AFTER DISTRICT 4 VOTERS DECISIVELY recalled Supervisor Joel Engardio in Tuesday’s special election, questions linger about the future of Sunset Dunes Park and how a new supervisor will be chosen.
As of Thursday afternoon, 63% of ballots counted so far voted in favor of recalling Engardio. Only 250 ballots remain uncounted.
With 21,269 ballots counted so far, that’s a voter turnout of more than 42%.
Engardio appeared to concede soon after preliminary results were released Tuesday night, which at the time showed 64% of voters marking ‘yes.’
The effort to recall Engardio centers around the closure of the Great Highway along the western edge of the city to private cars, a move made permanent with the passage of Proposition K in the November 2024 election. The highway has now been turned into Sunset Dunes, a park that thousands of pedestrians, runners and bicyclists use every day.
Prop K was led by Engardio, despite what election results showed was the majority of voters in his district oppo sing it.
Plans to organize a recall campaign began immediately after Prop K passed, with dissenters arguing that Engardio did not listen to the preferences of the majority of his district or consult with his constituents before crafting the measure.
Engardio has remained adamant that conversations on what to do with the Great Highway were ongoing ever since he took office in 2022. He also argued that putting Prop K on the ballot gave voters the power to determine the future of the Great Highway instead of the Board of Supervisors deciding.
In a statement accepting the results of the election, Engardio reflected on the benefits of Sunset Dunes Park.
“Politicians come and go, but the creation of Sunset Dunes will benefit countless lives for generations to come,” he said. “Sunset Dunes is a success. It’s good for the environment, good for our local economy, and it’s bringing joy to people of all ages.”
Before Election Day, Engardio made sure to mention that recalling him wouldn’t reverse Proposition K and the transformation of the Great Highway into a permanent oceanfront park.
“If they recall me today, they will not have a say in my replacement,” he said in an interview in August. “Recalling me won’t change anything about the Great Highway or Sunset Dunes.”
However, Supervisor Connie Chan is considering ways to resolve the concerns that west side residents have arising from the closure of the Great Highway. Chan represents District 1, which includes the Richmond District where the majority of voters opposed Proposition K in November 2024.
“For more than a year now, I have heard from Westside residents about their frustration with road closures, traffic challenges, and most recently, their worries about City’s upzoning plan,” she said in a written statement.
While she did not specify introducing a ballot measure that would undo Proposition K, she said she will look for ways to ameliorate some issues that the closure of the Great Highway may have contributed to.
“In the coming weeks, I will push forward conversations with Mayor Lurie and my colleagues on the Board, to address these issues,” she said. “If necessary, I am ready to take these issues before the voters.”
Board weighs next steps for district
Engardio will remain in office until the results are certified on Oct. 16. It is up to Mayor Daniel Lurie to appoint a replacement that will serve until the next regularly scheduled election in June 2026.
“As votes are still being counted and the election will be certified in the coming weeks, our team is evaluating next steps for the District Four supervisor seat,” Lurie said in a statement on election night.
Voters will then return to the polls next June to select a new supervisor. The winner will serve the remainder of Engardio’s term, which concludes at the end of 2026.
Finally, another election in November 2026 will take place where District 4 voters will elect a candidate to serve the next four years.
Albert Chow, a vocal proponent of the recall, is open to the idea of being appointed interim supervisor.
“I’d consider accepting if I was appointed,” he said in an interview leading up to Election Day. “I’m not sure about running. That’s a whole other endeavor.”
