Chesa Boudin is DA; Dean Preston is District 5 Supervisor

Chesa Boudin is the new district attorney and Dean Preston is the new supervisor for District 5 which includes the Fillmore and the Haight-Ashbury. See https://www.sfelections.org/results/20191105/data/20191109/da/20191109_da_short.pdf and
https://www.sfelections.org/results/20191105/data/20191109/d5/20191109_d5_short.pdf

While they are both Democrats, this historical moment must be recognized as a milestone for the workingclass. Boudin did not receive the endorsement of the Democratic Party, but instead, the Green Party endorsed him. Dean Preston, an attorney, formerly with the statewide Tenants Together, has called for landlords to be licensed (as attorneys are) and if they break the law, their license could be suspended. Presumably, the city could then take over the property to save affordable housing. Preston endorsed Boudin for DA; his opponent endorsed the Democratic Party and police department’s candidate for DA.

Chesa Boudin is the grandson of Leonard Boudin, a famous attorney for radicals such as famous opera singer, actor and pro-workingclass African-American activist, Paul Robeson; Daniel Ellsberg of Pentagon Papers fame, Dr. Benjamin Spock, the famous baby doctor who ran for president on the Peace & Freedom Party platform, and many others. He seems to be upholding the same radical tradition. See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Boudin

Theoretically, in a low voter turnout election which all odd-numbered year elections are, Boudin’s victory would have been impossible. However, he organized a massive grassroots, precinct-based campaign in the workingclass neighborhoods such as the Fillmore, Haight Ashbury, Mission and Bayview Hunters Point that made possible his 50.72% victory with 85,950 votes. Most impressive in this ranked-choice voting election, he won 35.56% or 67,919 first choice votes in a field of 4 candidates. See https://sfelections.sfgov.org/november-5-2019-election-results-summary

Chesa Boudin’s platform of ending mass incarceration is in keeping with the fiscal reality of the Great Depression that is our current economic state. Enough voters apparently recognized that we cannot afford the false alternative of jails, not to mention that it is inherently racist and anti-workingclass. The constant police killings across the nation, including in San Francisco, also contributed to the understanding of the majority of San Francisco voters that we cannot tolerate the police state as anyone else can become a victim of the police state terrorism. The police department’s budget for this year is over $611 million for some 2,000 police, with over half of this astronomical budget going to salaries and benefits, proving that the police department is just a jobs program and has nothing to do with public safety.

Dean Preston ‘s pro-tenant activism and platform are based on the horrific housing crisis in San Francisco in which the only affordable housing that exists is for those who have been living in their rent-controlled apartments for over a year, usually much longer. We cannot move to another affordable apartment because there are none. We have a massive labor shortage because teachers, bus drivers, office workers, restaurant workers, hotel workers and all other members of the workingclass who sell our labor for less than $80,000 a year cannot afford the rent which can be increased to any amount once a tenant moves out of a rent-controlled unit as there is no vacancy control.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. We shall see what the records of Chesa Boudin and Dean Preston are, but for now, we must savor this very hard fought for victory.

Victory, victory is our cry! The class struggle is the reason why!