San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio Ousted in Decisive Recall Vote
San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio Ousted in Decisive Recall Vote
San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio was decisively removed from office in a recall election held Tuesday, September 16, 2025, marking another significant shift in the city’s contentious political landscape. Nearly 65% of ballots counted favored his removal, culminating a year-long saga rooted in his support for permanently closing a two-mile stretch of the Great Highway to vehicles.
Engardio conceded the race Tuesday night, stating, “My time as supervisor will be shorter than expected, but we can still celebrate because we’re on the right side of history. Sunset Dunes is a success,” referring to the park created on the closed highway. Recall organizers, however, celebrated the outcome as a victory for constituents over perceived establishment interests.
The recall campaign gained momentum after Engardio, alongside other supervisors, placed a measure on the November ballot to ban vehicles on the Upper Great Highway, sparking outrage among residents who relied on the route. Lead recall organizer Jaime Hughes declared, “This is what happens when you choose to represent tech billionaires over the people who elected you.”
The election has been seen as a microcosm of broader San Francisco debates over urban land use, including a perceived “war on cars” and housing density. Despite Engardio’s campaign outspending recall proponents significantly, fueled by donations from tech millionaires, the grassroots effort prevailed.
Mayor Daniel Lurie, who remained neutral during the recall, now faces the critical task of appointing Engardio’s replacement for District 4. This outcome further underscores a trend of voter discontent in the Sunset District, which previously played a key role in recalling District Attorney Chesa Boudin and school board members, and in Lurie’s mayoral victory.
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