District 4 voters overwhelmingly recall Supervisor Joel Engardio for a new lawmaker to be passionate and thoughtful

SAN FRANCISCO — The September 16 recall election final results show that voters from all 20 polling places in District 4(D4) overwhelmingly passed Proposition A to recall Supervisor Joel Engardio for a new local lawmaker to be passionate and thoughtful of their concerns.

The city's Department of Elections has certified the September 16 recall election final results on September 25. Mayor Daniel Lurie is waiting for the Board of Supervisors' official approval of the election results scheduled on October 7 to let him appoint an interim D4 Supervisor to fill in the seat and serve until the next scheduled election in June 2026.

The interim D4 Supervisor needs to run for the seat on the June 2026 ballot to fill the remainder of current term left by Engardio until January 2027. The next full term of four years for the appointed D4 Supervisor begins in January 2027. He or she needs to run again on the November 2026 ballot for his/her own new term.

After Engardio was recalled in a special election held on September 16, Asian community members and residents of D4, which covers both the Outer Sunset and Parkside neighborhoods, have focused on the appointment of interim D4 Supervisor.

Final election results show that 42.85% of the total 50,273 registered voters in D4 participated in the September 16 recall election which was a special election held for the purpose of removing Engardio from office. 62.72% of the 21,483 voters who casted their ballots agreed to recall Engardio, while 37.28% voted no on the recall.

The recall idea stemmed from Proposition K, a 2024 citywide ballot measure aimed to permanently close the 2-mile-long Great Highway within the D4 boundary to private cars in order to create a new coastal park which was named Sunset Dunes in 2025.

Engardio proposed Prop. K as a citywide ballot measure to the Board of Supervisors where four more Supervisors, D5 Dean Preston, D6 Matt Dorsey, D7 Myrna Melgar, and D8 Rafael Mandelman, joined in to support the measure.

Residents of Sunset (D4) and Richmond (D1) districts were angry and demanded Engardio to withdraw the proposal due to the increased traffic diverted to neighborhood streets and 19th Avenue which has always been jammed and the only main roadway for the residents and businesses to connect with each other in the west side and downtown.

Engardio refused. Prop. K was listed on the November 2024 ballot and passed by 54.7% of voters citywide in the election. In the meantime, Prop. K was rejected by almost all precincts in both Richmond and Sunset districts, as well as the neighborhoods in the south including Excelsior, Visitacion Valley, Portola and Bayview where Asian populations were significant.

The recall movement began on December 3, 2024 when petitioners who opposed Prop. K filed a Notice of Intention with the Department of Elections to circulate a recall petition against Engardio.

On May 22, 2025, petitioners submitted 10,523 valid signatures, more than the required 9,911 valid signatures, to hold the recall election on September 16, 2025.

The Department of Elections combined every two to three precincts in D4 to open one polling place on the recall election day. 20 polling places were open for voters for a total of 47 precincts in D4.

The data of recall election's final results indicates that Engardio lost in all 20 polling places which represented all 47 precincts in D4. The recall measure was passed with a range of margins from 52.10% of the vote to the highest 80% of the vote among 20 polling places/47 precincts.

Stronger supporters in 2022 for Engardio become vocal opponents in 2025

The recall election data also shows that Engardio lost in wider margins in Parkside precincts in the southern neighborhoods of D4 where he has resided. However, voters in Parkside neighborhoods supported him the most in November 2022 when he was elected as D4 Supervisor.

In the November 2022 election, Engardio received 69.4% of the vote in Precinct 9451 where he has resided. It was one of the strongest precincts Engardio gained in his run for D4 Supervisor.

Engardio was elected by 50.9% of the vote districtwide in 2022 with a very narrow margin over incumbent Supervisor Gordon Mar who received 49.1% of the vote

In the September 2025 recall election, 75.27% of the vote in two precincts, 9451 and 9452 where Engardio has resided, supported the recall to remove him from office. It was the second highest recall approval rate among all 20 polling precincts. The top approval was 80% from Precinct 9449 which was located next to Engardio's precinct (9451) in the Parkside neighborhood.

Engardio: The creation of Sunset Dunes is the lemonade.

Engardio issued a statement online titled "The Right Side of the History" after loss in the recall election. 

"My time as a city supervisor will be shorter than expected. I accept the election results. But we can still celebrate. Sunset Dunes is already a success. It’s good for the environment, good for our local economy, and it’s bringing joy to people of all ages," Engardio wrote.

"The feared traffic 'carmageddon' never came. We created something positive. Very soon, we will wonder why this was ever a controversy. We won’t be able to imagine San Francisco without a coastal park and all the benefits it offers."

"Severe coastal erosion meant the Great Highway was going to lose its greatest utility as a direct connection to Daly City — no matter what. Mother Nature gave us a lemon. The creation of Sunset Dunes is the lemonade," Engardio wrote.

Engardio called his proposal which led to the passage of Prop. K was a "bold thing to do". "San Francisco will only realize its full potential if we let ourselves do bold things. We can’t be the most progressive city that fears change. We must be the most progressive city that embraces the future," Engardio said.

The Chinese American Democratic Club (CADC) endorses the Recall Engardio measure

The Chinese American Democratic Club (CADC), which was chartered by the California State Democratic Central Committee in 1958 as the oldest Asian organization to affiliate with Democratic Party in the history of San Francisco, was the only Democratic Club in the city to endorse the Recall Engardio measure.

Leaders and members of the CADC have been actively involved in the recall campaign within District 4 where 53.2% of its population is Asians, according to the data released by the Department of Elections. White population, which is 37.5%, combined with Asians have made up over 90% of D4's total population.

“Every precinct and every community of the Sunset has spoken up that our representatives need to represent their constituents, not a few privileged people who want to reshape our neighborhoods without us," said Josephine Zhao, President of the CADC.

Zhao also outlined her desirable interim D4 Supervisor who will be appointed by Mayor Lurie soon. "The next Supervisor for D4 would be no on Proposition K, yes on the recall, Chinese American, and a community/business/merchant leader known in the district," said Zhao. "The leader is a known entity, someone who can bring neighbors together to build solutions to our challenges."

Engardio, who was elected in November 2022, was the first non-Chinese American Supervisor representing D4 since the district election system was implemented in San Francisco in 2000.

"I hope the mayor will work with the community to select someone who has been a true leader in the Sunset over the past 17 months — someone who has been doing the work on reflecting the voice of the Sunset, who has experienced the emotional ups and downs alongside neighbors, and who truly understands what voters want," Zhao further said.

"Sunset voters have spoken loud and clear on the No on K and the Yes on Recall campaigns," Zhao added. "We need a representative who can represent the lived experience of the 54% AAPI in District 4, can help the Sunset District reset the negative energy, foster healing and unity, and at the same time has the vision and experience to immediately lead our community in addressing the citywide challenges of housing and public safety."

Selena Chu, who is one of the young leaders at CADC, has openly expressed her interest in serving as the interim Supervisor.

"The Sunset District is our home. It’s where we raise our families, run small businesses, walk along the beach, and look out for one another," Selena Chu posted on X. "I am not here to seek the spotlight. I am here to serve with honesty, fairness, and dedication. The Sunset needs a representative who is rooted in our community, who listens, and who puts people before politics."

Jennifer Lee who has resided in the Outer Sunset neighborhood for over three decades and voted yes on the recall measure. "Engardio was wrong from the beginning to the end after he was recalled. The traffic on 19th Avenue in Sunset has always been a problem with gridlock especially during peak hours. It is not a secret. The closure of the Great Highway has already added more extra time for thousands and thousands of residents and motorists who drive on 19th Avenue everyday in the westside," Lee said.

"I don't understand why Engardio would say the congestion never came," said Lee. "He was wrong to put his personal belief in creating a coastal park, which was for recreation and entertainment, above the transportation, which is essential to everyone for families and financial survival. How many people would live a life of luxury to go to Sunset Dunes for fun on weekdays? We are talking about entertainment verses essential.”

"As a District Supervisor and lawmaker, Engardio's job was to find solutions to bring in more roadways to improve transportation for reducing traffic jams, not to create more gridlocks for his constituents by closing a major highway," Lee said.

Wilson Chu: Candidates in this city come to the Chinese American community when they need votes. But when it comes to policy, when it comes to listening to our voices, too often we are ignored.

"Democracy prevailed!" Wilson Chu, political activist and former President of CADC, said he was not surprised to see the recall winning by a wide margin.

"A large portion of the residents in D4 are Asian Americans. Joel Engardio excluded them from important policy decisions that affect their daily lives," Wilson Chu said. "Engardio failed to discuss the closing of the Great Highway and up zoning with the Chinese American community. The Chinese American community was excluded, the community found a way to make their voices heard."

Wilson Chu also shared his heartbreaking experience in politics. "I want to speak directly to a painful truth for many of us. Time and again, candidates in this city come to the Chinese American community when they need votes. They come when they need campaign volunteers. They come when they want to win."

"But when it comes to policy, when it comes to listening to our voices, too often we are ignored. And Joel Engardio has followed this same pattern. He embraced our community when it was convenient for him — but turned his back on us the moment he got into office. Enough is enough!" Wilson Chu continued.

"And let’s not forget Proposition K. Once again, the Chinese American community was left out of the conversation. Other Supervisors signed onto that legislation without ever consulting us, without ever listening to our concerns," Wilson Chu added. "This is not just Engardio’s failure — this is a systemic failure. Our community is good enough to deliver votes, but apparently not good enough to be heard on the issues that shape our lives. That is not democracy — that is exploitation! And we are here to say, no more."

Brian Quan, former President of CADC, was one of the very few members of CADC against the recall of Engardio. Quan was surprised to see the low turnout. He said the recall which was held as a special election with only a single item on the ballot would affect the turnout. "The result is not what I would have liked, but the Recall side had more enthusiasm to show up," said Quan.