Dean Preston to bring ‘new vision’ to City Hall as District 5 supe

Things are about to get interesting on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

In the closely contested District 5 race, Democratic socialist and tenants’ rights organizer Dean Preston narrowly squeezed out a victory over current Supervisor Vallie Brown as of Saturday afternoon.

Mayor London Breed appointed Brown as her successor to the District 5 seat in July 2018.

The latest results provided by the Department of Elections show Preston leading by 170 votes after accounting for ranked-choice adjustments.

In a tweet Saturday night, Preston said:

“The votes have been counted — WE WON!!! This is a huge victory for all San Franciscans seeking bolder solutions to our city’s problems. I appreciate your support so much, and I’m excited to serve as your next D5 Supervisor!”

Preston, who vowed to bring a “new vision” to City Hall, will certainly change the dynamic on the Board of Supervisors. In contrast, Brown was widely considered the mayor’s ally. 

The newly elected supervisor ran on a platform to quickly reduce Muni fares, make Muni free for all by 2025, create a homelessness commission to oversee city department spending and implement a vacancy tax on unoccupied units.