On November 3, 2026, voters will get to decide who will serve as the next District 8 Supervisor. The three candidates—Gary McCoy, Michael Nguyen, and Manny Yekutiel—last month all held initial public events to help kickoff their campaigns.
On March 7, McCoy’s team presented their field kickoff at IBEW Local 6, flexing the endorsements of multiple labor leaders, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and others. Nguyen, who entered the race a bit later than the other two candidates, launched his campaign on March 21 at the Noe Valley Courts located across the street from his first San Francisco apartment and where his journey as a community organizer began over 15 years ago. On March 1, four house parties were organized within District 8 to support Yekutiel’s campaign. As Yekutiel later wrote: “It was serious and it’s exactly how I want this campaign to be: grassroots, living room-sized, and honest.”
On the surface, each of the candidates has a lot in common. All are openly out LGBTQ+ men who are democrats and well-known to many in the district.
Their leadership styles and backgrounds are very different, however.
Gary McCoy
A long-time aide to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, McCoy presently is a consultant who also manages the Save Our Health Care campaign (https://www.saveourhealthcare.org/) that is fighting for the Affordable Care Act, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the PACT Act that extends certain healthcare and benefits to veterans. In the LGBTQ+ community, he has been active in both the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club and the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club. It is notable that many of Harvey Milk’s former colleagues, such as Cleve Jones, Anne Kronenberg, Roma Guy, and Danny Nicoletta, are endorsing McCoy.
He is one of the hardest-working LGBTQ+ community leaders, who for years has attended countless events and often extended a helping hand when needed. He has been open about his early struggles in life, being the son of a physically abusive alcoholic father and facing his own struggles with homelessness, HIV/AIDS, and addiction. His recovery from those difficult years instilled great empathy for others and helps informs his work on issues such as healthcare, including improving mental health and addiction treatment, expanding housing access, and tackling public safety issues.
Michael Nguyen
Nguyen holds several important roles evidencing his diverse leadership skills. He is an experienced legal and business advisor in fast-paced and results-driven technology environments with a focus on product and intellectual property issues. He is also an elected member of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC), where he represents Assembly District 17. A community organizer, he served as a member of the LGBTQI+ Advisory Committee to the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, Board Chair of GAPA, and Founding AAPI Caucus Chair of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club. He founded The QTAPI Coalition of the San Francisco Bay Area in the wake of increased violence against the AAPI community in 2021. QTAPI subsequently produced the first QTAPI Week in the nation celebrating queer and transgender Asian and Pacific Islanders. He also performs as the popular drag queen Juicy Liu.
As for McCoy, Nguyen came from a family with significant hardship. His parents fled authoritarianism in Vietnam and met in a refugee camp. They worked multiple jobs, and the family moved constantly throughout Nguyen’s childhood. When he moved to San Francisco to attend law school, living in a tiny Noe Valley studio, he found home. As he writes: “I’m running for District 8 Supervisor because I believe in the audacity to hope we can build a San Francisco where nurses, teachers, and working families can afford to stay—where every dollar serves people, not just the powerful.”
https://www.michaelnguyen4sf.com/
Manny Yekutiel
Before creating the well-known civic events space Manny’s in 2016, Yekutiel already had extensive experience in the political sphere and as a community leader. Originally from Los Angeles, he was a political science major from Williams College who served as a White House Intern in the Office of Public Engagement and spent 12 months traveling through six countries on a Thomas Watson Fellowship studying LGBT rights movements. He returned to the U.S. as a field organizer for President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign and became chief of staff of FWD.us, an immigrant reform advocacy group, for which he was named one of Forbes 30 under 30 in law and policy in 2015. He was also Deputy Finance Director for Hillary for America, Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2015.
In 2022, he co-founded The Civic Joy Fund, for which he also served as Executive Director. The fund has helped re-energize public spaces across San Francisco by bringing art, music, and culture to the streets. Yekutiel shares, “We believe that cities become more resilient, inclusive, and lively when people connect with their environment and with each other. By fostering vibrant street activations, we aim to draw people back to public spaces, stimulate local economies, and contribute to a broader cultural revival.”
Take Action
We urge you to take time in reading the candidates’ statements in this issue and carefully considering who will receive your vote. The District 8 Supervisor not only holds a powerful local role, but also has a tradition of carrying over to larger city influence. Current District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, for example, has served as President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors since January 2025. Former Supervisor Scott Wiener is now a State Senator running for Pelosi’s congressional seat.
Consider wielding your influence now by making a donation to the campaign of the candidate of your choice. Early reports show that Yekutiel is ahead in fundraising, followed by McCoy and then Nguyen. Each campaign is also actively recruiting volunteers.
Also, take time to check your voter status. You can do so at https://bit.ly/4shwHcn
Race for District 8 Supervisor
Published on April 9, 2026
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