Christina Olague has been chosen to take the District 5 Supervisor seat vacated by now Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi.
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee made the announcement Monday morning. It was up to him to pick the supervisor.
Olague works at the Senior Action Network. She is the daughter of a farm worker and moved from Fresno to San Francisco to go to college. Post graduation she pursued a career in nonprofit.
After she was sworn in, Olague pledged to hit the ground running. "Every decision I make will be what I believe is in the best interests of my constituents," Olague said.
Lee said when she was president of the San Francisco Planning Commission, she "spearheaded plans for growth and development in San Francisco and developed policies related to land use, transportation and neighborhood planning."
"As a low-income tenant and immigration advocate, she shares my values in making government more fair and responsive for San Francisco residents. She has been a voice for our neighborhoods and has proven through her voting record on the Planning Commission that what San Francisco needs most right now is job creation and revitalizing our local economy," Lee said.
District 5 includes the Inner Sunset, Haight Ashbury, Lower Haight, Fillmore, Western Addition, Parnassus Heights, North Panhandle, Anza Vista, Lower Pacific Heights, Japantown, part of Hayes Valley, part of Ashbury Heights and part of UCSF Parnassus Heights.
Olague identifies herself as a bisexual. She said she hopes her appointment will help the city in "coming together and moving past the old political pigeonholes."
Bay City News noted that board president David Chiu talked about how Olague was heavily involved in Mayor Lee's campaign last year and speculated that may have played a role in her appointment.
Olague served as co-chair of Progress for All, the group whose "Run Ed Run" campaign preceded his decision to run for mayor after he had previously said he would not seek election after being appointed mayor last January, according to BCN. "She was obviously very active during the campaign." said Chiu.
Lee defended the choice and told reporters "It wasn't just the 'Run Ed Run' campaign" that influenced his decision. He said it was their similar backgrounds working for disenfranchised San Francisco residents, as well as her agreement with his ideas for job creation in the city, among other issues, were key factors in his decision.
