SF Supervisor Joel Engardio Concedes Recall in Sunset District

San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio conceded Tuesday night in the District 4 recall election, after early returns showed about 64% of voters supporting his removal. The vote reflected backlash from Sunset residents over his support for Proposition K, which turned part of the Great Highway into Sunset Dunes park.

“My time as a supervisor will be shorter than expected, but we can still celebrate because we’re on the right side of history,” Engardio said after conceding. “Sunset Dunes is a success. It’s good for the environment. It’s great for local businesses. It’s bringing joy to generations of people.”

Voters citywide approved Proposition K, but most Sunset residents who live closest to the park opposed it.

At Celia’s by the Beach on Judah Street, a Mexican restaurant in the Sunset, the room erupted in cheers as early results were posted.

Quentin Kopp grabbed the microphone, telling the crowd the Sunset “can’t be bought” and warning that the next fight would be over Mayor Daniel Lurie’s zoning plan. Campaign organizer Otto Pippenger credited the Chinese community for driving what he called a “successful recall.”

Glasses clinked, margaritas sloshed and the energy was electric as supporters toasted the moment.

Roughly 50,000 residents were eligible to vote in the recall, and 16,278 ballots had been submitted as of Tuesday night, according to the Department of Elections.

Engardio continues to support the park. He and his supporters note that the lower portion of the Great Highway is already closed because of coastal erosion. They argue the park is both necessary to adapt to the changing landscape and valuable as a recreation space for residents across the region.

Henry Flynn, a fourth-generation San Franciscan, called the recall “democracy 101,” focusing on the Great Highway closure as a sign that city leaders ignored residents’ wishes. “If a majority votes you in and wants a vital roadway open, ignoring them isn’t democratic,” he said.

Flynn, who grew up in the Richmond District, criticized the weekend-only closure and dismissed coastal erosion and maintenance costs as a “scapegoat,” noting the park has created new problems like trash and human waste. On recalls, he said officials who turn their backs on constituents should face consequences.

In a statement Tuesday night, Lurie thanked Engardio for his service and District 4 residents “who made their voices heard.” He said many westside families feel that “their government is doing things to them, not with them,” and pledged to continue communicating openly on issues such as public safety, housing and public space.

“As votes are still being counted and the election will be certified in the coming weeks, our team is evaluating next steps for the District 4 supervisor seat,” Lurie said.

CC Sofronas said she voted early and against the recall. She sympathized with Sunset residents frustrated by the closure of the Great Highway but preferred to accept the city’s decision and move forward.

“I in fact voted to keep it open for transit and closed for weekends last fall,” Sofronas said. “But because it passed to close, I just felt let’s just go with it. I didn’t want to spend resources on a recall. People could just vote him out the next time.”

Sofronas said the city could explore recall reform, noting that frequent recalls may reduce the impact of each vote. She described the campaign as divisive but said it has remained manageable in her neighborhood.

“There are strong views on both sides, and some of my closest friends feel differently,” she said. “We can co-exist.”

Engardio’s opponents had also cited traffic problems from losing a key thoroughfare in a quiet, residential neighborhood. At a recent public meeting, dozens of recall supporters complained about longer commutes and “bumper to bumper” congestion near the park.

An SFMTA study, however, found minimal impact. The city has since adjusted traffic light patterns in the neighborhood. Engardio’s stance on other issues, such as Lurie’s proposal to bring more housing to the Sunset, has also fueled recall momentum.

“This is another huge, generational, landscape-changing subject and he’s doing it more or less with his crowd. It’s totally unfair,” Sunset resident Albert Chow said.

Engardio’s supporters say they like the park for expanding access to nature and recreation — and they welcome more housing in the neighborhood.

“I love the park. I go there all the time. I have two young kids, so I’m always down there walking my dogs and taking the kids out,” said Lauren Crabbe, a Sunset resident and owner of Andytown Coffee. “I think it’s just a really beautiful reclamation of space.”

Crabbe said her business has seen an uptick in sales since the park opened this summer.

“I do credit the park for a lot of that. Our Outer Richmond location has increased a little bit, but not as much as our Sunset locations,” Crabbe said. “It’s encouraging people to spend more time in the Sunset as opposed to just driving around it.”

Lurie will appoint an interim supervisor until the next election in 2026.

How long until the Great Highway reopens to cars? That would require another ballot measure.

“There’s a lot of feeling like, ‘How come the other side of the city got to have a say in what happens in the Sunset?’ But it’s important to know that many recallers put their own measure on the ballot in 2022 — and they lost,” Engardio said. “I thought, maybe it’s better to go with more democracy and let everyone have a say, because the coast belongs to everyone, not just one neighborhood.”