District 4 Candidate Series: David Lee on Leadership in the Sunset

This episode continues The Sunset Connection’s District 4 candidate interview series.

I’m speaking with every candidate running for Supervisor and asking the same questions, in the same order, to give Sunset residents a clear look at how each candidate thinks and approaches decision-making — before campaigns get condensed into slogans.

In this episode, I’m joined by David Lee, a Sunset homeowner, lifelong Westside San Franciscan, and educator. David previously served as a San Francisco Recreation and Park Commissioner, where he worked on neighborhood projects including Sava Pool, Sunset Rec Center, and McCoppin Square. He has also spent decades registering Asian American voters across the Bay Area through his work with the Chinese American Voter Education Committee.

We discuss what motivated him to run, how his experiences shape his approach, how he prioritizes competing community voices, and what success would look like in his first year as supervisor.

About this series:
This is a non-endorsement candidate interview series. All participating candidates were asked the same questions in the same format to give District 4 residents direct access to how candidates think, not to persuade or advocate for any outcome. Any personal political views or activities of the host are separate from the podcast and do not affect participation or coverage. 

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Chapters

• 0:00 Candidate Series And Format
• 0:35 Introducing David Lee
• 2:46 Personal Roots In District 4
• 3:53 Why Run And Why Now
• 5:30 Experience In Government And Community
• 8:06 First-Year Wins And PG&E Accountability
• 10:08 Handling Conflicting Community Voices
• 12:10 Policing, Priorities, And Compromise
• 13:47 Change In The Sunset: Hopes And Concerns
• 17:04 Housing, Zoning, And Public Input
• 18:38 Leadership Legacy And Unity
• 19:00 Small Business Parking Scenario
• 21:15 Six-Month Plan And Outcomes
• 23:00 Final Statement And Vote Reminder
• 25:28 Series Closing And Sign-Off

Transcript

Jessica J. Ho: 0:04

Great! Welcome back to the Sunset Connection. This episode continues my District 4 candidate miniseries where I'm speaking with everyone running for supervisor and asking the same questions in the same format each time. It's still early in the District 4 race, but early is when it's easiest to actually hear how candidates think. The series is about giving voters that space before everything gets condensed into slogans. Each candidate is asked the same questions in the same order so listeners can focus on how they approach the issues that matter most to the sunset. I'm thrilled today to welcome David Lee, who is a candidate for District 4 supervisor, a Sunset homeowner, a lifelong Westside San Franciscan, and an educator. He previously served as a San Francisco Rec and Park Commissioner from 2005 to 2012, appointed by then Mayor Gavin Newsom, where he worked on renovations and improvements to neighborhood spaces including Sava Pool, Sunset Rec Center, and McCoppin Square. David has also served as a volunteer executive director of the Chinese American Voter Education Committee since 1993, registering more than 100,000 Asian American voters across the Bay Area, with much of that work focused here in the Sunset District. So welcome, David.

David Lee: 1:19

Thank you for having me.

Jessica J. Ho: 1:21

I'm so glad that you're here. May I ask what your personal connection is to District 4?

David Lee: 1:26

Well, I have uh many connections actually. Um when uh we opened our Sunset office here uh back in the uh in the 2000s, um we were located just down the street actually on 1900 Noriega uh and uh know this neighborhood very well. Uh my a lot of my family, my friends are here, and um this is a neighborhood that uh when it came time to settle down, my kids have moved away. My son uh moved to New York, and my uh daughter moved to London.

Jessica J. Ho: 2:05

Wow.

David Lee: 2:06

Uh they're they're both uh working for companies. Great. And uh and my wife and I uh were looking for um you know our retirement home, a home where we're gonna spend um with hopefully uh in the future grandkids and our kids coming back. Um and we and we thought, where would we like to live? Well, the sunset district was the natural for us. So because of all the connections, the deep connections we have to the neighborhood. Uh and uh we eat here all the time or uh shop here. My wife um loves this neighborhood, and so uh we finally a place opened up and we were able to purchase it, and uh we're thrilled to be part of this neighborhood.

Jessica J. Ho: 2:53

Well, as a realtor, I'm very curious. When did you buy?

David Lee: 2:56

Uh just bought in uh September. Okay. And uh it's just a little bit more than what you paid for your home.

Jessica J. Ho: 3:04

Okay.

David Lee: 3:04

Uh and it's a beautiful location. We love it. It's right off of uh the Sunset Boulevard. Okay, yeah, uh it's very quiet and but very close to uh all the amenities. I love the bike and uh get around the neighborhood. Plus, it's very close to San Francisco State. It's easy to get to City College, uh, and I still teach uh political science. I'm an adjunct lecturer, so it makes it easy for me to get uh to campus, uh, although I'm not teaching this semester. Um, and it just was a perfect place, also close to SFO. And uh yeah, we just we just love the neighborhood.

Jessica J. Ho: 3:48

Wonderful. So, what made you specifically decide that this was the moment to run for supervisor of District 4?

David Lee: 3:55

Well, you know, I I did a lot of voter registration um this year uh last year, and uh we went and knocked on doors and with my students, my volunteers, uh, and everywhere we went in the sunset, um, people talked to me at our supporters, uh, people just uh registering to vote for the first time, uh, said, hey, you know, you know, you you should think about running because uh we really need a voice in this um community to represent us in on the board of supervisors. And um people have seen me do a lot of um work up on behalf of the community, especially through my voter registration work, my work on the Wreck and Park Commission, and so forth. And as an educator, uh I've I've educated a generation of Sunset uh residents uh at San Francisco State. Um and they were like, you know, you're you'd be great as a supervisor. You should think about it. So uh when I uh went back and talked to my family and uh my wife, and uh they all thought, hey, this is this is the time, you should really do it. Uh and um that's what uh led me to decide to run was really the people talking to people, my neighbors, my um uh you know, soon-to-be neighbors, they weren't neighbors yet, but uh people I met uh registering uh pay folks to vote in the sunset.

Jessica J. Ho: 5:30

Great. So how do you think your previous experiences have prepared you for this moment?

David Lee: 5:36

Well, I have a varied experience uh as a wreck and park commissioner. I built playgrounds and um uh facilities in the Sunset district. Um very proud in particular of Sava Pool. That was one of the first projects. Um it was a uh project that brought in a lot of the community and there was a lot of discussion, lots of meetings. And what we had, uh the end result was a project that became uh a model for uh swimming pools all across San Francisco. Uh uh environmentally friendly, it was a very um uh cutting-edge project at the time, and that was done through collaboration, working with the community, working with neighbors, uh, bringing people together. And that's been a constant theme in my career as an educator as well, uh, working to bring people together, bring my students together to help improve uh the community. And um one of the uh another area that I think is really uh vital is getting people to be engaged in their community. And I've all been I've been about at volunteerism and helping people, and so I've instilled that in my students and in um working with uh partners in my nonprofit work. And um, so I have a combination of uh knowing how government works, how city hall works, having been through um you know, seven budgets on the Wreck and Park Commission, I was chair of the Capital Committee, which managed uh bond money, um, and knowing how uh City Hall works, city government works, along with working with people, working with uh people who want to give back to the community, who want to participate, and how to listen to people and bring people together. So I think I bring those unique experiences to um the the role of supervisor, and I think this is a critical time in our neighborhood because um, you know, there's we've gone through a recall election, we've gone through appointment process. Um uh I think people want to uh healing in our district, and I think this is uh a very important time, and I can bring uh my skills and background to help bring the district together.

Jessica J. Ho: 8:06

Great. And so if elected, what does a win look like for you within the first year as supervisor?

David Lee: 8:12

Well, uh, you know, I've been working recently with the um uh the uh Irving Street uh merchants. They also are Noriega OSMPA. Uh yes, because of the uh blackouts that happened a month ago, the PGE blackouts that uh caused such um um damage, economic devastation for some of these mom and pop uh immigrant-run, family-run businesses. Yeah. Um people who have lost tens of thousands of dollars and are still suffering here a month later after the uh the blackouts. And a win would be to make PGE um uh uh restore re help these people recover and help um uh process the claims, give people back what they need to get back on their feet. Uh these businesses, these families are uh run on very thin margins and they're the lifeblood of our community. And um, you know, that would be a win is to hold PG ⁇ E accountable, uh increase the basic credit back to the um uh consumer, and also um uh the claims process to make it uh easier and to make sure they pay our uh those who have been hurt by the blackout uh quickly. So that that would be a win. A second uh important uh win equally for us is if we could heal and bring the community together. Um I was talking earlier about that, and I think that's really important at this critical time is to bring people together. Uh and uh uh if we could do that in this year, um that would be a win. And heal the the kind of rifts that have opened up.

Jessica J. Ho: 10:08

Yeah, so speaking of rifts in the community, when community voices conflict, and they often do, how do you decide who to prioritize?

David Lee: 10:16

Well, I think it comes from the community talking uh and having uh discussions with people, uh, being able to convene groups of people to talk about what are the issues, what is happening in the community, what do we need to focus on and to um prioritize uh those most pressing issues. For instance, uh we have a lot of deferred maintenance in this district. Uh, and everywhere I've uh gone, I've talked to people who've complained about um the trees on um great along the uh the Sunset Boulevard, um, those green spaces that have been neglected, um the um parks, playgrounds that have deferred maintenance. And I think um coming, uh working with people, listening to people, having discussions, bringing people together is what's uh really key and making sure that uh all those issues uh rise up and prioritize um the things that people agree on. And I think what you'll find is when you talk to people, and what I found in talking to voters is um the voters are really smart in this district, they know what needs to be fixed. Um, you know, and I think um in talking to people coming together, we can come up with uh those priorities and uh making sure that we are transparent, um accessible, open, and uh working closely with the community to get those priorities uh addressed.

Jessica J. Ho: 11:54

Great. So um just just to kind of go back to the question though, when the voices conflict, like when one constituent wants something that's completely opposite from another constituent, but they're both constituents, like how will you kind of address that situation?

David Lee: 12:09

Well, that's where a lot of discussion and openness uh to listen is and to recognize what is um what are the most pressing needs and what can be accomplished right now. Uh for instance, there may be some issues that cannot be accomplished by the supervisor itself because it requires a citywide uh vote, for instance. Um there are other issues that a supervisor can accomplish and can do, um, for instance, like um look at the police schedule and uh resources at Terra Val Station, making sure those police resources are well allocated and uh so that we have a Terra Val station that can cut uh its response time uh so that when calls come in, they can respond to them quickly because they have those resources. Um so it's uh it's vitally important to again talk to the community to prioritize even uh when there are competing views because we uh that's the role of the supervisor is to figure out what is doable now. Well, how can we make up a timeline to get things done? Yeah, and of course, and then you know, I think uh uh working to get a compromise together. Yeah, to compromise and get people together so that we can all agree that these are the priorities that we need to um to get through.

Jessica J. Ho: 13:45

Thank you. So the sunset is changing demographically, economically, and even politically. What changes do you welcome and which ones concern you?

David Lee: 13:56

Well, I think um change is uh everywhere you see in the sunset. You think about uh when I was growing up, um we used to come out here all the time, and uh many of the streets, for particularly outer uh sunset on Teraval and um other streets did not have the kind of diversity of uh businesses that we do now. For instance, there's a great uh one, I in my opinion, one of the best uh Chinese um uh roast uh uh roasteries uh in the sunset, right on Terra outer Teraval. And it's a great place with for duck and and um uh roast pork. Um and you know, when I was growing up, we didn't have those kind of places out the outer um uh parts of the district. Now we have have uh Chinese, you know, really thriving businesses that are everywhere. And uh that's a great change. And the fact that we have like really some of the most culinary, culinary-wise, the most diverse and highest quality uh restaurants and um uh you know, boba shops and um different kinds of businesses, um, I think that's that's tremendous. Um also I think the um the night market has brought in a lot of people from outside the district, uh from other parts of the city to enjoy what's so unique about the sunset. People really love the night market, they see everything uh that the sunset has to offer. And I think they're um uh that's a great and it's brought a lot of energy uh to the district. Um, and I, you know, but I think there's also uh some concern. I have some concern about the family uh zoning plan that was passed, particularly about um, you know, uh luxury housing that might be going in or housing that uh uh you know apartment towers or condo towers that uh may be rising uh in parts of the district that uh is largely um single-family homes. Um and you know, this is a really special neighborhood, a really special district. And it's so vitally important that the neighbors all be able to weigh in. And uh as supervisor, I would make sure that before any project gets approved, that the neighbors and the residents of the sunset have a say and that um people are heard and that uh the project fits what the neighborhood wants. Um that is really key uh to to preserving what um you know a lot of people consider is so special about the sunset.

Jessica J. Ho: 16:49

Great. So I'm hearing that you really would champion um public comment on any type of project that moves forward.

David Lee: 16:56

Public comment, participation, uh having the neighbors, uh having residents uh from throughout the sunset have a say. Um, but particularly the people who live in that community, that that pocket where the project is most likely to impact, uh, should have a say in what kinds of uh projects get built and uh that the to make sure that um you know um uh projects fit what the neighborhood um yeah, I'd say also, you know, as somebody as a neighbor as a district that is largely uh older district, it's one of the oldest districts demographically uh in the city. Um it's wonderful to see all the uh young families. You know, we're starting to see more young families uh come in, and uh I see them um certainly in my area, um, and uh it's great, and that brings a lot of energy, and you can see it um, you know, uh in the in the neighborhood. So that's that's that's it's great.

Jessica J. Ho: 18:04

Awesome. So what would you want residents to say about your leadership when this term ends, even if they didn't vote for you? Yeah.

David Lee: 18:12

I think um uh what would be great is if people um say um uh I've brought people together to compromise, to uh come together and come to agreement, and we've healed uh some of these rifts um and that people can uh come together so we can have compromise over all the issues that have um that might have uh created rifts in the past. Um that I as supervisor brought people together uh so that we could agree and compromise, prioritize projects, work on projects, and get things done for our district.

Jessica J. Ho: 18:53

Thank you. All right, so we're moving into our next section, which is the scenario. So I'm gonna be asking every candidate the same scenario so that listeners can better understand how each candidate approaches problem solving. So, with that, if you were supervisor and a small business owner came up to you for help with a parking issue, but SFMTA was unwilling to make the requested changes, how would you advise the business owner?

David Lee: 19:22

Um, first, I would really want to understand why MTA is um resisting or objecting these changes. Um I've have a lot of experience uh having been a commissioner for seven years and being um knowing uh working with MTA. Um uh you know, I I don't take no for an answer. And I want to find out and go uh to commissioners, MTA commissioners, to um the the mayor if possible to find out what what is going on, why. uh is not um why there's there's a no why are we getting a no and um that's the kind of person i am i i really advocate hard and make sure that um every avenue is pursued until uh we get a yes and really critical uh uh for the constituents for the business owner that a no is a real no because a lot of times what we find is uh mta may come back and say hey can we make a compromise can we do uh something um uh different that can accommodate what the business owner's needs are and also satisfy mta's uh mandate and uh to get there though requires a persistence requires knowing the system knowing people and uh knowing how to use the office of supervisor to ask the questions of those who make these decisions at MTA um and uh before I come back to the uh a business owner to say we can't do that I want to pursue every single angle and find out if there is a compromise and then I would also bring the business owner in um to let them to uh talk through everything I've learned what this is what the situation is and then come to a some kind of um compromise so that's a pretty well thought out plan and in terms of timeline my next question it would be what would the success look like in your view in six months so where in your plan would six months be hopefully within six months I would follow up and make sure that we're seeing progress um you know daily if possible what is going on are we getting any results and then certainly um by the end of the first month have a very clear picture of what what where we need to go um and by the end of that process having pursued it and pushed it all the way um uh uh be able to have met with the uh both the MTA and the business owner multiple times before uh uh we come to a compromise and well before the six months is up so that by the time the six months is here we will have gotten that compromise and implemented already uh six months is a long time actually and um I found that if you're persistent and uh you really understand how government works uh you can get things done um if you're on top of it and that's what I would do I would make sure that uh we're on top of it.

Jessica J. Ho: 22:56

And if the outcome is not achieved then what would you do?

David Lee: 22:59

Well that's where the compromise comes in because you need to talk to the business owner to find out what the real need is. Because oftentimes you find that people who think they need one thing uh when you explore and talk to them and find out more about the problem they actually need something else. And maybe that something else is what the MTA could do. That those are the kind of conversations that come out. I rarely have seen any cases where um the need is so rigid that you can only have it this way. And I think there's that's where the room uh is for compromise. And but it takes work. You have to work it and push hard on MTA uh as well to to make sure that uh you get the result you need all right now you'll have two minutes for anything that you want to say and I'm just gonna have to time you it's ready great go uh thank you very much for having me um I am very pleased and honored to be able to run for supervisor of this great uh neighborhood this great district uh the sunset park side uh neighborhoods are my favorite in the city uh I live here I'm a homeowner here um I've spent uh most of my life on the west side of San Francisco uh and this is this is my home I grew up in San Francisco I'm a native San Franciscan born uh at Chinese hospital raised here went to public schools uh in San Francisco and um the sunset uh is my home uh I hope that um the voters of this district uh see what we can do together and we can compromise we can work together and uh heal the rifts that um uh of recent months and I think we there's a lot of great things ahead and we can come together.

Jessica J. Ho: 25:02

You still have like fifty five seconds.

David Lee: 25:14

Yeah I hope that the voters will remember to vote for David Lee on the June uh ballot.

Jessica J. Ho: 25:22

Do you want to continue or just give back the 30 seconds or yeah yeah okay all right okay sounds great so uh you didn't need the whole full two minutes awesome well uh thank you for listening to the Sunset Connection this conversation is part of an ongoing non endorsement candidate interview series for District 4 and you can find the full series wherever you get your podcasts. Until next time take care of yourselves and each other and I'll see you in the neighborhood