Quick answers to common questions about my campaign for elected office
NOTE: This is about my DCCC run in 2024. You can read about my 2020 run here.
Who are you?
My name is Mike Chen. I’m 33 and I rent a home in Pacific Heights near the Whole Foods on Franklin and California. You may see me around town riding a red e-bike.
I moved to San Francisco ten years ago from Boston for a job and I was shocked at the rancor in the city around housing and displacement. My rent tripled; but I also saw that high housing costs were driving out artists, teachers, middle-class folks, and families with children. While working full-time as a Data Engineer, I became a neighborhood organizer for housing, transportation, small business, and urbanist causes.
What are you running for?
I’m running for the San Francisco County Democratic Party Central Committee, also known as the DCCC (pronounced dee-triple-cee). For registered Democrats in San Francisco, the race on the ballot is called “County Central Committee, District 19” (or District 17).
What does the DCCC do?
The DCCC governs the San Francisco Democratic Party. The SF Democratic Party registers new voters, charters Democratic Clubs, pursues issue advocacy, makes endorsements, raises money, and campaigns in elections. Put another way: the DCCC sets the agenda of the San Francisco Democratic Party and marshals its brand, volunteers, and money to achieve that agenda.
Why is this office important?
The DCCC is the most important race that you’ve never heard of, because they can win local elections. DCCC-endorsed candidates can say they are “endorsed by the Democratic Party”, which carries a lot of weight in solid-blue San Francisco. For low-visibility races, the DCCC endorsement can swing an election by 8 percentage points. If you want to change the government’s policies and elected officials, you should start with the DCCC. It’s a low-turnout, high-impact election.
Why are you running for this?
I feel lucky to live in San Francisco — it’s a place where I can be my kind of different. We San Franciscans pride ourselves on being diverse, open, and inclusive. But when housing costs are so high that people cannot afford to live in the city that they love, our inclusive image is a false promise. I’m running because our policies should align with our values. I want to speak up for younger people, for newcomers, and for people who are priced out of SF.
Why are you qualified for this position?
As a neighborhood organizer of Northern Neighbors, I rallied my neighbors to speak up for housing, bikeshare, safe streets, and taco trucks. Last year our support and voices helped approve the 3333 California project, which will replace a closed off office campus with an open space, a childcare facility, places for new businesses, 558 market-rate homes, and 186 homes for low-income seniors. I want to bring that same energy of organizing and spirit of livable streets to the Democratic Party.
I am a volunteer lead in YIMBY Action, and I have spoken up for housing of all kinds. I helped YIMBY Action rally its members to support the Embarcadero Navigation Center.
I wrote three voter guides (and here’s one for March 2020) to help my friends navigate our long and confusing ballots. I think hard about policy and I want to give people the background and why something is on the ballot. While I give a yes/no recommendation, I also provide the information for readers to make their own decisions about how to vote on a ballot item. Most people want to do their research and make an informed decision on their ballot, but they don’t know who to trust. I see a need for better information and giving people simple explanations.
What’s your platform?
My policy priorities are to:
- More affordable housing for all. Fight the housing shortage. Expand the housing supply, legalize middle-density condos and apartment buildings, streamline the approval process, reduce excessive fees, and increase subsidies for poor households.
- Streamline San Francisco government. We shouldn’t have to wait months to years for government to hire staff, make decisions, approve small businesses, and help residents. Democrats believe in the promise of government programs to improve lives and provide services to residents. However, the city government’s ability to act swiftly, effectively and efficiently has decayed, due to parochial incentives and layers of process with good intentions. The result is staff shortages, government inertia, a lack of innovation, long waits for basic permits, and a loss of trust in government. We must improve state capacity to deliver high-quality resident services, improve the speed and nimbleness of government, and continue the Democratic Party agenda.
- Focus on outcomes. San Francisco has emphasized fair process, but failed on ensuring effective programs. All our programs and contracts need accountability, metrics, and measurement. We need to know what’s working, what needs to change, and what should be cut. Only by measurement and reflection can we determine how to improve.
- Efficiently and sustainable transportation. Invest in public transportation: buses, trains, and subways. Make it safer and convenient to travel by bicycle, by scooter, and on foot. Design streets to reduce traffic injuries and prioritize efficient transportation.
My party priorities are to:
- Register voters in more transient populations: newcomers, young people 18–34, and people who move within San Francisco.
- Empower the public to participate in the political process. Educate residents on how government works, where to get help, and how to make change. Provide election education materials, events, and branding. Make voting and politics fun and sexy. Leverage and promote diverse sources of information from the city’s Democratic Clubs.
- Pursue digital strategies to improve the party’s reach through internet marketing and social media.
Do you have to quit your job if you win?
No. The DCCC is an unpaid part-time elected position. If elected I would do DCCC work (e.g. fundraising, voter registration, education, outreach) outside of my day job. The DCCC meets the last Wednesday of the month in the evenings.
When is the election?
The election is on March 5, 2024, on the same ballot as the presidential primary. The DCCC is elected every four years.
Who can vote for you?
You must be a registered Democrat living in San Francisco in the 19th Assembly district (the west side). You can use the state lookup website or this custom Google map to check what assembly district you are in. You can check your party registration with the SF Department of Elections or the California Secretary of State. To change your party registration or update your address, you can re-register to vote here.
Please vote for the candidates on my slate, the SF Democrats for Change! We are running together.
How many candidates and seats are there?
There are over 20 candidates running for 10 seats in my district. You can vote for up to 10 candidates in my district (AD-19) and up to 14 candidates in the eastern district (AD-17). The top vote-getters are elected to a seat on the DCCC. You can vote for every person on my slate in your district.
How many votes do you need?
In the last election in 2020, the winners had 20,000–29,000 votes out of 80,000 Democratic votes cast. My target is to get at least 25,000 votes.
How can I help?
- Donate money to help me reach voters! Campaign contributions go towards coffee and donuts for volunteers; signs and flyers; and media advertising to get the word out.
- Subscribe to my mailing list for upcoming opportunities to volunteer and to get more info, like my voter guide.
- (1min) Social media: Follow my campaign by email, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Twitter. Share things from my campaign and tell your friends why you support me!
- Tell a friend: send this article to a friend who lives in San Francisco!
- If you’re going to a social event (party, dinner, happy hour), introduce me to your friends! Your network is your superpower: you have a much higher chance of convincing your friends to vote for me than if I tried to do it solo. Let me know by email!
- Host a party for me and invite your friends! Party can be at your place or a venue. If you are interested in this, you can team up with other folks! Biggest thing is having you there and inviting your friends. Email me with some dates that you’re thinking!
Who can donate to your campaign?
US citizens and US permanent residents (green card holders) who are at least 18 years old can donate any amount of their own funds to my campaign.
Are you running with other people?
Yes! I’m running with the SF Democrats for Change slate of candidates. Please vote for every person on the slate on your ballot!
West side (AD-19):
Parag Gupta
Michela Alioto-Pier
Jade Tu
Mike Chen
Dan Calamuci
Lanier Coles
Sara Barz
Catherine Stefani
Marjan Philhour
Brian Quan
East side (AD-17):
Emma Heiken
Lily Ho
Cedric Gerard Akbar
Nancy Tung
Michael Lai
Laurence Lee
Peter Lee
Trevor Chandler
Carrie Elise Barnes
Lyn Werbach
Joe Sangirardi
Luis Zamora
Matt Dorsey
Bilal Mahmood
