IN THE NEWS
“People Are Homeless Because of the Failure of Our Capitalist Economy:”
an Interview With Dean Preston.
“As for what it means, the core of democratic socialism is breaking down the for-profit system on all basic human needs, from housing to education to health care, and then rebuilding something that’s actually controlled by working-class people.”
September 6, 2019
Jacobin
November’s Only Supervisor Race Should Be Close
"Preston wants to hold predatory landlords accountable for their behavior, better protect vulnerable tenants, and raise the percentage of affordable housing in new developments."
September 4, 2019
SF Weekly
Vallie Brown’s big real-estate money
“Preston has more, smaller donors. His single largest category is lawyers, mostly tenant lawyers, which is no surprise: Preston has been a tenant lawyer for years and founded Tenants Together, the statewide renter-advocacy group.”
August 2, 2019
48 Hills
Money flows into SF’s District Five supervisor, district attorney
and mayor races
“Preston is a well-known progressive activist who ran against Breed in 2016 and only lost by about 1,800 votes out of 41,000. He is most well known for writing Proposition F, the June ballot measure that gives tenants facing eviction the right to a lawyer. He is the founder of Tenants Together, a statewide renters’ rights group.”
June 19, 2019
SF Chronicle
Time for landlord licensing in San Francisco
“San Francisco needs to protect tenants from rogue landlords. Landlord licensing is a crucial tool that would create accountability, improve landlord professionalism, and protect tenants from abuse, unhealthy living conditions, housing discrimination, and wrongful eviction. Landlords who follow the law would have nothing to fear.”
June 19, 2019
SF Examiner
Housing is focus of D5 debate
“But Preston shot back… ‘If you want someone to fight to get the most for the community, you don’t have the person in office endorsed by the developers,’ he said. ‘Even the ordinance that the supervisor is talking about [for Divisadero], the developers didn’t even oppose it. You have to tangle with them. You can’t always please them.’”
June 17, 2019
48 Hills
Housing dominates SF D5 supe race
"I'm running for supervisor because the status quo in City Hall is just not working. We have the least affordable city in the entire country, and staggering inequality."
May 22, 2019
The Bay Area Reporter
It’s all relative — SF Supervisor Brown booed over “paycheck to paycheck” comment
"Preston ... a Democratic Socialist, made a number of bold statements during the debate — such as saying the city should increase the $500 million proposed housing bond to $1 billion. He also criticized the current leadership for not yet opening a Navigation Center in the district."
May 12, 2019
SF CHRONICLE
Why San Francisco supervisor candidate Dean Preston is embracing the "democratic socialist" label
"That makes Preston’s candidacy for District 5 Supervisor all the more interesting. In our interview, Preston expressed a deep understanding of the kinds of genuinely universal social programs that neoliberal Democrats seem incapable of fathoming: free public transit, a vast expansion of public housing, and public banking, for instance."
May 1, 2019
SALON
SF Public bank an opportunity to invest in San Francisco instead of Wall Street
“‘I think there’s huge opportunity to invest in local businesses, to invest in affordable housing, look at whether we can acquire some of the student debt that is so burdensome for folks and basically be issuing lower interest loans for those,’ Preston said.”
April 11, 2019
EL TECOLOTE
SF District Five supervisor race’s early start foretells rough-and-tumble campaign
"Preston wrote Proposition F, the June ballot measure that gives tenants facing eviction the right to a lawyer, and is the founder of Tenants Together, a statewide renters’ rights group."
March 4, 2019
SF CHRONICLE
Preston launches campaign with energetic event
"Vallie Brown is the incumbent, but it appears that Preston is the front-runner in the D5 race."
Feb 24, 2019
48 HILLS
Preston leads in D5 fundraising
“It’s not that common for the progressive candidate to outraise the moderate one, but I believe this shows the depth and strength of our campaign.”
Feb 1st, 2019
48 HILLS
Attention turns to D5, where SF’s only supervisorial race of 2019 is underway
“Some suggest Preston’s strong showing in 2016 gives him the edge over current Supervisor Vallie Brown, who Breed appointed in July 2018 to the seat she vacated after her election as mayor.”
Dec 27th, 2018
Voters OK’d Legal Aid for Tenants Facing Eviction — Now Comes the Hard Part
“San Francisco’s program is historic in that there will be no income limits, an acknowledgment that “middle-class tenants can’t afford lawyers either,” said Dean Preston”
Aug 27th, 2018
Prop. C kickoff puts politicians in the spotlight: Whose side are you on?
“I believe we should tax the richest corporations – who just got a massive tax cut from Trump and the GOP – to fund desperately needed solutions to homelessness. That’s why I’m 100 percent supportive of Prop. C and will do everything I can to help pass this measure.”
Aug 26th, 2018
48 HILLS
Breed, protesters clash over tenant legal defense funds
“Preston is running on a DSA platform in the 2019 District 5 race against Breed’s appointed successor on the Board of Supervisors, Vallie Brown, who joined Breed for the announcement.”
Aug 8th, 2018
SF EXAMINER
Tenant activists turn up at SF Mayor Breed’s event to demand proper credit
“Dean Preston, a tenants’ rights activist who wrote the measure, and the San Francisco chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, which collected signatures and championed it in the run-up to election day…”
Aug 8th, 2018
Can Vallie Brown Win in 2019?
“Conventional wisdom says Preston’s views on building housing are closer to D5 voters. But this will only become clear when votes are counted in this race.”
July 17th, 2018
BEYONDCHRON
Vallie Brown Succeeds Breed as District 5 Supervisor
“As Brown dives into the new role this month, a potential challenger already looms. On Friday, Dean Preston pulled papers to run for the District 5 supervisor race…”
Jul 16th, 2018
SF WEEKLY
SF Mayor London Breed appoints Vallie Brown, former legislative
aide, as supervisor
“Progressive candidate Dean Preston has already signed up as a challenger in that race. Preston previously ran against Breed in 2016, losing by fewer than 2,000 votes.”
July 16th, 2018
Breed narrows down list for appointment to her seat on the Board of Supervisors
“Whoever Breed appoints would likely stand for election in June or November of next year against Dean Preston, executive director of Tenants Together, a statewide tenants rights organization…”
July 12th, 2018
SF EXAMINER
Changes on SF Board of Supervisors a political challenge for new Mayor Breed
“Preston, who was behind last month’s passage of Proposition F to provide free lawyers to tenants facing eviction, took out papers Friday to run again.”
July 10th, 2018
Former D5 candidate Dean Preston announces he’ll run again — this time, as a democratic socialist
“With name recognition already in place, he may emerge as an early front runner. As in 2016, he said he’ll focus on homelessness and the housing crisis.”
July 6th, 2018
Dean Preston Pulls Papers for District 5 Supervisor
“Preston’s already received endorsements from Supervisors Hillary Ronen, Aaron Peskin, and Jane Kim; former District 5 Supervisors Matt Gonzalez and Christina Olague, Democratic Party Chair David Campos; former Assemblymember Tom Ammiano; and former Mayor Art Agnos.”
July 6th, 2018