Theo Ellington

Candidate for San Francisco County Supervisorial District 10

Theo Ellington is a third-generation San Franciscan. He is a Bayview native who grew up on Third Street. His mother raised him and his brother on about $18,000 a year. She earned it working concessions at Candlestick Park. He was the first in his family to graduate college. His maternal grandfather came to San Francisco from rural Natchez, Mississippi. He came during the Great Migration. He worked as a laborer building roads and bridges. Ellington earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science. It is from Notre Dame de Namur University. He earned a Master of Arts in urban affairs. It is from the University of San Francisco. He served on city commission posts. He served under Mayors Gavin Newsom, Ed Lee, and London Breed. This included a mayoral appointee role, from 2012 to 2014. He oversaw redevelopment of the Hunters Point Shipyard. He also oversaw redevelopment of Mission Bay. He also oversaw redevelopment of the Transbay Terminal site. He later served as the Golden State Warriors' director of public affairs. This was during construction of the Chase Center. He then served as director of homelessness initiatives and community development. This was for the Salvation Army San Francisco. There, he led the organization's COVID-19 response. He also built a mental health respite center for unhoused residents. He currently serves as interim executive director of the Ruth Williams Opera House. He lives at the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. He lives there with his wife, a nurse at UCSF. They have three sons. He previously ran for District 10 supervisor in 2018. He finished third.

Ellington wants to create a business hub in District 10. He says it would spark housing growth. He wants new construction to focus on local jobs. This includes construction at the India Basin Waterfront Park. That project costs roughly $200 million. He wants those jobs to go to local businesses. He wants many to go to Black-owned businesses too. He frames Bayview development a certain way. He says it can fit with the interests of longtime residents. This works if the community is treated as a real partner. He argues new amenities are not gentrification. He says this is true when longtime residents finally get to use them. He has also said he wants to leverage benefits for the district. These would come from the growth of San Francisco's AI industry. He wants District 10 to benefit specifically. His broader platform makes several promises. It promises more housing. It promises cleaner, safer streets. It promises healthier settings for children and families. It promises more jobs for workers. It promises a more open and easy-to-use government.

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