SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - With a battle for seats on the Board of Supervisors in November already heating up, The City’s progressive legislators are making what political analysts are calling a power grab by running to sit on an influential party committee in order to affect the outcome of that fall election.

Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin and Supervisors Chris Daly and Jake McGoldrick are among progressives who filed papers by Friday’s 5 p.m. deadline to run on the June 3 ballot for seats on the Democrat County Central Committee, which makes official endorsements and sets policy for the local party.

“San Francisco has always been a Democratic city. There are voters who use party endorsements to determine how they vote,” said Corey Cook, political science professor at University of San Francisco.

Mayor Gavin Newsom, who is also a Democrat, but is considered more moderate than a majority of the board members, said the filings seem “like a little bit of a political power play.”

Currently, progressive supervisors are the majority on the 11-member legislative board, which frequently gives them the eight votes needed to overturn a mayoral veto. With seven seats — three held by incumbents — up for grabs this November, the race is being closely watched to see if any moderate candidates are able to take seats from the progressives.

“It seems to me an effort to determine the fate and future of district supervisors and [be] more organized to get district supervisors and use the slate card as a way to advance a political agenda,” Newsom said.

Peskin countered that the mayor has also “handpicked people” including some of his City Hall staff, to run for the county committee, which has 24 elected members.

Moderate contender Mike Farrah, director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services, took out nomination papers Friday and submitted them later that day as did Newsom’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Health and Human Services Catherine Dodd.

The committee’s endorsement is one of only a few that make a difference in district races, political analyst David Latterman said.

jsabatini@examiner.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

1:36 PM MST on Fri., Apr. 4, 2008 re: "Smile, city government, you�re on webcast camera"

Examiner Reader said:
$131k per year to implement...how about if the Supervisors kick in portions of their own salaries to cover the cost?

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7:46 AM MST on Fri., Apr. 4, 2008 re: "Smile, city government, you�re on webcast camera"

Kimo Crossman said:
The ordinance only requires digital recording. SFGTV on it's own initiative is expanding that to audio webcasting in August 2008.

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3:57 PM MST on Tue., Mar. 11, 2008 re: "Outgoing supervisors vie for sway"

Examiner Reader said:
Mayor Newsom is hardly a stranger to political power plays.

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3:46 PM MST on Sun., Mar. 9, 2008 re: "S.F. eateries may start counting calories"

turtle head said:
How in the world would it help make people healthy? If you don't know deep fried food makes you fat, you are likely fat because you are too stupid too be able to read.

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3:04 AM MST on Tue., Feb. 19, 2008 re: "Modicum of moderation on the way?"

King of the Dynasty said:
Chris Daly endorses David Chiu in D#3. Voters need to remember that connection when they vote. Do we want more of the same political dysfunction?

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6:39 PM MST on Mon., Feb. 18, 2008 re: "Modicum of moderation on the way?"

CRS said:
Sabatini states: "Moderates are looking to break the current progressive majority on the Board of Supervisors to give Mayor Gavin Newsom the four allies needed on the 11-member board to assure veto power on legislation." This is not particularly so. The mayor already has his veto power. Moderates are running with no reference to the mayor. They're running because they feel the need to bring some sanity and responsibility to the supes' side of the second floor, that's why. Andrew Ferguson

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1:46 PM MST on Thu., Feb. 7, 2008 re: "S.F. eateries may start counting calories"

Native San Franciscan said:
I sometimes wonder if Tom Ammiano isn't going to be happy until every restaurant in San Francisco is closed and either turned into a homeless shelter or crack house. So now were going to turn every restaurant menu into a document the size of the Tokyo phone book putting yet another cost on San Francisco restaurants in order to inform people of something they should take the individual responsibility to learn themselves. Why anybody whould want to own a restaurant in San Francisco with the current pinhead on the Board of Supervisors is beyone me.

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