Why This Race Matters

I’m Manny Yekutiel, and I’m running for District 8 Supervisor because San Francisco needs fresh energy and a new kind of leadership. 

Right now, it’s too hard to do almost anything in San Francisco. It’s too hard to find a place to live that you can afford. It’s too hard to raise a family.

And it’s too hard to get around the City– whether that’s because you’re stuck in traffic, running after a Muni bus, or paying for another $108 parking ticket.

Sometimes it feels like the City is working against you, not with you. After a while, when things don’t get better, people stop believing they can. But it doesn’t need to be this way. 

I didn’t come up through political backrooms or insider circles. I came to San Francisco in my early 20s looking for a place to belong. The City has given me everything in return. Since then, I’ve devoted myself to San Francisco and to building spaces that would allow others to feel like they belong as well. 

I built a civic gathering space from the ground up.

It is not just a successful small business– it’s also a place where people come together to be heard, connect and take action. I’m a local business owner with employees, payroll, permits, real-world responsibilities and a deep understanding of what it takes to get something off the ground and keep it going. 

I’m also a proud gay Jewish Afghan American who has lived in and around the Castro for over a decade. I am motivated by solving problems and doing whatever I can to help my community — for this city and for each other, block by block.

Over the years, I’ve hosted drag shows, community cleanups, candidate forums, night markets, serious political discussions, fundraisers, and town halls — sometimes all in the same week. I’ve served on city commissions. I’ve passed policy changes that make living in San Francisco easier. And I’ve thrown block parties with a purpose: to bring some light, joy, and actual customers back to our streets.

But the thing I’m proudest of? Creating space for other people to lead.

Whether it’s a local performer, a neighborhood activist, or someone who’s never spoken at a mic before, I believe everyone should feel like they have a role in shaping this city.

This campaign is built the same way. It’s about bringing people in and making them feel like their voice matters. Because it does. And because the only way for San Francisco to solve its problems is if everyone does their part. 

This isn’t about slogans or status quo politics or who you know. It’s about making San Francisco work — for renters, parents, artists, creatives, small business owners, immigrants, the ones with the big ideas and the ones who just need a fresh start. For the 22-year-old gay boy from Los Angeles who found a home here after being disowned, and knew that there was a place for people like him in the City by the Bay.

It’s about streets that are safe and joyful. Homes that people can actually afford to live in. Storefronts with lights on and doors open. Public transportation that takes you everywhere. A city government that doesn’t just ace the basics, but leads with excellence and a bold innovative spirit.

I’m not running to manage the status quo. I’m running to break through it with fresh energy, real-world experience, and joy.

If you want a Supervisor who listens hard and works even harder, who brings his community into the process of leading— I’m ready.

Let’s build the San Francisco we know is possible. Together.

--Manny Yekutiel, Candidate for San Francisco District 8 Supervisor