SF Supervisor Connie Chan Declares Win in Close Race Over More Moderate Challenger

Supervisor Connie Chan is set to keep her seat in San Francisco’s District 1 after expanding a narrow lead over her opponent in a tight race that felt reminiscent of her election four years ago.

Chan, who represents the Richmond District, declared victory on Monday after updated vote tallies showed her leading local business owner, Marjan Philhour, 51.7% to 48.2%.

“Over the course of the last 8 months, I’ve talked to so many residents who care deeply about the future of our communities, and while we may have respectful disagreements on some issues, we came together understanding that we can work together to support our neighbors and neighborhoods,” Chan wrote in a statement.

The fight for the District 1 seat was shaping up to be a repeat of 2020 when Chan ultimately beat out Philhour by only 125 votes. Though Philhour was barely ahead on election night this year, the first update had the two tied, and Chan pulled further ahead in each subsequent update.

Chan’s win breaks what one challenger called an “anti-incumbency wave” that took out one of her progressive colleagues, Dean Preston, who conceded the District 5 race to challenger Bilal Mahmood on Monday. District 7 Supervisor Myrna Melgar also managed to hold onto her seat, despite a close race.

The three incumbent supervisors faced challenges from candidates running to their right in an election that appears likely to narrowly flip a progressive majority on the Board of Supervisors. Collectively, the races racked up millions of dollars in spending, especially from moderate political action groups led by wealthy tech investors and real estate interests.

One of those groups is Grow SF, which was founded by two tech workers and funded by various Silicon Valley founders, some of whom donated personally to Philhour’s campaign. The group actively campaigned against Chan, raising nearly $82,000 in a colloquially-known effort to “Clear Out Connie Chan.”

Chan and Philhour shared various policy positions, including opposition to Proposition K, which voters ultimately approved, and increased police staffing. However, the two differed on issues including affordable housing and homelessness.