Our Chapter is proud to announce our endorsement for our member Dean Preston’s 2024 re-election campaign for District 5 Supervisor. For decades, Dean has been a tireless champion for workers, tenants, the unhoused, and everyone left behind by our city’s corporate-serving governance. In office, Dean has won major gains for San Francisco’s working class, including raising hundreds of millions for affordable and social housing, taxing vacant homes, and fighting against transit cuts and fare hikes.

With Dean’s strong record in office, it is not surprising he has come under attack by billionaires and right wing groups. In 2020, oligarch-funded PACs spent over a million to unseat Dean, but were rejected by District 5 voters. As reactionary movements gain momentum, we are more committed than ever to defending Dean as the only open democratic socialist currently in elected office in San Francisco.

In considering the endorsement, our Chapter conducted a careful and strategic process that we aim to carry forward to future endorsement decisions. Our chapter-elected Electoral Board, in addition to the traditional policy questionnaire, held several meetings with Dean and his staff in which we agreed upon a set of shared values both on the campaign trail and in office. This helps us to ensure that there is accountability, mutual trust, and open communication between the Dean campaign and our Chapter as we engage in this shared struggle.

As we begin to move into campaign season, we are excited to engage and mobilize all Chapter members to organize in this crucial campaign. Since we are up against tremendous opposition from organized capital, the only way to win is for ordinary people to get out in the District, talk to voters, and share our vision for a better future. The Electoral Board will be sharing opportunities in the coming weeks and months to get involved in the campaign. Join DSA San Francisco to help build a City that works for the people, not the rich and powerful!