Marjan Philhour has the experience, skill, and heart needed to make overdue change in the direction of this city.
Marjan Philhour’s life story is rooted in the Richmond. She was born here in the Richmond District to parents who immigrated to the United States from the Philippines and Iran. Now, she’s raising her own children here with her husband, Byron, while continuing to fight for a new direction for San Francisco through her tireless work with neighbors, small businesses, and community organizations.
In March, 2024, Marjan won election to the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee as part of the historic return of common sense and good governance to the leadership of the party in our city. But this was just the beginning.
The failure of our Board of Supervisors to address San Francisco’s challenges highlights the need for competent, skilled leadership. Marjan’s background in public service began 30 years ago with her first political mentor, the late Democratic Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever to serve in the United States Congress. He impressed upon Marjan a core principle:
The first responsibility of a public servant is to the people they represent.
After graduating from U.C. Berkeley, Marjan traveled to Washington, D.C., to work with two Democratic Congresswomen and Congressional committees, fighting to preserve protections for organized labor, women, educators, and the environment. After she returned to California, she served as Senior Advisor to the Governor’s Chief of Staff, and, upon returning to San Francisco, launched a career fighting to ensure a place at the table for women of color while volunteering tirelessly to revitalize and support the Balboa Village neighborhood.
Marjan is known and trusted citywide as a moderate Democrat who has stood up to entrenched interests who have failed our city. Through three decades of tireless work in support of Democratic candidates and priorities at the federal, state, and local level, Marjan has earned a reputation as a smart, energetic, and responsive leader who listens.
Here in the Richmond District, Marjan is a devoted community organizer, fighting for better schools, clean and safe streets, and for our small businesses. In her work with the Balboa Village Merchants Association, she helped to revitalize the outer Richmond at a time when street crime and COVID closed so many of our neighborhood small businesses citywide.
If elected, Marjan would be the first Filipino/a Supervisor in San Francisco history. Despite their vital contributions in this city, Filipinos have never seen representation at this level .
Marjan believes a safe, clean, and vibrant San Francisco is possible. We must use this election to send a strong message to City Hall that we are tired of the failed status quo and the paralysis our Supervisor and her allies on the Board of Supervisors have foisted on this city.
San Francisco is demanding a new direction from the Board of Supervisors.
