San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio Recalled Over Controversial Car-Free Highway Park

San Francisco voters have ousted Supervisor Joel Engardio in a recent recall election, making him the fifth elected official to be removed from office in the city in four years. The recall stems primarily from Engardio’s contentious decision to transform a significant stretch of the Great Highway, heavily utilized by local motorists, into a car-free park known as Sunset Dunes.

Engardio conceded the outcome, reaffirming his support for the Sunset Dunes project, which he championed as environmentally beneficial and a source of community joy. Despite his belief that the park will soon be universally accepted, the recall underscores a deep division within San Francisco’s electorate, particularly in the residential Sunset neighborhood where car dependency remains high among its diverse population, including many Chinese families.

Opponents of Engardio’s policy argued that closing the Great Highway disregarded constituent concerns regarding traffic safety and quality of life impacts. This recall follows a pattern of an emboldened electorate, mirroring the successful efforts in 2022 to remove three liberal school board members and progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin. Engardio, who was elected in 2022 and supported those previous recalls, had himself supported a measure in November 2024 to permanently ban cars from the 2-mile highway section, which passed citywide but failed in his own district.

Mayor Daniel Lurie, a moderate Democrat, will now appoint Engardio’s replacement. Engardio was originally slated for re-election next year.

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