The majority of San Francisco’s Chinese American elected officials — six of seven — reiterated their support for Supervisor Gavin Newsom for mayor on Nov. 26, saying he best represents the community’s interests.
“Gavin Newsom is one individual who is a perfect fit for the Chinese community and the Asian community,” said state Assemblyman Leland Yee.
At Newsom’s Van Ness Avenue headquarters, Yee said Newsom will fill the hole left by the termed-out Mayor Willie Brown, and best address the future of small business, schools and families in the city.
Officials supporting Newsom also included Assessor Mabel Teng, James Fang ó a BART board member and publisher of The Examiner’s sister paper AsianWeek — and Lawrence Wong, a member of the Community College Board. Supervisor Fiona Ma and school board member Eddie Chin sent prepared statements.
Teng, a long time officeholder who took over the assessor’s office in January, said she envied Newsom for his experience of running the last two weeks of a strong campaign.
“This is wonderful,” she said. “I think this is the most exciting time of any campaign.”
A former chair of the Board of Supervisors’ Finance Committee, Teng said Newsom was always seeking funding for Muni, children’s issues and the Recreation and Park Department, and endorsed him as the candidate to help her equitably tax properties.
“I need someone in the mayor’s office who understands the need to collect what’s out there,” she said.
Wong said Newsom has strong plans to work with City College of San Francisco to ensure students are ready for the workforce in fields such as nano- and biotechnology.
“The other candidate has not outreached to our community in terms of workforce education,” he said.
Fang said Newsom has stood up “again and again” on the issue of homelessness, and called him, “the best candidate I have seen in a long time.”
Newsom said he’s looking forward to working with the Chinese American community on public education, childcare and good wages for in-home health care providers. He said turning out the Chinese American and broader Asian Pacific American vote is a top priority.
“The Chinese [American] vote is key, and appropriately so,” Newsom said.
More than 30 percent of San Francisco residents are of APA descent, and voters in that demographic tend to be more moderate or conservative than the general city population.
Coming out of the Nov. 4 general election, Newsom led his opponent, Board of Supervisors President Matt Gonzalez, with 45 percent of the Chinatown vote to Gonzalez’s 19 percent. In the heavily APA Sunset neighborhood, Newsom led 47 to 11 percent. Still, a large portion of the vote went to other candidates and the two runoff contenders are scrambling to consolidate that support.
Gonzalez, who opened a Chinatown campaign office in November, has the support of Chinese American school board member Eric Mar.
Enrique Pearce, Gonzalez’s campaign manager, said they also are making the APA vote a priority.
“I think Chinese American voters, like all San Francisco voters, despise the backroom deals that characterize Gavin Newsom’s candidacy,” Pearce said. “Voters are responding to Matt Gonzalez’s honesty and vision for the future of our city.”
Public Defender Jeff Adachi, a Japanese American and one of Gonzalez’s most prominent supporters, said APA voters are independent and will find Gonzalez is someone with the qualifications to fight for their values.
Adachi said, “Matt Gonzalez represents the values of the community.”