4 new supervisors sworn in at City Hall
London Breed to remain board president
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has four new supervisors, but one thing hasn’t changed: London Breed will be its president.
Breed was unanimously re-elected Monday as six new and returning supervisors were sworn in for fouryear terms. The new supervisors are Sandra Lee Fewer in District One, Jeff Sheehy in District Eight, Hillary Ronen in District Nine and Ahsha Safai in District 11. Returning for new terms are Aaron Peskin in District Three, Breed in District Five and Norman Yee in District Seven.
The supervisors were technically sworn in on Sunday during individual ceremonies — the City Charter says the supervisors must be sworn in on Jan. 8 — and Monday’s event at City Hall amounted to a ceremonial crowning.
The audience that packed the board chambers was mostly family and friends, but included outgoing supervisors, former state Sen. Mark Leno and former Mayor Willie Brown.
Many of the supervisors talked about their commitment to standing by San Francisco’s liberal values during the administration of President-elect Donald Trump, including protecting the immigrant community.
“Not only in this moment in history can we maintain the status quo, we can advance the cause of our people,” Ronen said.
Breed was widely expected to be re-elected board president, and Monday’s vote was without drama.
Supervisor Malia Cohen described Breed as “hardworking, committed, smart and sassy.” Peskin said Breed was someone who could bridge the ideological divisions among the supervisors.
Breed’s most moving remarks often come when she talks about her childhood and what it means to have succeeded, and that was the case again on Monday.
“I am not supposed to be here. This isn’t how my story was supposed to turn out. Not for the girl born into public housing with a grandmother raising three kids on $900 a month,” she said. “The world destined me for drugs or teenage motherhood or jail, but San Francisco had other plans.”