Name Susan Leal Home San Francisco Profession Attorney/Businesswoman Office Sought San Francisco Board of Supervisors Election Date 8 November Susan Leal for San Francisco Board of Supervisors In June of 1993, Susan Leal made political history when she was named to replace Roberta Achtenberg on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. The first openly lesbian Latina serving in elective office nationwide, Leal is the first Latina ever to serve on the 11-member board and is its only Hispanic member. Combining over 15 years of experience in government, business and healthcare with a proven ability to build coalitions, Susan Leal took office with a broad base of support from the Latino, business, legal and feminist communities. Susan Leal's appointment is a milestone for our community, but that victory will be a hollow one unless we ensure that this highly qualified, respected and effective officeholder retains her seat in this year's election. The Campaign The 11 members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors are elected in at-large, citywide elections. Only once has a Hispanic candidate won a seat on the board. Although the city's 1990 "Lavender Sweep" saw two open lesbians (Roberta Achtenberg and Carole Migden) elected supervisor, in 1992, our community was unable to elect an openly gay man or lesbian to any of the six available seats. In November, Susan Leal and three other incumbents will compete in a field of over 20 candidates seeking election to five open seats. Supervisor Leal has earned positive press attention, and her campaign objective is to further increase her name recognition and build her positive image through direct mail, advertising and community organizing that stresses her qualifications, legislative achievements, background and positions on city issues. Leal and her team of campaign professionals are already putting together an aggressive citywide campaign to solidify her's base of support within the gay and lesbian, Latino and health care communities while reaching out to new voters across the city. Latinas for Leal was recently convened to bring together Hispanic women in a political, fundraising and organizing effort in San Francisco. Leal's campaign is planned and coordinated by Mary Hughes of the highly regarded political consulting firm of Staton/Hughes. The firm, which won kudos for its successful 1990 campaign to elect open lesbian Donna Hitchens to San Francisco's Superior Court, also directed neighboring San Mateo Congresswoman Anna Eshoo's 1992 winning campaign. Leal's December campaign kick-off boasted an endorsement list of over 150 community leaders and elected officials, and she is probably the only candidate who will have the endorsement of both the current and former mayors, Frank Jordan and Art Agnos. She has been endorsed by the Bay Area Non-Partisan Alliance, California's largest lesbian and gay political action committee, by six of her colleagues on the board of supervisors, and by State Assembly Speaker Willie Brown and San Francisco Assemblyman John Burton. Money will be a key factor in this campaign. Because San Francisco board races are extremely expensive, Leal must raise $400,000 just to stay competitive. Her fundraising team is working overtime and has already held fundraisers in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento, in addition to San Francisco events that have raised over $75,000. The Candidate San Francisco native Susan Leal represents a new generation of America's political leadership. She brings the strength of her personal diversity as a Latina, a lesbian and a small businessperson together with a strong record of achievement in both public service and the private sector, including 17 years of health care experience. Both of Leal's parents emigrated to San Francisco from Mexico as children. Her father worked as a boilermaker for over 40 years, and both parents strongly encouraged their three children to achieve. After receiving both her B.A. in Economics and her J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, Susan moved to Washington, D.C., where she became a Counsel to a House of Representatives Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Working closely with then-Congressman Al Gore, Leal conducted many nationally publicized investigations on drug safety and the practices of the Food and Drug Administration, and on health care waste, fraud and abuse. In 1982, Leal returned to California to work in Sacramento for the State Assembly's Ways and Means Committee, where she was responsible for putting together the state's health budget. In 1986, she joined four colleagues from Sacramento who formed a health cost- management consulting firm a business which has since grown to over 1,500 employees nationwide. Not surprisingly, one of Leal's goals as supervisor is to bring a more businesslike approach to city services, thereby promoting government efficiency. Because of her extensive experience in both the health field and in business, Supervisor Leal was named to the Board's Committees on Health, Public Safety and Environment and Government Efficiency and Labor. She is also Vice-Chair of the city's Health Task Force, which is looking at ways to maintain health services at a time of declining state and local funding. Leal's work also focuses on problems of public safety and the improving services for children. Working for the Gay and Lesbian Community Susan Leal demonstrated her strong leadership on gay and lesbian issues immediately upon taking office. Less than a month after her appointment, she was among the first to call for the removal of a homophobic minister from the city's Human Rights Commission even though this action put her in opposition to the mayor who appointed her. In response to the demands of Leal and her colleagues, the minister was removed. When Leal learned that the Police Officer's Credit Union refused to provide domestic partner benefits to its members, despite the fact that the city's own police contract recognized such benefits, she lobbied for and won a change in their policy. Leal is also co-chairing an effort to establish a Lesbian and Gay Community Center through a broad advisory council. She works closely with a wide cross-section of gay and lesbian organizations at the local and national level, and is particularly connected to groups representing people of color in the lesbian and gay community. Most recently, she convened an advisory council of lesbian and gay Latinos in the city. Can She Win? Results from a December poll show that Leal has solid numbers even though she has only been in office for six months and has never stood for election. She placed in the top five for one of five open seats and had the second-lowest negative rating of all the candidates tested in the poll. Clearly, a well-funded campaign will enable Leal to showcase her outstanding qualifications and build her broad base of support into a winning election. Why Susan Leal's Election Matters to You Term limits in California will provide many opportunities for lesbian and gay candidates to seek higher office. It's critically important that we elect candidates such as Susan Leal who serve as role models for future candidates. Susan's visibility as a lesbian and a Latina provides national recognition that lesbians and gays are part of all ethnic groups and communities. Susan's experience in Congress and the California Assembly makes her a candidate of proven policy depth and commitment exactly the kind of candidate we need to support for the future. Why Your Contribution Matters to Susan Leal To win in this city-wide race, Susan Leal must raise at least $250,000 by June 30 and more than $400,000 by fall. In the last election, five Latino challengers split the vote so that the only Latino incumbent was defeated. If Leal can establish a strong financial position early in this race, it will discourage potential challengers from entering the field. To Support Susan Leal Make your checks payable to: Committee to Elect Supervisor Susan Leal and mail them to: The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund 1012 14th Street, NW, Suite 707 Washington, D.C. 20005 Contributions are limited to $500 from any individual, business entity or political action committee. San Francisco election laws require contributors of $100 or more to list their employer and occupation. Paid for by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and authorized by the Committee to Elect Supervisor Susan Leal (I.D. 930863). Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund voice: 202-842-8679 fax: 202-289-3863 email: victoryf@aol.com