Both Sanders, Clinton Have Fans Among SF Dems

Polls of California Democratic primary voters continue to show former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton favored to win the state's June 7 presidential contest against Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont).

Yet in San Francisco both candidates have attracted strong support among local Democratic Party activists and leaders. One need only glance at their Facebook feed to see the impassioned arguments being waged by backers of either candidate.

The same division of support for whom the party's 2016 nominee should be is evident in the questionnaires turned in to the Bay Area Reporter by 34 of the candidates running on next month's ballot for Democratic County Central Committee seats.

Clinton by far had the most support, with 24 of the candidates saying they support her in next month's primary. Four candidates were staunchly behind Sanders, while the remaining six took neutral stances, saying they liked both candidates and would support either as the party's nominee.

Gay former Supervisor Bevan Dufty's response was emblematic of the fence sitters in the race, saying he felt the matchup between Sanders and Clinton had made both stronger candidates. Back in 2007 Dufty, who is seeking re-election to the DCCC, was an early LGBT backer of President Barack Obama's first presidential bid, in which he defeated Clinton.

"Sanders has gotten Clinton to be more forceful on economic equality and Clinton has gotten Sanders to refresh his lifelong commitment to civil rights with a deeper connection to Black Lives Matter and other contemporary causes addressing racial injustice," wrote Dufty, 61, who most recently oversaw Mayor Ed Lee's homelessness policies. "For this reason, I have not endorsed either candidate and would be proud to support either one as our Democratic nominee."
Cindy Wu. Photo: Cindy Wu for DCCC campaign

Planning Commissioner Cindy Wu, 34, told the B.A.R. she was also remaining neutral.

"I want to see the first woman president but I am more aligned with Sanders' positions on the issues," wrote Wu, who like Dufty is seeking a DCCC seat from the city's 17th Assembly District.

The oversight body's 24 elected seats are split among the city's two state Assembly districts, with 14 designated to AD 17 and the other 10 going to the 19th Assembly District covering the city's western neighborhoods.

The lone Sanders supporter among the AD 19 candidates who returned the B.A.R.'s questionnaire was gay firefighter Keith Baraka, 50, though he also predicted Clinton would win.

"While I am excited by the prospect of Hillary Clinton being elected as our first female president, I have really been energized by Sanders' message of addressing income inequality, criminal justice reform, and challenging the excesses of Wall Street," wrote Baraka. "However, whoever emerges on the Democratic nominee for president (and I believe that will be Hillary Clinton), I plan to work tirelessly to make certain they are elected."

In the AD 17 race, bisexual union organizer Alysabeth Alexander, 34, also said she would support the Democratic nominee in the fall - noting she is "not a Hillary-basher" - but was backing Sanders in the primary.

"I am deeply inspired by his commitment to social and economic justice and his call to end economic inequality and hold Wall Street accountable," she wrote. "I am excited by the number of decline-to-state millennials that I personally know that are switching their party registration to Democrat because they are inspired by Sanders, which is extremely important as young voters are the least likely to identify with either of the two parties."

Many Clinton Backers Like Sanders

Just as those supporting Sanders spoke positively of Clinton, so too did backers of the former first lady express praise for Sanders.

Joel Engardio, 43, a gay man seeking re-election to his DCCC seat from AD 19, typified that sentiment.

"I support Bernie in my heart and Hillary in my head. I will ultimately support Hillary," he wrote.

Mary Jung, 61, the current chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party who is seeking re-election to the DCCC from AD 19, also indicated Clinton was the more practical choice.

"While Bernie Sanders speaks to me, I don't think his positions are viable or implementable," wrote Jung, director of government and community relations for the San Francisco Association of Realtors. "Hillary is well-qualified and has the experience to take on the job of president and the intelligence to figure out how to push forward an agenda."

As a teenager Kat Anderson, 52, another DCCC member seeking re-election from AD 19, babysat Clinton's daughter Chelsea. She told the B.A.R. Clinton should have been president "long ago" as she believes she is one of the most experienced people to ever seek the presidency.

"She was one of the first mentors I ever had, and she was my inspiration for becoming a lawyer and a political activist," wrote Anderson. "She is also an amazing mother, someone who listens well and provides warmth and confidence."
Dr. Pratima Gupta. Photo: Pratima Gupta for DCCC campaign

Among the AD 17 DCCC candidates backing Clinton is Kaiser OB-GYN Dr. Pratima Gupta, who is the volunteer medical director of the St. James Infirmary, a clinic for sex workers and transgender individuals. She explained to the B.A.R. that her decision came down to not agreeing with Sanders' plan "to dismantle Obamacare" and replace it with a single-payer system.

"I wish we had done a single-payer system from the start, but now that Obamacare recently celebrated its sixth anniversary, as a physician, I can say that it is working," wrote Gupta, 41, who is bisexual. "People have better health care coverage and better access to providers they want. Unfortunately, in our current political climate where our legislators are not willing to work across the aisle for the greater good of their constituents, I do not believe that a single-payer health care system would get approved."

Michael Edward Grafton, 54, a gay man also seeking a DCCC seat from AD 17, told the B.A.R. that Sanders remaining in the primary race through June would only benefit the Democratic Party and its nominee come the general election. He explained his backing of Clinton, however, is for purely strategic reasons, as he sees her better able to help Democrats win U.S. Senate seats in Midwest and Southern states.

"I do not think Bernie Sanders will have the coattails for Senate and House offices that Hillary Clinton will," wrote Grafton, adding that Clinton is also more likely to boost the number of female elected leaders in the country to 50 percent because "Hillary is more likely to get women to vote for women Senate candidates in Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Illinois, and Pennsylvania."