Bilal Mahmood: 1st Muslim and South Asian elected to San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Bilal Mahmood: first Muslim and South Asian elected to San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Bilal Mahmood beat out incumbent Dean Preston to become the first Muslim and South Asian to be elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. His district includes the Tenderloin. He spoke to KTVU about his priorities and plans to tackle the challenges his district faces, which include dirty streets, homelessness and open drug markets.
SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco Board of Supervisors will have several new faces.
Bilal Mahmood beat out incumbent Dean Preston in District 5, which includes the Tenderloin.
He said he's proud to be the city's first Muslim and South Asian elected to the Board of Supervisors.
On Friday night, he celebrated with his supporters at Xebec Restaurant in Hayes Valley, one of the district's neighborhoods.
Earlier, he met with KTVU for a one-on-one interview in the Tenderloin where he lives.
"The Tenderloin is a home away from home for my family and so many immigrants," said Mahmood.
Though he grew up in Palo Alto, he said his parents, immigrants from Pakistan, have frequented the Tenderloin for decades.
Mahmood said as a child, he and his family would come to Shalimar, a longstanding restaurant in the neighborhood, for a taste of the food from their home country.
He said his priorities are tackling the area's many challenges including dirty streets, homelessness, and open-air drug markets.
Mahmood said it'll take a multi-prong approach.
"Once you shut down the market, you have regular beat patrol officers to do community support and patrols," said the newly elected supervisor.
Mahmood said he will focus on streamlining the process from hiring police officers to building housing.
"It was about cutting the red tape, the bureaucracy to make government work better for the people as it should be."
He said his work as a policy analyst in former President Barack Obama's administration gave him experience helping small businesses.
Mahmood said he knows how to get things done and build consensus.
He pointed to his work as an entrepreneur, running nonprofits, and getting legislation passed.
"It feels lawless at times," said Shan Reddy who lives in Mahmood's district.
He said he sold his car after it was broken into four times in eight months,
"It's just not safe to walk around at night, often not safe during the day, not to mention cleanliness."
"My goal as supervisor is to have the rest of the city see what I see in this neighborhood, which is the community, the diversity, small business," said Mahmood.
He said he's looking forward to working with the other supervisors and the new mayor.
He is scheduled to be sworn into office on Jan. 8, 2025.
Amber Lee is a reporter with KTVU. Email Amber at Amber.Lee@Fox.com or text/leave message at 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU, Instagram @AmberKTVU or Twitter @AmberKTVU