By Tim Redmond
The gloves came off, quickly, in the first debate between Sups. David Chiu and David Campos Thursday night, as the candidates presented very different pictures of their politics – and took some direct shots at each other.
It suggested that the race for the 17th Assembly District seat will be hard-fought – and that the candidates will be trying to make clear that, while they vote the same on many issues, there are serious, significant differences in their issues, attitudes, and styles.
The debate, which was also the endorsement meeting of the San Francisco Young Democrats, packed the Koret Auditorium at the main library. And the club wound up endorsing Campos. But the event meant much more than one endorsement – it set the tone for a campaign that will help define San Francisco politics in 2014.
Chiu tried to portray himself as an effective legislator, open to compromise and working for solution. Campos presented the image of a fighter.
In a city under immense pressure, with anger boiling over and the demographics of the district changing, the outcome of this election will say a lot about what San Francisco is, what it’s becoming, and what the residents see as their vision of the city’s future. (more after the jump)
