It’s a classic “only-in-San Francisco” election contest.
Jackie Fielder, a 25-year old activist, college lecturer and Stanford graduate, is challenging the progressive California state Sen. Scott Wiener with an even more progressive platform. It’s Fielder’s first run for office and she mounted a strong showing in the March primary, collecting a third of the vote to set up this November’s all-Democratic general election in the 11th State Senate District.
Every election season, The Chronicle Editorial Board interviews candidates in the races Bay Area voters are deciding as a part of the endorsement process. You can read more about how, and why, the Editorial Board makes endorsements here, and see a full list of the endorsements for the 2020 election here.
Here are the recorded interviews with Fielder and Wiener, in which they answer questions on housing, education, homelessness and other critical policy issues.
Watch: Chronicle Editorial Board interviews Jackie Fielder
Fielder is a democratic socialist who describes herself as a “Native American … Mexicana, and queer educator and organizer.” Her supporters include progressive groups Our Revolution, the California Progressive Alliance and the Democratic Socialists of America. She also has the backing of the California Teachers Association, the San Francisco Tenants Union, San Francisco Supervisors Gordon Mar, Dean Preston, Hillary Ronen and Matt Haney, along with Mark Sanchez, president of the San Francisco Board of Education.
Watch: Chronicle Editorial Board interviews Scott Wiener
Wiener, a 50-year-old gay attorney who was elected to the state Senate in 2016 after two terms as a San Francisco supervisor, is backed by most mainstream Democratic leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo. He has been endorsed by San Francisco Mayor London Breed, San Francisco Supervisors Norman Yee, Rafael Mandelman, Ahsha Safai, Catherine Stefani and Shamann Walton. Other endorsements include all five San Mateo County supervisors, the California Democratic Party, the California League of Conservation Voters, and several labor unions.
Read the Editorial Board’s endorsement in this race here.
