Tony Hall Enters the Race

It's the buzz of San Francisco City Hall right now -- a major candidate has finally entered the race for mayor against Gavin Newsom. We sat down for an exclusive interview with Tony Hall at his West Portal home today, in which he announced he's running. We talked about many aspects of the race, how he sees the incumbent mayor's performance, and what issues he believes are important for the city. You can watch the entire, un-cut interview here:

Hall has held many positions in San Francisco city government over the past forty years, most notably with the Board of Supervisors and at Treasure Island. You can see a list of all his experience here.

Mayor Gavin Newsom refused to comment on Hall's announcement, telling us, "Guys, any other network, I'd be happy to talk to." But, his spokesperson told us there's actually a sense of relief the campaign is finally underway, that it's much easier to motivate the troops and fund raise.

The local political blogs are on overdrive, and we'd like to hear what you think about today's development here.

Comments

[eric dynamic]

It would be nice to say how to get hold of Tony Hall, since he seems to have no contact information online.

I'd like to see Mr. Hall debate the supposedly "free" wifi issue with Mr. Newsom, since Mr. Newsom deserves no voter support based on that deal. Nobody should vote for Newsom based on the wifi promise, as it's defective and injurious of the City and its residents.

[independentvoice]

Mayor Gavin Newsom refused to comment on Hall's announcement, telling us, "Guys, any other network, I'd be happy to talk to."

This statement signifies why Newsom should not be mayor. He is not a leader. He is a petty, narcissistic brat. He should stay in his own frat playground. Pelosi, Feinstein and Brown should not experiment with the future of San Francisco with this entitled child.

[peterpotamus]

Whether Hall can beat Newsom may be likened to swimming against the tide, but Newsom is nothing short of a punk who has the gift of gab. If the voters are intelligent enough to see behind Newsom's "Wizard of Oz" curtain, they'll wake up and see this guy is indeed a fraud. His political spin team has diarrhea of the mouth, always finding cover for him. Polls be damned, Hall or someone else should dump this phony.

[erikasf]

I am a progressive who welcomes Tony to the race. As a former District 7 resident, I voted for Tony for Supervisor. Of course, I don't always agree with him on the issues, but I see him as an honest man who will help expose the corruption of the Newsom Administration.
Dan, I have been looking for those Treasure Island stories you did a few years ago when Tony was being forced out. It would be great to see those again, but I can't find them anywhere in the archives. Interestingly, Cecelia Vega from the Chronicle seems to completely buy the spin that it was Tony Hall who was corrupt and doing a bad job at Treasure Island. I can't understand this point of view in light of the evidence and hard facts that Dan Noyes uncovered about Treasure Island.

[eric dynamic]

independentvoice said: "He is a petty, narcissistic brat."

Agreed. He wouldn't dare take on a televised "town-hall meeting" where the audience could say what it liked. How like George W. Bush he seems - smiling all the time, while he says (paraphrased), "I don't have to answer any questions or be accountable in any way, since nobody would dare vote for anyone else." I would vote for Matt Gonzales in one microsecond, compared to this excuse for a "public servant".