San Francisco’s District 8 supervisor race continues after Manny Yekutiel withdrew amid new sexual‑assault allegations. The remaining candidates—Darshini Patel, Gary McCoy and Michael Nguyen—were asked what the city should do to better support survivors of sexual assault.
Darshini Patel
Patel, a former DoorDash employee and veteran campaign staffer, says the city’s current process forces survivors into a “long, invasive and dehumanizing” experience. She urges that every police or district attorney interaction include a survivor advocate unless the survivor opts out, that officers receive trauma‑response training, and that the city fully fund SHARP and the Office of Victim and Witness Rights to fill staff vacancies. Patel also calls for a secure information‑sharing system so survivors need only tell their story once.
Gary McCoy
McCoy, a former staffer to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former health‑policy executive, emphasizes the need for sustained funding for the Office of Victim and Witness Rights, which was created by voters but has long been under‑funded. He argues the city must provide a reliable stream of money for legal aid and other victim‑support services, and that officials should trust survivors when the Office deems them credible, citing the case of Brad Chapin as an example.
Michael Nguyen
Nguyen, a patent attorney and member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, says the status quo has failed survivors. He calls for robust, stable funding for survivor‑support services and for city leadership to make believing, protecting and supporting survivors the standard. Nguyen notes that after the first allegation against Yekutiel, statewide leaders withdrew support, highlighting the political cost of ignoring survivors.
All three candidates have secured endorsements from local progressive groups and elected officials, reflecting a broad coalition that prioritizes survivor rights. The hearing hosted by Supervisor Myrna Melgar on Thursday will further examine how the SFPD can improve its investigations, after the department cleared only 14 percent of rape cases last year—half the national average.
Election Day is set for Nov. 3, 2026. Voters can register via the sf.gov website.
Original reporting: Mission Local — read the source article.
