It was cheaper to oust Joel Engardio than to elect him, data shows

"And while "it's always easier to be against something than to be for something," as political strategist David Ho put it, it turns out it was much, much cheaper to be against Engardio, too. The recall supporters spent just $257,090 to get rid of Engardio - $177,877 less than it took to elect him in the first place, back in 2022. That spend - $19.28 per vote - was also about one-fifth of what the anti-recall side spent per vote failing to convince voters to keep Engardio on."

""The money didn't matter at that point: It had shifted from a political campaign to a movement," said Jim Ross, a veteran political consultant. "No amount of money could have stopped that." The recall was successful in part because Engardio had alienated his base by championing Prop. K to close the Great Highway, and that created an angry and energized electorate - a movement."

""You don't need millions of dollars to run a district campaign," said Eric Jaye, a political consultant. "The energy you need can easily be generated if the underlying issue is vital enough to people in that district." To that point, this recall's smashing success makes it all the more likely that more recalls could happen. "Without a doubt it's a message to every elected official in San Francisco: You can ignore the will of the voters, but you do so at your own peril," said Jaye."

Supervisor Joel Engardio was recalled by 63 percent of District 4 voters. The anti-recall effort raised roughly three times as much money as the recall supporters. Recall supporters spent $257,090 total, about $19.28 per vote, while the anti-recall campaign spent about $105.23 per vote. A small group of wealthy tech donors funded much of the anti-recall spending, including a $200,000 contribution from Chris Larsen. Engardio's support for Prop. K to close the Great Highway alienated his base and generated an angry, energized electorate. Strong grassroots energy around a single issue overcame large fundraising disparities and may encourage more recalls.

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