembly Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Carole Migden picked victorious neighborhood activist Jake McGoldrick in District 1 (Richmond) over Brown’s former appointee and incumbent Supervisor Michael Yaki. In District 3 (Chinatown/North Beach), she endorsed winner Aaron Peskin over College Board member Lawrence Wong.

And another big name Democrat, Kevin Shelley, majority leader and 12th district assemblyman, supported Yee, who was re-elected last week.

BURTON’S BIRTHDAY WISHES: While he wasn’t Marilyn Monroe singing “Happy Birthday Mr. President,” State Senator John Burton was wishing out loud on his 68th birthday that daughter Kimiko would become public defender to replace the retiring Jeff Brown, who is advocating for his deputy, Jeff Adachi, to succeed him in 2002.

Although Burton was mum about it, Kimiko’s success or failure could be a good test to see if he has the mayoral timber to succeed Brown in 2003.

Meanwhile, the birthday boy was promoting State Senator Jackie Speier for insurance commissioner, a state seat currently held by former judge Harry Low.

MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKING: “It’s ironic that the [Tom] Ammiano people wanted instant runoffs, and the [Willie] Brown people were against it,” said David Lee of the Chinese American Voters Education Committee.

Proposals for an instant supervisor runoffs never succeeded. Instead, the city ended up with the Dec. 12 runoff election — 35 days after the primary.

If instant runoffs had occurred, the outcome of some supervisor races would have been dramatically different, according to Lee’s analysis of exit polls from the Nov. 7 election. He and David Binder Research asked over 1,100 voters whom they would support in likely runoff pairings.

Lee said that at least two Asian American candidates would have been “slam dunks.” However, citywide turnout plummeted from 56 percent in the primary to only 33 percent in the runoff.

According to the Binder/CAVEC polling for District 7, Mabel Teng would have easily outdone Tony Hall, 65 to 35 percent. Instead, she lost by 39 votes to Hall in the closest runoff race for supervisor.

Leland Yee would have been a bigger winner, blowing out John Shanley 69 to 31 percent. Instead, a landslide became a mudslide when Yee only comfortably beat Shanley 57 to 43 percent in the runoff.

However, in the District 1 race, the exit poll showed that neighborhood activist Jake McGoldrick might have still edged out incumbent Supervisor Michael Yaki, 54 to 46 percent. According to Lee, absentee voters might have made that primary race closer and perhaps would have helped Yaki win. Too late: McGoldrick beat Yaki, 52 to 48 percent last week.

Lee also speculates that those races were signs of community division, and low turnout of Chinese American voters hurt Yaki, Yee and Teng.

“Chinese turnout was horrendous, disappointingly low,” Lee said. “If we’re going to continue the gains of the last six years, we as a community need to recognize that district elections as a system are unforgiving of disunity and infighting.”

Infighting was notable as former S.F. Neighbor Association leader Julie Lee supported Yaki, while her former ally, Rose Tsai, supported McGoldrick in District 1. Meanwhile, Peskin, who defeated College Board member Lawrence Wong 60 to 40 percent, was supported by former candidate Rose Chung. Chung was apparently sore over Wong’s mailers attacking her for lack of community experience and implying that she was anti-immigrant.

FRY THAT STICKER: Send your comments to me by e-mail at samson@sfindependent.com or potsticker@prodigy.net. Calls accepted at 415-826-1100, ext. 23.