Mandelman takes supervisor oath
Rafael Mandelman was sworn in as San Francisco’s District Eight supervisor before a packed crowd in the Board of Supervisors chamber early Wednesday afternoon. As he made his way into the room, he was met with a swarm of supporters, who congratulated him, hugged him or shook his hand at every step.
Mandelman, a progressive, beat incumbent Jeff Sheehy in the June 5 special election for the seat, which covers the Castro, Glen Park, Diamond Heights and Noe Valley areas.
The 44-year-old urban development attorney will serve out the rest of the term of Scott Wiener, who was elected to the state Senate in 2016. This means Mandelman will have to face another election in November for a full term. With Mandelman in place, the 11member board switched to a 6-5 progressive majority.
After taking the oath, he spoke of his late mother, who was mentally ill and died during his campaign. He said her struggles were a motivation behind his campaign.
“Seeing the reality of the mental challenges left me with the certainty that there are people in this world who can’t take care of themselves — and that it is our job to do it for them,” he said.
“I believe San Francisco in 2018 can do better,” he added.