My name is Mike Chen. I am 33, born in Ohio, and have been a proud resident of San Francisco for 9 years. I’m a renter and a neighborhood organizer focused on housing, transportation, small businesses, and urbanist causes. I work full-time as a Data Engineer. I live in Lower Pacific Heights, near Kaiser. On March 5, 2024, I won my race for the San Francisco County Democratic Party Central Committee (DCCC).

I feel lucky to live in San Francisco — it’s a place where I can be my kind of different. We San Franciscans pride ourselves on being diverse, open, and inclusive. However, when housing costs are so high that people cannot afford to live in the city they love, our inclusive image becomes a false promise. I ran for office because our policies should align with our values. I want to speak up for younger people, newcomers, and those who are priced out of SF.

I’m a member of the San Francisco County Democratic Party Central Committee, also known as the DCCC (pronounced dee-triple-cee). The DCCC is the leadership of the San Francisco Democratic Party.

The DCCC governs the San Francisco Democratic Party. The SF Democratic Party registers new voters, charters Democratic Clubs, pursues issue advocacy, makes endorsements, raises money, and campaigns in elections. Put another way: the DCCC sets the agenda of the San Francisco Democratic Party and marshals its brand, volunteers, and money to achieve that agenda.

The DCCC is the most important race that you’ve never heard of, because they can win local elections. DCCC-endorsed candidates can say they are “endorsed by the Democratic Party”, which carries a lot of weight in solid-blue San Francisco. For low-visibility races, the DCCC endorsement can swing an election by 8 percentage points. If you want to change the government’s policies and elected officials, you should start with the DCCC. It’s a low-turnout, high-impact election.

As a neighborhood organizer of Northern Neighbors, I rallied my neighbors to speak up for housing, bikeshare, safe streets, and taco trucks. Last year our support and voices helped approve the 3333 California project, which will replace a closed off office campus with an open space, a childcare facility, places for new businesses, 558 market-rate homes, and 186 homes for low-income seniors. I want to bring that same energy of organizing and spirit of livable streets to the Democratic Party.

I am a volunteer lead in YIMBY Action, and I have spoken up for housing of all kinds. I helped YIMBY Action rally its members to support the Embarcadero Navigation Center.

I wrote three voter guides (and here’s one for March 2020) to help my friends navigate our long and confusing ballots. I think hard about policy and I want to give people the background and why something is on the ballot. While I give a yes/no recommendation, I also provide the information for readers to make their own decisions about how to vote on a ballot item. Most people want to do their research and make an informed decision on their ballot, but they don’t know who to trust. I see a need for better information and giving people simple explanations.

My policy priorities are to:

• More affordable housing for all. Fight the housing shortage. Expand the housing supply, legalize middle-density condos and apartment buildings, streamline the approval process, reduce excessive fees, and increase subsidies for poor households.
• Streamline San Francisco government. We shouldn’t have to wait months to years for government to hire staff, make decisions, approve small businesses, and help residents. Democrats believe in the promise of government programs to improve lives and provide services to residents. However, the city government’s ability to act swiftly, effectively and efficiently has decayed, due to parochial incentives and layers of process with good intentions. The result is staff shortages, government inertia, a lack of innovation, long waits for basic permits, and a loss of trust in government. We must improve state capacity to deliver high-quality resident services, improve the speed and nimbleness of government, and continue the Democratic Party agenda.
• Focus on outcomes. San Francisco has emphasized fair process, but failed on ensuring effective programs. All our programs and contracts need accountability, metrics, and measurement. We need to know what’s working, what needs to change, and what should be cut. Only by measurement and reflection can we determine how to improve.
• Efficiently and sustainable transportation. Invest in public transportation: buses, trains, and subways. Make it safer and convenient to travel by bicycle, by scooter, and on foot. Design streets to reduce traffic injuries and prioritize efficient transportation.

My party priorities are to:

• Register voters in more transient populations: newcomers, young people 18–34, and people who move within San Francisco.
• Empower the public to participate in the political process. Educate residents on how government works, where to get help, and how to make change. Provide election education materials, events, and branding. Make voting and politics fun and sexy. Leverage and promote diverse sources of information from the city’s Democratic Clubs.
• Pursue digital strategies to improve the party’s reach through internet marketing and social media.