New D4 Supe Wong will support family zoning, wants feedback before committing on Great Highway

Newly-appointed San Francisco District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong said he will support Mayor Daniel Lurie’s family zoning plan – but will wait to hear from community stakeholders before speaking more about the future of the Great Highway. Wong, until Monday an elected member of the City College of San Francisco board, was sworn into office December 1. 

It was the second time that Lurie has appointed someone to the previously vacant District 4 seat, which represents the Sunset. His first appointee, Isabella “Beya” Alcaraz, resigned November 13, a week after being sworn in, amid allegations that she left her former pet store in shambles and questions arose over her taxes and business expenses.

The seat had been vacant since gay former supervisor Joel Engardio was recalled by voters in September. His last day in office was October 17.

Lurie is expected to appoint a replacement for Wong on the college board. 

Wong intends to run for the D4 seat in June.

The Great Highway is a central issue in District 4. Voters’ citywide decision last year to turn the highway into a park called Sunset Dunes led to the recall of Engardio, prompting the at-times chaotic search for a successor for the past two months. Proposition K, which was passed by voters citywide but largely rejected in District 4, saw a portion of the Great Highway permanently closed to vehicles.

Voted against Prop K
Asked during a press gaggle about the highway, Wong, a straight ally, said he, along with most Sunset residents, voted against Prop K. Wong also added he supported the previous status quo compromise that allowed the highway to be used as a park on the weekends and as a roadway on weekdays.

But asked if he supports a ballot measure to repeal Prop K – something District 1 Supervisor and congressional candidate Connie Chan has said she will explore – Wong said he would speak with both supporters and opponents of the permanent closure before committing to future policy specifics.

“I understand this community,” the Sunset district native said. “I can commit to be someone who listens to everybody, who is open-minded.”

Engardio, for his part, continues to support the roadway’s closure and the park.

“We need a supervisor who will consider Sunset Dunes settled,” Engardio stated. “We don’t need a cynical ballot measure that uses the park as a political wedge issue. The park is popular, traffic is fine, and before long a majority everywhere will see how Sunset Dunes is good for the environment, local businesses, and the well-being of everyone enjoying the coast in new ways.”

Lucas Lux, the president of Friends of Sunset Dunes, seemed cautiously optimistic about Wong’s appointment in a statement. Despite Wong opposing Prop K and not committing to a plan going forward until he meets with both sides, Lux stated, “As Sunset residents, we know what our neighborhood needs most after a recall, two Great Highway ballot measures, and a supervisor appointee resignation: a leader who can show us the way forward, not work to destroy Sunset Dunes Park. Park opponents have fought against a coastal park for five years, and their latest ploy is no different. The weekend road closure they are pushing would force the city to close the park and rip out seating, play and picnic areas, beloved public art, and the skate and bike parks – all to turn it back into a crumbling, frequently-closed, expensive-to-maintain road that has lost its purpose due to coastal erosion.”

The choice of Wong, 38, a past president of the City College board, was announced November 30, just in time for a Board of Supervisors vote on the family zoning proposal December 2, though Wong explicitly denied Lurie demanded he support any particular policy decisions. Nonetheless, Wong said he would vote for the plan, as the city’s failure to allow for denser housing might mean the state government would have control over future local policies.

“If we don’t offer our own solution, Sacramento will dictate a solution for us,” Wong said. “That’s unacceptable. San Franciscans know our community best – not Sacramento.”

Under state law, San Francisco must adopt a compliant rezoning plan by January 31, 2026. Lurie’s plan aims to increase housing by legalizing the development of more and taller buildings, with a focus on the city’s western and northern neighborhoods that currently have restrictive development policies, as KQED reported.

Wong said serving as supervisor “is the greatest honor of my life,” noting his priorities will include public safety and cutting red tape for small businesses. He promised he’d devote half his staff to addressing constituent concerns. 

Wong, who has served in the California Army National Guard for more than 15 years, said he will bring a “public servant’s heart” to the role.

Wong is the third supervisor for the district this year. After Alcaraz’s resignation, Lurie apologized for what he said was a lack of proper vetting. “This is not the first time that I have gotten something wrong,” the mayor said. “It won’t be the last.”

At the swearing-in ceremony in front of Abraham Lincoln High School, Wong’s alma mater, Lurie said that the vetting process had been fixed. Indeed, the names of several people, including Wong, who were reportedly under consideration were published in media outlets in recent weeks, and at least one, Asian Art Commissioner Wannong “Tiffany” Deng, was withdrawn from consideration after it had turned out she was a Republican until 2022 who missed nine consecutive elections.  

Mission Local reported that another contender, Albert Chow, a leader of the Engardio recall effort, had failed for years to file tax forms for the nonprofit he oversees.

The selection process brought wide criticism to the mayor, who has otherwise notched strong support in a number of polls conducted with city residents throughout his freshman year. After the recent headlines about Deng and Chow, lesbian arts commissioner Debra Walker over the weekend had posted on social media, “How about appointing someone who knows what they are doing? For starters.”

Monday, she praised Wong’s selection, writing that he “has the potential to bring folks together – on the westside and citywide. We have so many challenges these days – we need our city hall leadership to get things done for everyone.” 

Lurie said that Wong meets his criteria.

“From the very beginning, I’ve been clear about the kind of Supervisor District 4 needs: Someone who lives and breathes the district, and someone who can build bridges within it. Alan Wong is that person, and I am proud to appoint him as the new District 4 supervisor,” Lurie said. 
“Throughout my conversations with the residents of the Sunset and Parkside, one message came through clearly: This district needs a supervisor who can be a strong, steady voice on the issues that matter most. With Alan Wong as the supervisor, District 4 will have that voice.”

Wong only lived outside of the Sunset when he was at UC San Diego, from which he graduated at the age of 19 before pursuing a master’s degree at the University of San Francisco. During his remarks Monday, Wong paid tribute to his parents, who were immigrants from British Hong Kong and became unionized hotel workers. 

“Because of those wages, my family was able to build a life here, living in in-law units in the neighborhoods,” he said.

Wong is a former legislative aide to Gordon Mar, who was the District 4 supervisor before he was defeated by Engardio in 2022. Mar had crafted the Great Highway compromise that was superseded by Prop K.

Will run for seat
Wong, who has won citywide elections for the college board, said he intends to run for the District 4 seat in the June 2026 election that will fill the remainder of Engardio’s term. There will be another election in November 2026 for the next four-year term. 

Already there are at least two declared candidates – Natalie Gee, chief of staff to District 10 Supervisor Shamann Walton, and David Lee, an educator and the 20-year executive director of the Chinese American Voters Education Committee who unsuccessfully ran against then-supervisor Catherine Stefani for State Assembly from District 19 last year.

Gee was among those on Lurie’s list of people under consideration. She stated to the B.A.R. December 1, “For me it was never about receiving the appointment, rather it was about demonstrating my willingness, desire and qualifications to serve as supervisor. Throughout this process, Sunset residents were clear that they believed in our message. I look forward to working tirelessly to earn the trust and vote of every one of my neighbors in June.”

Lee stated flatly, based on Wong's inaugural address, that the new supervisor "isn't interested in representing the people of the Sunset."

"Being null on the reopening of the Great Highway and showing his support for the mayor's family zoning plan is a disaster for the Sunset," Lee stated. "The Sunset still needs a voice and true representation that is different from the mayor's office, and working for people of this district. The District 4 voters are smarter than this and will see through this appointment."

Stefani stated, “Alan Wong is exactly the kind of steady, community-rooted leader the Sunset deserves. He brings deep experience, a lifelong connection to the neighborhood, and a genuine commitment to public safety, good governance, and ensuring families can thrive. I’m confident he will serve District 4 with integrity and a clear focus on delivering results for the people he represents.”

Apparently, Wong showed an interest in public service from a young age. Frank Noto, co-founder of Stop Crime SF, said at the swearing-in he’d met him when he was a teenager and asked how he could be involved with a local Democratic club. Wong is a former member of the Stop Crime SF board.

“Alan shares the mayor’s support for public safety as a top priority,” Noto stated. “No one is more qualified than Alan. He has the requisite policy, political and community experience to serve as an exemplary member of the board serving the Sunset.”

Updated, 12/2/25: This article has been updated with comments from David Lee.