San Francisco Police Department Communications Director Matt Dorsey has been sworn in as the newest member of the Board of Supervisors. He was appointed to the District 6 seat by Mayor London Breed. He’s filling the vacancy created by Matt Haney’s election to the California State Assembly.
Dorsey will serve out the remainder of Haney’s term in the newly-redistricted area that includes SOMA, Mission Bay and Treasure Island. The seat will appear on the November ballot and could make for a dramatic race. Haney's preferred replacement, his former Chief of Staff Honey Mahogany, will be running.
Dorsey is a longtime city official and communications expert, who previously served for fourteen years in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office.
“…[H]e helped to lead high-profile efforts by that office on history-making cases that won marriage equality for lesbian and gay couples in California; saved City College of San Francisco from imminent closure; protected countless renters from evictions; recovered millions of dollars from predatory employers for victims of wage theft; and more,” according to a news release. “He was among the progressive slate candidates elected to a four-year term on San Francisco’s Democratic County Central Committee in 2012. As San Francisco’s only openly HIV-positive elected official during his term on the DCCC, Dorsey authored resolutions to elevate awareness for San Francisco’s ‘Getting to Zero’ initiative and helped to defeat the controversial 2016 statewide ballot measure, Prop 60, which would have imposed draconian restrictions on the State’s adult film industry and delegitimized public health advances in pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.”
Dorsey is openly gay and a “self-identified member of the substance use disorder recovery community.” His experience with substance abuse gives him a valued and unique perspective on the issue of drug addiction plaguing San Francisco. The opioid crisis is Dorsey's top priority and its importance was symbolized with the choice of venue for his swearing in ceremony – the Delancey Street Foundation, which provides rehabilitation and other services to addicts.
“Matt Dorsey is uniquely positioned to understand our city government and its current challenges — professionally and personally, from public health to public safety,” said Mayor Breed. “San Francisco needs a strong voice and forceful advocate to help lead our efforts through a drug crisis that is costing lives and devastating neighborhoods — including many in District 6. As an accomplished City government veteran, and as a member of the recovery community, Matt is ready to not only make the hard decisions, but to understand the impacts those decisions will have on people’s lives. I trust Matt to work cooperatively, creatively, and effectively to help solve the problems facing our city.”
Read more about Matt Dorsey here.