THIS WEEK AT THE VOICE FOR THURS., NOV. 12, 2026
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by Mike Ege
Editor in Chief, The Voice of San Francisco
The most recent vote counts in San Francisco’s elections were released yesterday afternoon, with no real surprises, though the Board of Education race outcome is now clearer. The three winners are now Phil Kim (21.6 percent), Tim Tung (15.4 percent) and Autumn Garibay (15.4 percent). This means the GrowSF-backed slate swept all three seats.
Also notable in the race was the loss of incumbent Alida Fisher, who was first elected in 2022 as part of a slate endorsed by the United Educators of San Francisco, but this time only garnered less than 7 percent of the vote. According to an October Standard article, Fisher lost the support of UESF because, among other things, she worked closely with Superintendent Maria Su and outgoing board president Kim. Apparently alienating UESF’s leadership is easy to do. None of UESF’s chosen candidates won either.
Just about the only notable win for the hard left in this election appears to have emerged from later vote counts: Proposition B, the measure that lays the foundation for a municipal bank. A product of Mission Supervisor Jackie Fielder and allies who populate both the Local Agency Formation Commission and The League of Pissed-Off Voters, expect an abundance of chicanery over this undertaking in the coming years.
Fielder also got another opportunity to smugly mug at yesterday’s full board meeting during Mayor Daniel Lurie’s Question Time.
The Mission supervisor had repeatedly pressed Lurie to provide round-the-clock community ambassador coverage by contractor Ahsing Solutions around the 16th and 24th Street BART plazas, arguing that the city’s daytime efforts weren’t adequately addressing nighttime drug use, crime and street disorder. The administration rejected the request, citing the nearly fourfold increase in cost and concerns for ambassadors’ safety. They also maintained they were pursuing a coordinated enforcement and cleanup strategy, including a 90-day initiative that began in June and was then extended indefinitely. Fielder also challenged the administration’s approach to measuring success. Her argument was that a decline in 911 calls and other official metrics didn’t necessarily mean conditions on the street had improved.
Then came news of $12.25 million in new funding for the Mission’s 16th and 24th Street BART plazas, including $9.25 million from Michael Moritz’s Crankstart Foundation, with a significant chunk dedicated to street ambassadors.
One question is whether that money goes to Ahsing Solutions, which has been under investigation by the state Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) since December, apparently for ambassador work that comes too close to being security patrol work.
It’s another question over whether street ambassadors are supposed to be bouncers or beadles, when maybe, just maybe, the job calls for badges.
Meanwhile, Fielder seems to be mollified by the money.
Instead of quietly withdrawing the question for Lurie, she beamed over the boodle and told colleagues, “In two years, I’ll follow up,” and returned to note-taking.
Erica Sandberg contributed to this report.
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Top News
REYNOLDS RAP
The Network: A four-part series about the people, the money, and the businesses behind the Sheng Thao federal corruption trial
Part 1: Attorney General Rob Bonta celebrated his birthday and attended a holiday dinner cruise with the Duongs — he also visited their showroom, now at the center of the Oakland corruption case.
by Susan Dyer Reynolds
On July 4, 2024, The Voice of San Francisco published an article titled The Bonta money trail, which detailed the decade-long, financially advantageous relationship between Attorney General Rob Bonta and his wife, Mia, and the Duong family. Bonta previously served as a member of the California State Assembly for the 18th district from 2012 to 2021 and as a member of the Alameda City Council from 2010 to 2012. When the FBI raided the home of recalled Oakland mayor Sheng Thao, the offices of California Waste Solutions (CWS), and the homes of CWS’s owners Andy Duong and his parents, David and Linda Duong, Andy Duong’s Instagram account, resplendent with selfies of him and some of the biggest names in California politics, came to light.
CITY HALL
Wong boosts city’s veterans with bill to solidify commission, declare special month
“Two proposals would preserve the city’s Veterans’ Affairs Commission and recognize November as National Veterans and Military Families Month.
by Erica Sandberg
CITY HALL
Lurie tightens conflict rules for $6 billion in San Francisco contracts
A new citywide code would crack down on bid-rigging, conflicts of interest, and favoritism, following voter approval of Proposition E.
by Mike Ege
Nomi toon
In Case You Missed It
OPINION
Election winners and losers 2026
And a rare boost for human decency in elections
by John Zipperer
EDUCATION
The math won’t do itself
What mathematical maturity looks like in a geometry classroom, and where it begins.
by Elizabeth Statmore
A&E
A wild ride through espionage and betrayal.
Martin McDonagh’s “Wild Horse Nine” pairs John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as spies navigating dicey relationships amid political upheaval.
by Michael Snyder
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EVENTS
Out and About Nov. 12–18, 2026
What to do this weekend and beyond.
By Lynette Majer
Managing Editor, The Voice of San Francisco
As always, there’s a variety of events in the next several days, from film to dance to bubbles, wine, and light shows, crafts, some nightlife, and more.
Thursday, Nov. 12
The name of NightLife tonight cracked me up: Pajammy Jam; definitely my kind of event; I already know what I’d wear. Described as the “mother of all house parties” with “games, creatures, and late-night fun.” My contact at the San Francisco Police Officers Foundation says you can also bring a toy for the foundation’s annual toy drive. 6 p.m. at the Cal Academy of Sciences. Tickets: $26.
Join the Presidio Trust Public Board of Directors Meeting for park updates and to share your comments with the board. The meeting will include the chair’s report, budget review and preview, and updates from the National Park Service and Golden Gate Conservancy. 6 p.m. at the Officers’ Club. Free admission; reserve here (few spaces remaining).
Friday, Nov. 13
Francophiles won’t want to miss the Bay Area French Film Festival, which opened last night and celebrates the best of French cinema with five movie screenings. Tonight is De la Comédie-Française, a classic comedy billed as a “must-see” about how everything falls apart on opening night. 3 p.m. at the Vogue Theatre. Screenings of additional films through Tuesday. Tickets: $25.
The season finale/special edition of Bangra & Beats Night Market is also the city’s official Diwali event. Enjoy music, dancing, a food marketplace, cocktails, local vendors, and culture. 4–10 p.m. at Yerba Buena Gardens. Free admission.
Saturday, Nov. 14
The Wine Country comes to you with the Golden Gate Bridge as a backdrop at Sip, Savor & Spark. Taste wines from over 65 California vineyards, and surely there will be nibbles available to sop up all that wine. Proceeds benefit the Guardsmen’s programs for underserved youth. 1 to 5 p.m. at Fort Mason’s Gateway Pavilion. Tickets (few remaining) from $146.
The World of Black Film: Revolutions is a new weekly film series that will capture styles and approaches from the 1960s to the early 1980s. Today’s film is West Indies: The Fugitive Slaves of Liberty (1979), set on a mock slave ship, which investigates more than three centuries of imperialist oppression. 2 p.m. in YBCA’s screening room. Tickets $15.
The 28th annual San Francisco International Hip Hop DanceFest features artists from Tokyo to Vacaville and showcases works in krumping, dancehall, popping, and other styles. Special events include a dance contest and an after-party 7 p.m. today, noon, and 5 p.m. Sunday at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre. Tickets from $61.
Louis Pearl, the Amazing Bubble Man, will perform his bubble magic tonight. He started on a street corner in Berkeley and is a huge hit in the U.K. with sell-out crowds, and will surely bring smiles, awes, and wows to all here. 1:30 p.m. at BATS Improv Theater in Fort Mason. Tickets from $23 and change.
This is a favorite, and if you need to do holiday shopping, get it done early at the Renegade Craft Fair. Browse over 250 artists offering ceramics, glass art, apparel, textiles, leather goods, and more, including hands-on workshops. Enjoy local cuisine and music, and wander with your pup while enjoying your favorite libation. Through Sunday at the Festival Pavilion in Fort Mason. (Sunday is also the farmer’s market, so bring your tote bags to support the farmers and stock your fridge for the week.). Free admission.
While a cuppa Joe is my morning go-to, tea certainly has its respectful place. Tea lovers and the tea-curious will want to check out the San Francisco Tea Festival, which does it right. Enjoy unlimited tastings from local and global producers, lectures, a swag bag, and a souvenir porcelain tasting cup. Through Sunday at the Ferry Building Marketplace (don’t forget to support the farmers at the market on Saturday). Tickets:$26 and change.
Sunday, Nov. 15
Here’s something a little different that will get you outdoors: Monarch Monitoring. Learn how to spot and count them, what they need to survive the winter, and how your observations contribute to the Western Monarch Count. Fun fact: San Francisco is one of the earliest places (1816) in California where monarchs were documented, and they’re still here (even insects like it here). 9 a.m. at Fort Mason Community Garden (I love this place!) Free admission, reserve your spot here.
Join the barbershop, choral, and contemporary a cappella group Fog City Singers for their fall concert, “When the Fog Rolls in to Honolulu.” The concert will feature their newest commissioned piece, a barbershop mashup of Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” Bill Withers’s“Ain’t No Sunshine,” and another commission, “When the Fog Rolls in to San Francisco.” 4 p.m. at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. Tickets: $40.
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