Joel Engardio concedes after being ousted in recall election
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Former District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio speaks to reporters off 30th Ave. and Taraval Street. Photo: Nadia Lopez/Axios
District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio's term will end early after westside voters removed him from office in a recall election sparked by his push to turn the Upper Great Highway into a park.
State of play: Initial returns Tuesday night showed 64.64% in favor of recall, with some in-person ballots still being counted. The measure, dubbed Proposition A, required a simple majority to pass.
- The San Francisco Department of Elections reports 16,437 ballots cast so far out of 50,273 registered voters — about a 33% turnout.
Why it matters: The election sets a historic precedent in making Engardio the first sitting San Francisco supervisor to be recalled. It also illustrates how quickly public officials can exhaust political capital when they push for unpopular neighborhood changes.
What they're saying: "My time as a supervisor is going to be shorter than expected. I accept the election results, but we can still celebrate because we're on the right side of history," Engardio said at a Tuesday evening press conference.
Context: Engardio, an anti-crime stalwart who ousted progressive incumbent Gordon Mar by a margin of about 1% in 2022, was originally backed by many of the same voters who later opposed Proposition K.
- The 2024 ballot measure co-sponsored by Engardio converted a two-mile stretch of the thoroughfare into "Sunset Dunes," a new oceanfront park that attracts roughly 30,000 weekly visitors but has also caused traffic increases on some Outer Sunset roads.
- Though the measure passed last year with 55% of voter approval citywide, just 36% of voters in District 4 supported it.
Between the lines: The moderate Democrat's support for closing the Great Highway ignited a wave of backlash from his constituents largely due to concerns about traffic and longer commutes.
- "Against overwhelming odds the voters of the Sunset have shown that there are consequences for betrayal," Jaime Hughes, a lead recall organizer, told the Chronicle Tuesday night.
- "Sunset Dunes is a success, it's good for the environment, it's good for our local economy, it's bringing joy to people of all ages," Engardio said Tuesday night. "We created something positive and very soon people are going to wonder 'what was the controversy about?'"
What's next: The election will be certified in the coming weeks. Mayor Daniel Lurie, who thanked Engardio "for his years of service" in a statement Tuesday, will appoint a temporary replacement until voters elect a new supervisor in June 2026.