Past SFMTA official to run for supervisor seat

Former Municipal Transportation Agency board member Sharon Lai is expected to announce her candidacy Friday for the Board of Supervisors’ seat held by Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who is termed out. Lai plans to share her plans at a rally in Chinatown, where she’s supported by a number of community leaders. In addition to Chinatown, District 3 also includes North Beach, Telegraph Hill, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Financial District, Union Square and Nob Hill.

Lai, an immigrant from Hong Kong and a mother of two, said addressing public safety will be at the heart of her campaign for the November 2024 election. As a SFMTA director, Lai pressed for more collaboration between Muni and the San Francisco Police Department, which she said led to a tripling of the transit system’s public safety budget. A victim of genderbased assault, she said those experiences shaped her agenda and how she’ll approach San Francisco politics.

“I am unwavering in my commitment to creating a safer and stronger San Francisco for everyone,” she said.

She said she will also press for the construction of thousands of units of housing, including affordable housing, and support rent control and eviction protections.

Lai said she’s running for office because “like a lot of other community members, I’ve been disappointed with the direction of the city, feeling the personal safety issue has not been addressed and the homeless issue has not been dealt with adequately.”

Lai’s supporters include Supervisors Myrna Melgar and Connie Chan, former Supervisors Norman Yee, Jane Kim and Sandra Lee Fewer, BART Director Janice Li and School Board Member Jenny Lam.

One other candidate has so far filed to run in District 3.