Matt Dorsey
Candidate for San Francisco County Supervisorial District 6
Matt Dorsey spent 14 years in strategic communications. He worked for then-San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera. He then served as Director of Strategic Communications. This was for the San Francisco Police Department, from 2020 to 2022. Mayor London Breed appointed him to the Board of Supervisors in May 2022. He won a full term that November, defeating Honey Mahogany with about 53% of the vote in the final ranked-choice round. He is an openly HIV-positive gay man. He describes himself as the first supervisor in a generation. He is the first to openly identify as being in recovery from substance use disorder. He does not own a car. He gets around the city on foot, by bike, or by bus.
Positions in brief
Dorsey's platform centers on a 'recovery first' approach. This is his approach to addiction. He favors long-term remission over harm reduction alone. He also wants full police staffing. He wants to support new housing at every income level.
Dorsey authored the city's Recovery First ordinance. It passed unanimously in May 2025. It shifted drug policy away from harm reduction alone. It shifted policy toward long-term remission instead. He has called the RESET sobering center very important. He says it is the single most important part of the city's fentanyl plan. He has pushed to stop city money for 'drug-tolerant' housing. That housing does not ban drug use. On public safety, he backs fuller police staffing. He co-introduced a ballot measure for mandated staffing. He also made one proposal that did not pass. It would have removed fentanyl dealers from the city's sanctuary rules. On housing, he backs Mayor Lurie's Family Zoning Plan. He backs lower fees for turning empty offices into housing. He has backed pro-housing ballot measures. He opposed 2024 measures. Those would have limited density in North Beach. On transportation, he has backed keeping JFK Drive car-free. He backed weekend closure of the Upper Great Highway. He wants it closed for good eventually. This would make it a seaside park. He also backs incentives for e-bikes.
On the issues
- Public Safety & Policing
Wants city drug policy to prioritize long-term remission and recovery over harm reduction alone.
“the single most important drug process”
Source → - Public Safety & Policing
Supports increasing police staffing and co-introduced a ballot measure mandating minimum staffing levels.
Source → - Housing & Homelessness
Supports new housing construction at all income levels and reducing fees for converting vacant offices into housing.
“a forceful advocate for authentically progressive urbanism”
Source → - Infrastructure & Transportation
Supports keeping JFK Drive car-free and closing the Upper Great Highway to cars to create a permanent seaside park.
Source →
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