San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie finds himself in a difficult position now that the campaign to recall Supervisor Joel Engardio has officially qualified for the ballot.
Engardio, a staunch moderate, has been a loyal supporter of Lurie’s policies, backing his legislative efforts and appearing by his side at news conferences. But the Sunset District supervisor is facing political peril: Organizers are seeking to oust Engardio over his enthusiasm for a major road closure that was unpopular among his constituents.
With the question of whether Engardio should be removed from office heading to Sunset voters in September, Lurie must decide whether to back Engardio and risk being on the losing side of the voters’ will. Alternatively, the mayor could choose to stay out of the recall fight and send a potentially chilling message to Engardio and other allies…