Sunset voters back Alan Wong, signaling a return to calm politics

Alan Wong won the Sunset by a landslide, finishing with 8,720 ranked-choice votes, or 68.89 percent, to Natalie Gee’s 3,937 and 31.11 percent. In the first round, Wong was already ahead with 6,679 votes, while Gee had 2,732, a sign that the district was not looking for another upheaval after months of political churn. Turnout across San Francisco remained modest, with 176,467 ballots counted by June 5 and turnout at 33.07 percent.

The strongest reason for Wong’s margin was the Great Highway fight that has defined District 4 politics for more than a year. Proposition K passed citywide in November 2024 with about 55 percent support, permanently removed cars from the Great Highway, and created Sunset Dunes, which opened in April 2025. But many residents closest to the corridor never accepted that change, and Wong campaigned on a compromise that would restore cars on weekdays while keeping the roadway car-free on weekends. That message matched a broader Sunset mood: less symbolic combat, more attention to daily life, from street safety to neighborhood upkeep.

Wong’s victory also reflects how voters reacted to a turbulent stretch of leadership changes in the district. Joel Engardio was recalled in September 2025 after backlash tied to Proposition K and the Great Highway closure. Mayor Daniel Lurie then appointed Isabella “Beya” Alcaraz in early November, but she resigned after roughly a week amid controversy over her former business practices. Lurie appointed Wong on December 1, 2025, and Wong’s election now locks in a supervisor who already had the mayor’s backing and a place in Lurie’s governing coalition. Adam Thongsavat, Lurie’s board liaison, was present at Wong’s election party, underscoring that alignment.

Wong enters the seat with local credentials that fit the district’s appetite for steadiness. A lifelong Sunset resident, he served five years on the City College Board of Trustees and has been in the California Army National Guard since 2009. His campaign was bolstered by a major GrowSF contribution and by a message centered on basics and practical results, while Gee, a legislative aide to Supervisor Shamann Walton, raised about $390,000 to Wong’s roughly $383,000. In a district that helped put the Great Highway at the center of city politics, the result reads as a mandate test for whether Wong can turn a bruising debate into quieter governance.