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  González, Matt
CANDIDATE DETAILS
AffiliationGreen  
<-  2011-01-01  
 
NameMatt González
Address
San Francisco, California , United States
EmailNone
Website [Link]
Born June 04, 1965 (58 years)
ContributorBob
Last ModifedDavid
Jun 02, 2022 09:34am
Tags Hispanic - Single -
InfoMatt González was born in McAllen, Texas in 1965. He received a BA degree from Columbia College, Columbia University, 1987, and a JD from Stanford Law School in 1990. He worked as a deputy public defender in San Francisco from 1991-2000. In 2000 he was elected to the 11-member San Francisco Board of Supervisors, which supervises a city with a budget of $6 billion.

He is best known for having led the effort to implement Instant Run-off Voting, also known as Rank Choice Voting, in San Francisco, where it has been successfully implemented to obtain a majority outcome without the need for costly run-off elections. (It is often promoted as a solution to the "spoiler" claim.)

Additionally, Gonzalez fought to create a minimum wage in San Francisco which includes a mechanism for yearly cost of living adjustments. (Considered the highest in the country, currently the wage is $9.36 per hour.)

He fought successfully to allow neighborhoods to ban chain stores through Formula Retail Legislation and supported local ethics reforms. He also led a successful ballot measure to ban the sale of naming rights to Candlestick Park (although the city sold the rights before the voters could weigh in).

In 2003 Gonzalez was elected president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. This was particularly noteworthy as he was the sole Green Party member.

In 2003, despite being outspent 8-to-1, Gonzalez came within a few per cent of being elected as Mayor of San Francisco in a close contest against Democrat Gavin Newsom, losing 53 to 47 per cent. (Only 3 per cent of San Francisco voters were registered with the Green Party at the time, and Gonzalez had to campaign against former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore, who both made trips to San Francisco to assist Newsom.)

Gonzalez is an experienced politician who represented a district of 80,000. He was president of the Board of Supervisors during the last year of Mayor Willie Brown's term, and served a year during Mayor Newsom's term.

He was awarded the "Premio Bert Corona" by the California Mexican-American Political Association in 2004 and has given numerous public addresses including the Commencement Address at the San Francisco Law School in 2003; the Raven Lecture at Boalt Law School in 2004; and the Commencement Address at New College of California Law School in 2005.

Gonzalez has previously taught Evidenc” at New College of California and Art and Politics at the San Francisco Art Institute.

Since leaving office, Gonzalez has been practicing law in San Francisco focused mostly on defending civil rights.


JOB APPROVAL POLLS
DateFirmApproveDisapproveDon't Know
05/12/2004-05/12/2004 David Binder Research 69.00% ( 0.0) 22.00% ( 0.0) 9.00% ( 0.0)

BOOKS
Title Purchase Contributor

EVENTS
Start Date End Date Type Title Contributor

NEWS
Date Category Headline Article Contributor
Feb 27, 2009 12:00pm Interview Catching up with...Matt Gonzalez  Article Craverguy 
Oct 29, 2008 02:00pm Op-Ed by Candidate What Do They Have to Do to Lose Your Vote?  Article Craverguy 
Jan 04, 2005 12:00am Profile Forever the rebel with a cause, Gonzalez exits left at City Hall  Article Patrick 
Nov 15, 2000 12:00pm Op-Ed by Candidate Why I turned Green  Article Craverguy 

DISCUSSION
Importance? 6.00000 Average

FAMILY
Father Mateo Gonzalez 0000-
Sister Diana Gonzalez 0000-
Brother Charles Gonzalez 0000-
Mother Oralia Gonzalez 0000-

INFORMATION LINKS
As It Ought to Be  Discuss
Gonzalez & Leigh LLP  Discuss
RACES
  11/04/2008 US Vice President Lost 0.00% (-67.84%)
  12/09/2003 San Francisco Mayor Lost 47.19% (-5.62%)
  11/04/2003 San Francisco Mayor Primary Won 19.57% (+0.00%)
  12/12/2000 SF Board of Supervisors - District 5 Runoff Won 65.36% (+30.72%)
  11/07/2000 SF Board of Supervisors - District 5 Won 42.38% (+13.82%)
  11/02/1999 San Francisco District Attorney Lost 11.16% (-26.86%)
ENDORSEMENTS
CA State Assembly 19 - Open Primary - Mar 05, 2024 D David E. Lee
CA District 12 - Nov 03, 2020 D Shahid A. Buttar
CA District 12 - Open Primary - Mar 03, 2020 D Shahid A. Buttar
US President - G Primaries - Apr 01, 2020 G Howie Hawkins
San Francisco District Attorney - Nov 05, 2019 D Chesa Boudin
San Francisco Mayor - Special Election - Jun 05, 2018 D Jane Kim
CA District 12 - Open Primary - Jun 05, 2018 G Robert "Barry" Hermanson
CA District 12 - Open Primary - Jun 05, 2018 D Shahid A. Buttar
US President - Popular Vote - Nov 06, 2012 G Jill Stein
San Francisco District Attorney - Nov 08, 2011 D George Gascón
San Francisco Mayor - Nov 08, 2011 D Jeff Adachi
SF Board of Supervisors - District 10 - Nov 02, 2010 D Anthony "Tony" Kelly
CA - District 08 - Nov 02, 2010 R John Dennis
SF Board of Supervisors - District 1 - Nov 04, 2008 D Eric Mar
CA - District 08 - Nov 04, 2008 PFP Cindy Sheehan
CA State Assembly 12 - D Primary - Jun 06, 2006 D Janet Reilly
CA State Assembly 16 - D Primary - Jun 06, 2006 D John Russo
SF Board of Supervisors - District 9 - Nov 02, 2004 G Renee Saucedo
SF Board of Supervisors - District 5 - Nov 02, 2004 D Ross Mirkarimi
CA US President - D Primary - Mar 02, 2004 D Dennis J. Kucinich
CA - District 12 - D Primary - Mar 02, 2004 D Rohit "Ro" Khanna