Welcome back to our “Meet the Candidates” series, where District 8 supervisor candidates respond to a question in 100 words or fewer. Answers are published every Wednesday.
District 8 includes neighborhoods in the center of the city, including the Castro, Noe Valley, Glen Park, Twin Peaks, Duboce Triangle, Dolores Heights, Parnassus Heights, Ashbury Heights, Corona Heights, and Diamond Heights.
Four candidates are vying to replace current District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who has served since 2018 and terms out at the end of the year.
The district includes the Castro, a gay neighborhood, and has been represented by a gay man since San Francisco shifted its supervisor elections from city-wide elections to district-based in 2000.
From now until Election Day, Mission Local will pose the same question to candidates each week and publish their responses.
Here’s our first question: What is your No. 1 issue in this election and what do you plan to do about it?
Gary McCoy
Job: Former staffer to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and former vice president of policy and public affairs at HealthRIGHT 360
Age: 48
Residency: Renter, has lived in San Francisco for 24 years and District 8 for 15 years
Transportation: Driving, biking, public transit and walking
Education: Former City College of San Francisco student, Certified Phlebotomy Technician from Bay Area Medical Academy
Languages: English
Affordability.
Renters in District 8 are spending nearly half their paycheck on housing, while many are unable to find a larger home or apartment for a growing family. Small businesses are struggling to keep up and stay open. Childcare and grocery costs are out of control.
I will fight to build housing at every level – affordable to market-rate – while defending rent control and tenant protections. I will work to cut the permitting delays that keep storefronts dark. I will expand low-cost childcare and preschool options, and deliver Muni service that is affordable and reliable so people can get to work.
Endorsed by: Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Supervisor Matt Dorsey, San Francisco Labor Council, Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, San Francisco Tenants Union … see more here.
Michael Nguyen
Job: Patent attorney
Age: 44
Residency: Renter, has lived in District 8 since 2006
Transportation: Driving, public transit and walking
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Southwestern University, law degree from UC Law San Francisco
Languages: English, some Spanish, some Vietnamese
Affordability.
San Francisco is losing artists, nurses, teachers, queer families, and working people who built this city’s culture. When they go, so does the city we love.
I’ve been a renter in San Francisco for 20 years. I am an anti-displacement, pro-growth progressive, who wants more housing without sacrificing the people already here.
I support social housing, permanently affordable and city-owned. Since the Family Zoning Plan has passed, I’ll fight parcel by parcel for tenant protections, require developers to pay their fair share, and restore real affordability. I also support commercial rent control to keep small businesses alive.
Endorsed by: GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club (#2), San Francisco Green Party, former supervisor Dean Preston … see more here.
Darshini Patel
Job: Former DoorDash employee, worked on the 2012 Obama campaign and the 2024 Harris campaign, former Obama White House staffer
Age: 38
Residency: Homeowner, has lived in San Francisco for 15 years and District 8 for 10 years
Transportation: Driving, public transit and walking
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College
Languages: Gujarati, English
Follow-through. Skyrocketing rents, unreliable bus routes, empty storefronts, and unsafe sidewalks don’t need more empty promises. Every candidate agrees on the issues; I’m the only one with a platform designed to deliver for District 8.
I will use all the tools available to a supervisor to unlock housing, from improving permitting timelines to exploring community land trusts, and publish clear tracking to better resource bottlenecks. I’ll also enforce the commercial vacancy tax voters already passed, simplify opening new childcare centers, and share public report cards on my progress. Transparency and accountability will be the hallmarks of my office.
Endorsed by: N/A
Manny Yekutiel
Job: Founder and owner of Manny’s, co-founder and former executive director of Civic Joy Fund
Age: 36
Residency: Renter, has lived in San Francisco since 2012 and District 8 since 2013
Transportation: Driving, public transit and walking
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Williams College
Languages: English, Hebrew
My number one priority is making San Francisco affordable enough for working people and families to stay and thrive. That starts with housing. I have a plan for 10,000 new homes in District 8 so teachers, first responders, artists, small-business owners, and the next generation of San Franciscans are not priced out.
I will also work to reduce child care costs and strengthen public education. San Francisco should be a city where people can build a life, raise a family, and see a better future.
Endorsed by: District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Assemblymember Catherine Stefani, former Mayor Willie L. Brown Jr, Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, Jane Fonda, Senator Cory Booker, Grow SF, Abundant SF, San Francisco Apartment Association … see more here.
Candidates are ordered alphabetically and rotated each week. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at io@missionlocal.com.
Election Day is on Nov. 3, 2026. You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.