“When Newsom and I ran for San Francisco mayor, there were many points of disagreement, whether it was about business taxes, planning issues, or even public safety. Today, I’ve listened to some of the mayoral forums, and the candidates sound so similar that it’s very hard to evaluate who’s different,” said Matt Gonzalez.

Our Bay Area Innovator today is Matt Gonzalez, who served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in the early 2000s, including a term as president of the board. In 2003, he made a notable run for San Francisco mayor as a Green Party candidate, narrowly losing in a runoff election to Gavin Newsom.

“I think a lot of the candidates right now are fearful of being the outlier on an issue and being disregarded by voters because they’re not in step,” said Gonzalez. “But it seems to me that what’s the purpose of being in politics if you’re not going to carve out positions, try to educate the electorate, and at least share your ideas.”

Gonzalez continued his political journey by joining Ralph Nader as his vice-presidential running mate in the 2008 race for the presidency of the United States.

“There is a reason why people are frustrated with government. Sometimes it’s because these long-standing practices are not fair, and nobody is questioning or challenging them,” said Gonzalez. “I don’t see the two sides communicating very well with one another right now. There’s so much distrust, but it would be helpful if both sides didn’t just take an issue and assume it belongs to the other.”

He joins us today as the chief attorney for the San Francisco Public Defender’s office. Gonzalez talks about the role of art in politics and governance, the importance of challenging unjust practices and holding governments accountable, as well as the need for ethical politics and due diligence in decision-making.

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