Sponsored link
Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Sponsored link

TOM’S TOWN: Ammiano, the Pope, and BART

By Tom Temprano

Thanks to an article in 48 Hills, “Run Tom, Run” mania is in full swing! A poll by the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, whose president, full disclosure, is the 9th-grade level writer of this column, showed that all around great guy Tom Ammiano is the strongest challenger to questionably okay guy Ed Lee in a 2015 mayoral matchup.

While Ammiano may currently sit nine points behind Lee in a head-to-head matchup, his recent record (13 of his 13 bills were signed into law by Jerry Brown) is lapping that of Mayor Lee (a smackdown vote against 8 Washington, building public opposition to his legacy project, The Statue of Liber—I mean Warriors Arena, etc).

Such a race would likely be inaccurately framed in the media as a gay versus Asian identity battle, rather than the far more complex ideological battle for the future of our city that it is, much in the same way that the current David (Campos) vs. David (Chiu) fight for Assembly has been. Fortunately for Team Gay, we now have the Pope on our side (see below)! (more after the jump)

Marke B.
Marke B.
Marke Bieschke is the publisher and arts and culture editor of 48 Hills. He co-owns the Stud bar in SoMa. Reach him at marke (at) 48hills.org, follow @supermarke on Twitter.

48 Hills welcomes comments in the form of letters to the editor, which you can submit here. We also invite you to join the conversation on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Sponsored link

Sponsored link

Latest

Drama Masks: The curtain falls at SF Opera

Plus: A giant cucumber enchants in 'Manning' and 'African Stew' captures Black American and Black African divide.

Up against Palantir: A community forum confronts threats to privacy

Activists from around the country converged in Oakland, strategizing efforts to fight back against the corporate surveillance state

Best of the Bay 2026 Editors’ Pick: Golden Thread Productions

In the shadow of war, the company devoted to staging complex MENA stories once again finds its work all too relevant.

Lurie’s tenant protection plan won’t really protect many tenants

But hey: At least he admit there's a crisis—caused to a great degree by his embrace of the AI industry

You might also likeRELATED