After being narrowly edged out in the race for the District 10 seat on the Board of Supervisors four years ago, Potrero Hill political activist Tony Kelly says he will launch his campaign for the seat tomorrow [Wed/18], challenging incumbent Malia Cohen.
More at the SF Bay Guardian
Press Release from Tony Kelly:
Contact: Tony Kelly
(415) 283-6607
Neighborhood leader Tony Kelly files papers to run for District 10 Supervisor
Says we need new voices on Board to address city’s affordability crisis
SAN FRANCISCO, 2/19/14 – Joined by a group of supporters representing youth, merchants, artists, tenants, and struggling homeowners from every neighborhood of District 10, Tony Kelly filed papers today to become a candidate for District 10 Supervisor.
Kelly, who has been elected nine times as President of the Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association and who has worked on grassroots district issues for more than a decade, said it was time for fresh leadership on the Board of Supervisors to address San Francisco’s crisis in affordability. He said his campaign will be focused on having San Francisco plan and provide for affordable housing, equitable economic development, and cleaner air and water for district and city residents.
“Too many San Franciscans face an uphill battle, especially here in District 10,” said Kelly. “Our district is part of one of the richest cities in the richest state in the richest country in the world, and yet our neighborhoods are home to the highest unemployment rates in the City, our homeowners are at risk of foreclosure, and our tenants at risk of evictions. This is unacceptable, and we must do better. My family has been through bankruptcy, I’ve been a tenant my entire adult life, and gone through a no-fault eviction. I’ve been through the tough choices that District 10 residents go through every day.”
Kelly’s candidacy creates a re-match with incumbent Supervisor Malia Cohen, who was elected in 2010 through a ranked-choice voting system although she came in third place in the initial round of voting. Kelly received more first-place votes than Cohen in 2010, and eventually came in second with 47% of the vote.
Born at St. Luke’s Hospital on January 1, 1963, Tony Kelly is a second-generation San Franciscan. Growing up, Tony faced more than his share of adversity: his mother died of cancer in 1979 and his father, after falling into bankruptcy, died homeless on the streets of San Francisco in 1984. Despite these difficulties, Tony excelled in school, earned a scholarship to Stanford University, and attended graduate school at Carnegie Mellon University.
Tony returned to San Francisco two months before the 1989 earthquake, quickly becoming active in public service and establishing a theater company dedicated to diverse playwrights and actors. He moved to Potrero Hill in 1994, where he was elected President of the Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association nine times, served as Site Council President at Enola Maxwell Middle School, and held leadership positions in community organizations including the Potrero-Dogpatch Merchants Association.
A well-respected voice for the neighborhoods of District 10, Tony has served on task forces and official advisory boards to the Mayor, the Port, and the Board of Supervisors. He has saved blue-collar jobs and affordable housing by leading the district’s neighborhood response to the Planning Commission’s massive planning and re-zoning process for the Eastern Neighborhoods.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Although you can post anonymously, I encourage you to post as yourself or under a pseudonym in case other readers would like to respond to your comments. Thanks!