San Francisco Supervisor Candidate Withdraws Amid Sexual Assault Allegations

Manny Yekutiel, a San Francisco activist and owner of Manny’s Cafe, has withdrawn his candidacy for the District 8 supervisor race following sexual assault allegations. His decision has shifted the political landscape, leading local Democratic leaders to back Gary McCoy, who has a background in public health and advocacy for drug policy reform.

Yekutiel faces accusations of groping two men at a Pride party in 2023. One of the accusers, Ryan Clark, alleged that Yekutiel touched him inappropriately and then proceeded to grope his partner. These allegations emerged following an earlier claim from July, in which Yekutiel was accused of a similar offense at a 2020 house party.

In a statement, Yekutiel apologized for any boundaries he may have crossed and stated his intention to work on himself. "After a great deal of reflection I have made the difficult decision to end my campaign for District 8 Supervisor," he said. "Moving through the machinery of San Francisco’s politics has left me with very little light left in my heart."

The renewed allegations prompted several prominent figures and organizations to withdraw their endorsements. Mayor Daniel Lurie issued a statement saying, "Coming forward is hard and these survivors deserve to be heard, and treated with dignity and respect," as he rescinded his support. City supervisors who had previously endorsed Yekutiel also followed suit.

The San Francisco Democratic Party Chair, Nancy Tung, has since apologized for the party’s process in handling sexual misconduct allegations, acknowledging a failure to adequately evaluate the claims before endorsing Yekutiel. "This policy failed the first survivor to come forward, Brad Chapin, who took the courageous and painful step not only to file a formal complaint, but to stand up and speak directly before our committee during the District 8 endorsement hearing," Tung stated. "I publicly and sincerely apologize to Mr. Chapin for how our process treated his complaint and for an endorsement decision that caused him further harm."

Supervisor Connie Chan, who is running for a congressional seat, has called for Tung's resignation over the party's handling of the allegations. Tung, however, dismissed the call for resignation, stating her commitment to addressing the issues.

With Yekutiel's exit, the focus shifts to Gary McCoy. McCoy previously served as a political director for Nancy Pelosi and held a vice president role at HealthRight 360, a nonprofit focused on drug rehabilitation. As a recovering drug user who experienced homelessness, McCoy has been a vocal proponent of drug decriminalization and has supported supervised drug consumption sites. He previously participated in a hunger strike to advocate for such services.