November 5th is days way! Yikes. As if you didn’t know. Democratic campaign headquarters, 901 Market St @ 5th, has phone bank shifts 10am-8pm every day. Sign up here. VOTE, early if possible, and get your like-minded friends and family to do the same. At all levels, from local to national, it’s all about turnout. Then, let’s relax (as if!), […]

PHDC has had several fun watch parties in the backroom at the Yankee over the years. Since the U.S. VP debate this year falls on our regular monthly meeting night, we will gather there again. Light snacks provided, drinks and additional food available. Now that Club endorsements are complete, we are inviting endorsed campaigns and candidates to […]

60% of votes cast is required for endorsement for propositions and single-winner races, and 50% for multiple-seat races. If an office or proposition is not listed, that means no candidate or position reached the threshold for endorsement in that race; therefore the Club could take no position. US President/Vice PresidentKAMALA HARRIS/TIM WALZ United States SenatorADAM […]

Please join us at Potrero Hill Neighborhood House in-person (preferred), or online – zoom ink here – as we address the rest of what’s on your ballot. The meeting will begin with a City College Board of Trustees Candidate Forum, moderated by PHDC board member and educator Sara O’Neill.  Potrero Hill Democratic Club Endorsement Meeting, Round […]

Thanks everyone who worked on, spoke at, and attended our virtual endorsement meeting August 6! 60% of votes is the threshold required for endorsement of propositions and in single-winner races, and 50% is required for multiple-seat races. The rest of the ballot will be covered and voted on September 3rd and September 17th, at Potrero […]

Tuesday, August 6th, beginning at 6:30pm on zoom, board members will give brief overviews of all ten California propositions, plus a regional one. We will also hear from candidates for District Attorney, Sheriff, BART Board District 9, State Senate, State Assembly, and City Attorney (the last three are running for election unopposed). Join us! This […]

Join your neighbors for a series of Q&A forums to get to know the candidates and share what’s top of mind for Dogpatch & Potrero Hill residents. All forums begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Dogpatch Hub, 1278 Minnesota Street @ 24th Doors open at 6, refreshments served, no candidate endorsements associated with these events […]

Our July monthly meeting will occur at yhe opening day of San Francisco Mime Troupe‘s 2024 show, “American Dreams,” kicking off its summer season in the parks. Instead of registering voters, we will be raising public awareness of a coming ballot measure, The ComMUNIty Transit Act, to increase operations funding for Muni with revenue from a […]

Our next monthly meeting will be virtual, but don’t worry, some upcoming endorsement events will be in-person at the wonderful Potrero Hill Neighborhood House. Meanwhile, join us this Tuesday: WHAT: Potrero Hill Democratic Club’s monthly membership meeting WHEN: Tuesday, June 4th, 7pm  WHERE On zoom – link here The ComMUNIty Transit Act is a community-led ballot initiative to […]

Hear from Flip the Vote, strategically working towards winning Democratic control of all three branches of the federal government by directly supporting carefully-researched, trusted partner groups in key swing states. And PHDC members representing SF Climate Emergency Coalition and Citizens’ Climate Lobby SF chapter will describe the critical work being done to promote climate action at the […]

Many of us in Potrero Hill Democratic Club have appreciated its longtime, vibrant progressive voice in east-side San Francisco politics, and would like to see it come back strong. Please join us as we breathe new life into our club. The City needs us! We’ll be gearing up for the crucial November election – and speaking up […]

Please join us Monday, October 3, 6:30 – 7:30pm on Zoom. This is our typical (well, except that it’s virtual) month-before-the-election membership meeting, when we invite endorsed candidates and ballot measures for members and friends to have another look and learn more about the campaigns. Here’s the Zoom link.

First up: August 30th, 6:30pm We will begin our series of educational/endorsement meetings for the November election on Tuesday, August 30th with the District 10 Supervisor race (debate, moderated by J.R. Eppler), plus candidates for Public Defender and District Attorney. Club members in good standing will vote that evening. This meeting, cosponsored by the Potrero Boosters, will be on Zoom. Update – […]

Meet, compare & contrast the four candidates running for California State Assembly in the Feb. 15th Special Election: David Campos, Matt Haney, Bilal Mahmood, Thea Selby. Check out their websites by clicking on their names. Moderator will be acclaimed journalist Joe Eskenazi, currently with Mission Local. Cosponsored by Potrero Boosters, Potrero Dogpatch Merchants Association and […]

We are pleased to announce that PHDC has been officially rechartered by the San Francisco Democratic Party – and we’re absolutely thrilled to announce that our beautiful, historic Neighborhood House at 953 De Haro St has reopened for in-person events. Proof of vaccination is required to enter the facility, and masks are required when not eating or drinking. On the […]

Potrero Hill Democratic Club invites you to meet people running for CA Democratic Party delegate in Assembly District 17. What do delegates do? • Elect party officers & regional directors • Vote on the party’s endorsements of candidates & ballot measures • Establish the party’s platform & focusFor Zoom info, email contact_us@phdemclub.org Tuesday, Jan. 19, […]

…to register to get a mail-in, postage-paid ballot to vote in the upcoming California Democratic Party delegate elections. Register here. For more information and Assembly District 17 candidate statements, click here. Save the date: Tuesday, Jan. 19th at 6pm, PHDC will host a virtual AD 17 Candidate Forum! To vote, you must already be registered […]

One key role of the Club is making informed endorsements. Primary endorsements for federal and state offices remain in effect for the General Election. We are sending questionnaires to local candidates and researching local and state measures to ensure our endorsement process is inclusive and informative. With so many candidates and measures this November, we’ll have two […]

The Presidential Primary Election is March 3, and we’ll be voting on our club endorsements in our January meeting. Join us to hear from candidates, review all the ballot measures, and vote on endorsements! Date: Tuesday, January 7 at 7 pm Location: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, 953 De Haro St Endorsements: Democratic Presidential Nominee [See […]

On the second Tuesday of the month (instead of our normal first Tuesday because of the holiday), our headliner is former State Assemblyman, Board of Supervisors president, and School Board president Tom Ammiano, role-model legislator for decades of SF political history.  Tom chairs the campaign committee for the Sunlight on Dark Money Initiative, seeking signatures […]

It’s Election Confidential time! Get the skinny on what it’s really like to campaign in a town where politics are deemed to be a blood sport. A conversation with Hill residents in the thick of it: Supervisor candidates Tony Kelly and Uzuri Pease-Greene, School Board candidate Monica Chinchilla, and Assessor-Recorder candidate Paul Bellar. Hot gossip […]

Potrero Hill Democratic Club’s endorsement season concludes with an evening of lively debate with 10 of the candidates running for the San Francisco Board of Education in November.  PHDC endorsement ballots will be counted immediately after the debate. Free on-site childcare will be provided. Spots are limited; reserve your spot here. (Thank you to PREFund […]

At Tuesday’s meeting, we’ll hear from candidates and representatives for local office campaigns and ballot measures, and vote on more endorsements. A little after 8 pm, we will have all the candidates for City College Board for a joint Q&A session. On Tuesday’s endorsement ballot (click the links for more info): SF Assessor: Carmen Chu* […]

  This November, we choose a new District 10 Supervisor. So, on August 28, please come and learn about four leading candidates’ visions for Potrero Hill, Dogpatch, the rest of District 10 and the City. Club members will vote on an endorsement the same evening. You’ll meet: Theo Ellington, Tony Kelly, Uzuri Pease-Greene, and Shamann […]

We’ll hear from representatives for state office campaigns and some ballot measures. PHDC board members will provide brief overviews of the rest of the measures. On the endorsement ballot (click the links for more info): US Senate: Kevin de León or Dianne Feinstein Governor: Gavin Newsom Attorney General: Xavier Becerra State Assembly, Dist. 17: David […]

First, a bit of Club biz: We’ll consider an amendment to our bylaws (introduced in March) to consider the possibility of a ranked-choice endorsement for ranked-choice elections, repeating the ranked-choice process of vote-counting after (and only if) a first choice has been determined. Then we’ll hear from representatives for and against local ballot measures, and […]

We’ve invited the candidates below to attend, using the roster of qualified candidates from the California Democratic Party (as a Democratic club, we cannot endorse non-Democrats in partisan races). U.S. Senate: Kevin de León, Dianne Feinstein, Pat Harris U.S. Congress: Shahid Buttar, Stephen Jaffe, Ryan Kjohasteh, Nancy Pelosi Governor: John Chiang, Delaine Eastin, Gavin Newsom, […]

Peter Gallotta, recording Secretary of the SF DCCC, will share the Party’s thoughts about this year’s crucial elections, across the City, the state, and the country. We’ll hear from the Port of San Francisco’s Seawall Resiliency Project, an effort to improve and/or replace a critical part of the City’s aging infrastructure.  We’ll also approve PHDC’s […]

Topics: What is really in the horrible Republican tax bill, and why that is Reason #1 to Take Congress Back in November; a new community-led effort to create a Public Bank in San Francisco; endorsement calendar for 2018’s super-important elections, including votes for Mayor, Governor, and District 10 Supervisor; officer nominations open (election in February). […]

At Tuesday’s meeting, we’ll bring this year’s ongoing phonebanking directly into our club! If you’ve never phonebanked, or if you are phonebank-curious, this will be a fun and easy introduction, brought to us by our allies at DemocracyAction to what it’s like, and why it’s important. We’ll also hear about (and vote whether to support) […]

Come hear from PHDC members and allies who went to the California Democratic Party convention two weeks ago in Sacramento: the drama, the frustration, the crucial issues. Also, a discussion (with some guests) about the various efforts to flip legislative seats across the state and the country. In this blue-on-blue city, supporting other districts is […]

  If you too think that the fight against Donald Trump requires turning the Democratic Party into a genuine party of the people, please come!  PHDC is proud that two of our members, Angeles Roy and Ben Becker, are on the slate. Registration time has been changed to 10:30am-12:30pm. Doors open at 9:30. Arrive early […]

  The nail-biting, the nightmares, the nonstop toxic “news” – will stop soon (at least, we hope so). You don’t want to be alone when you find out how it all turns out, do you? You don’t want to drink alone, do you? So, here are some ways to surround yourself with like-minded progressive types […]

It’s time to raise a glass to your chosen candidate and cheer her on again! And maybe voice your opinion (loudly) about what the other one says.  Please join PHDC members & friends at the Yankee for a fun gathering of neighbors & friends – and possibly some deadly serious comedy. We hope to see […]

US President and Vice President HILLARY CLINTON and TIM KAINE United States Senator KAMALA HARRIS US Representative, District 12 NANCY PELOSI California State Senator, District 11 JANE KIM Member, State Assembly District 17 DAVID CHIU SFUSD Board of Education RACHEL NORTON STEVON COOK MATT HANEY MARK SANCHEZ Trustee, Community College Board RAFAEL MANDELMAN ALEX RANDOLPH […]

From the Potrero Hill Democratic Club meeting of September 6: US President and Vice President HILLARY CLINTON and TIM KAINE US Representative, District 12 NANCY PELOSI Member, State Assembly District 17 DAVID CHIU Trustee, Community College Board RAFAEL MANDELMAN ALEX RANDOLPH TOM TEMPRANO SHANELL WILLIAMS AMY BACHARACH (5 candidates endorsed, for 4 seats – please […]

19 endorsements down, 33 to go!  Just last week, Club members and friends completely filled the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House (capacity 239) to see the only post-primary State Senate debate between Supervisors Jane Kim and Scott Wiener.  After the debate, PHDC voted to endorse Jane Kim for State Senate.  The rest of our November endorsements […]

The State Senate race between Supervisors Jane Kim and Scott Wiener resulted in a whisker-thin margin on Potrero Hill, and in the June primary overall.  In this close race, it looks like the only face-to-face debate the candidates have scheduled for November’s election was at the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House on August 23rd! Potrero Hill […]

November 8th is about a lot more than Hillary Clinton vs. the toxic clown car of today’s Republican Party.  There are 17 state ballot measures (and more than two dozen local measures on the way) and candidate races throughout the state, Bay Area, and the City. As always, PHDC has you covered.  For Tuesday, August […]

“It’s not that art & politics don’t mix – I just wanna do more art,” says longtime PHDC president Joni Eisen. (The mix, in the photo at right by FBFE: Supervisor David Campos; Joni; then-candidate, now Judge Daniel Flores; Harvey Milk as a bas-relief cake sculpture). There were food, drink, and early election returns at […]

Some of our endorsed candidates for the SF DCCC came for a meet-and-greet. The SF Democratic County Central Committee, the governing body of the SF Democratic Party, registers voters and makes endorsements. Their citywide election mailers powerfully influence Democratic voters to support or oppose particular candidates and ballot measures. But we believe the DCCC has […]

Candidates who have submitted completed questionnaires will appear in small groups at regular intervals, to present and answer questions. Come and meet them! Ballots are due at the end of the meeting, and will be counted immediately. WHEN: Tuesday, April 12, at 7pm WHERE: Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, downstairs in the Game Room, 953 De […]

Tuesday, April 5th: Judicial candidate forum, Presidential primary, ballot measures – RESULTS The forum of candidates for Superior Court Judge, Office #7 – Paul Henderson, Victor Hwang, Sigrid Irias (counterclockwise from left, photo by John O’Neill)- was moderated by attorney & PHDC board member J.R. Eppler. Presidential Primary candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton were […]

Guns and sugar – how sadly American is that? We took up both topics, and more. Robyn Thomas, left, Executive Director of the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, has been keeping up the good fight in the face of daunting challenges. It’s been about three years since she appeared at our club, it was […]

VOTE!!! Since our regular venue, the Neighborhood House theater, will be used as a polling place, PHDC will hold its monthly meeting in the back room of the Connecticut Yankee. After you vote – and get out the vote – come enjoy snacks on us, no-host bar, camaraderie and a couple of brief presentations: SF […]

★ Proving that Ed Lee is NOT running unopposed, Mayoral candidates Francisco Herrera,  Amy Farah Weiss, and Dan Kappler (write-in), discussed  issues vital to San Franciscans. ★ Actually unopposed candidate City Attorney Dennis Herrera spoke briefly about his accomplishments in office. ★ These props weree covered (click on titles for summaries): B –  Paid Parental […]

The club voted on the following endorsements at its September 1st meeting. Endorsements for propositions or candidates for a single office require at least 60% of votes cast. San Francisco Propositions A  – YES – General Obligation Bond Election – Affordable Housing C – YES – Expenditure Lobbyists Ordinance D – No position – Mission […]

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1st, 6:30pm. Housing and Good-Government night at PHDC. Props A, D, F, I, J, & K (housing) and C & E (good government) were covered. There were mini-debates on the more contentious propositions: D – Mission Rock, former Mayor Art Agnos vs. Jon Golinger; F – Short-Term Residential Rentals, Dale Carlson vs. George […]

The Community College Board candidate forum included three of the five candidates running for one open seat (left to right): Wendy Aragon, Alex Randolph (appointed incumbent), Tom Temprano – brilliantly moderated by PHDC VP Loretta Lynch (at right).   The Sheriff candidate debate featured all three candidates (left to right): John Robinson, Ross Mirkarimi (incumbent), […]

Since the District 10 Supervisor, the City Attorney and the Sheriff are all our neighbors – and PHDC members – the Club decided to invite them all separately to address members and guests on their current and future projects. Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi appeared and gave a lively, informative and well-received talk, followed by audience Q&A. Alas, […]

The first Tuesday of the month is our regular meeting night, but this Tuesday is Election Day. Our beautiful meeting space will serve (beautifully) as a polling place. Club members are urged to spend some time and energy getting friends and neighbors to the polls. Turnout will be everything. Pick a campaign to help with, […]

The meeting was mostly devoted to actively promoting PHDC-endorsed candidates and campaigns, like those of David Campos for Assembly, Tony Kelly for Supervisor, Daniel Flores for Judge, John Rizzo for Community College Board, and Shamann Walton for School Board. They, and reps of several Proposition campaigns, came to say a few words, distribute campaign swag […]

            At the Tuesday, Sept 2 ballot measure endorsement meeting were state and local ballot measure speakers pro and con, with Q&A of course. We covered local propositions A, B, D, J, & K and statewide propositions 1, 2, 45, 46, 47 and 48. Club endorsements for November are here. […]

Arguments pro and con for a variety of measures on the November 4th ballot made for an engaging evening of mini-debates. There was a literal turf battle (at right, Mike Murphy & Donald Collins argue real vs. fake grass in the parks), the Pier 70 development height limit increase, an attempt to “balance” transportation priorities (oh, […]

Candidates for District 10 Supervisor shared their ideas, expertise, and love for the neighborhoods of District 10 Wednesday at the Neighborhood House in an intense debate, ably guided by moderator Marisa Lagos of the SF Chronicle. All five official candidates held the standing-room-only audience rapt. Candidates, left to right: Ed Donaldson, Marlene Tran, incumbent Malia […]

PHDC was there with endorsed-campaign swag, voter registration forms, 94107 t-shirts and CA DISCLOSE Act petitions.

A discussion with Democratic candidate for Secretary of State Derek Cressman (above left) and former SF Supervisor Christina Olague, surrogate for Dem candidate Alex Padilla, was  moderated by PHDC’s  J.R. Eppler, who so ably presided over the Assembly candidate debate last month. Audience members asked their own questions. Here’s a link to the video of this […]

Potrero Hill Democratic Club presented a lively and informative debate between the two Supervisors running to succeed Tom Ammiano in the State Assembly, District 17: David Campos and David Chiu. The two Davids, both Harvard-educated attorneys, agreed that they agreed on a lot – and also tried to bring their differences into sharp focus.  Moderator, […]

A presentation about PUC policy and proposed water rate hikes by the SF Public Utilities Commission‘s Yolanda Manzone (center left), Environmental Justice and Land Use Analyst, and Jamie Querubin (center right), SFPUC Financial Analyst,  was followed by a very lively conversation about the drought, its implications and, yes, opportunities, with Jennifer Clary (left),Water Policy and […]

To begin our  eighth year, PHDC had several things on the agenda: ● Presentation by UNITE HERE Local 2, representing the 750 concession workers at AT&T Park. Employed by a subcontractor called Centerplate, they are involved in a difficult campaign to achieve a fair contract  and haven’t had a wage increase or new contract since […]

Since our regular meeting place – the theater at the Neighborhood House – was a polling place on election night, we gathered at the Dogpatch Saloon, site of our recent auction.  CCSF Trustee Rafael Mandelman presented his recently proposed Resolution in Support of City College (the club signed on to the SaveCCSF coalition back in […]

It was back to politics on Tuesday: Leaders of organized labor spoke about the movement’s relevance. PHDC’s regular monthly meeting featured Mike Casey (left), President of the San Francisco Labor Council, and Michael Theriault, Secretary-Treasurer of the San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council. Though frequently in solidarity, their respective organizations are not always in […]

San Francisco’s Municipal Election is November 5, 2013. It’s true that the three citywide officers who are running for election or reelection are running unopposed – but that’s no reason not to take advantage of a great opportunity to meet them face-to-face, find out what they’ve done and intend to do, and ask them anything […]

Our July “meeting” took place in Dolores Park on a sizzling Fourth, campaigning for the CA DISCLOSE Act, registering voters, and watching the SF Mime Troupe’s premier performance. Then we were ready to return to our regular venue on the Hill. City Attorney Dennis Herrera and Board of Supervisors President David Chiu (center, r. to […]

The table discussions last month sharply revealed how important money in politics, in all its incarnations, remains for PHDC members and friends. On the January agenda: Action at the Chevron refinery January 19th to mark the third anniversary of Citizens United – see calendar listing. The  2013 California DISCLOSE Act, SB 52, authored by Senator […]

The December meeting of Potrero Hill Democratic Club – co-sponsored by Noe Valley Democratic Club and San Francisco for Democracy – was about the (mostly gratifying) results of the election – especially the unanticipated gift of a Democratic super-majority in both of California’s state houses. Special guests included Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (left), who began the […]

This is it, the final stretch. There are people who have registered to vote and who support President Obama and other important down-ticket candidates and issues. But we have to make sure they actually vote. That’s why these last days of phoning are so absolutely crucial. Our two closest Get-Out-The-Vote staging areas in SF are: […]

We met on the first Wednesday instead of the Tuesday, because that’s when the first Presidential Debate happened. We enjoyed food, drink, friends, neighbors, campaign speakers, strange debate performances and door prizes at the Connecticut Yankee that night. WHEN: Wednesday, October 3, 6 – 8pm WHERE: Connecticut Yankee, 100 Connecticut St @ 17th    

Tuesday, Sept 4, 6:30 – 9pm: Ballot measure endorsement meeting. State and local ballot measures, speakers pro and con. Q&A of course. Check out the results of voting here. To be endorsed, a proposition or candidate must get 60% of votes cast. Tuesday, Sept 11, 7 – 9pm: Candidate endorsement meeting. Candidates for Board of […]

Final details for our August 11th party & auction. Preview of auction items. Organizing for America neighborhood team leader Kierith Jones and Obama convention delegate Arthur Murillo with news of several ways to get involved, now and in the future. Jon Golinger, Campaign Director for the No Wall on the Waterfront Campaign, against the 8 Washington […]

Election night found us returning to the back room at Connecticut Yankee, throwing ideas around for the upcoming presidential campaign and other future Club activities, and generally hanging out. Featured speaker was Kierith Jones, volunteer with Organizing For America, the campaign to reelect President Obama. She leads OFA’s SoMa-Potrero Hill neighborhood team. Don’t forget to […]

The agenda was jam-packed with appealing, enthusiastic candidates for San Francisco Democratic Central Committee, Assembly District 17. With 30 or so people running for 14 seats, it’s very hard to gain the required 60% for endorsement. We are grateful to all who showed up. We also were pleased to welcome David Levitt, Democrat running for […]

Member Mike Alonso of the Redistricting Task Force talked about the experiences of the Task Force and the public so far, fielded numerous questions and comments, and strongly urged audience members to show up at the Task Force community outreach meetings. Every meeting concerns redistricting the whole city, so come to meetings outside your own […]

Our first meeting of 2012 featured a lively panel about Ranked-Choice a.k.a. Instant Runoff Voting, in recent and future San Francisco elections. Experts on the subject discussed its strengths and weaknesses, what alternatives there are, and why we should – or shouldn’t – pursue them. There were of course lots of audience questions. Click here […]

What better way to spend Day of the Dead than to contemplate Death to the Mega-Banks? Too big to fail? Uh-uh. Too big to exist. Just in time for Bank Transfer Day, PHDC presents a panel discussion on how to let your money work for the good of the community, instead of for the benefit […]

Dennis Herrera for Mayor, David Onek for District Attorney, and Chris Cunnie for Sheriff, plus Ken Tray of UESF for Yes on A and No on H came by to touch base, to thank the Club for its endorsement, and to let us know how we can help their campaigns. We previewed our door hanger […]

Mayor DENNIS HERRERA District Attorney DAVID ONEK Sheriff CHRIS CUNNIE San Francisco Propositions A – YES School Bonds B – YES Road Paving and Street Safety Bonds C – No position City Pension and Health Care Benefits D – NO City Pension Benefits E – No position Amending or Repealing Legislative Initiative Ordinances and Declarations […]

SEPT 6th at 6:30pm: CANDIDATES. The District Attorney candidate forum featured (above, left to right) George Gascón, Sharmin Bock, Bill Fazio, and David Onek. Their submitted questionnaires are here. PHDC Secretary, attorney J.R. Eppler, moderated. Photo by Jean Bogiages. There were then separate presentations, each followed by Q&A, from candidates for Sheriff, Chris Cunnie, Ross […]

It really was a lively and informative evening! All seven candidates were in top form. There were four rounds of candidates asking questions of other candidates, plus opening and closing statements. Each round had a particular subject: • Creating Careers for San Franciscans (Jobs, the Economy) • Preventing Cuts to Our Services (Budget, Transit, Parks) […]