SAN FRANCISCO – OUTER RICHMOND DISTRICT
Liz and Lee Heidhues – 7.20.2024
It’s another day on the campaign trail close by the Pacific Ocean in the quietly Progressive outer Richmond District. Going door to door on the steep hills for Aaron Peskin where we have lived for most of the last 55 years.
This is definitely potential Peskin territory. The Richmond District has elected quasi progressive Supervisors for the past 24 years. Things were different in the days of our Ancestors over a half century ago.
Lee canvassed the outer Richmond in 1972 during George McGovern’s ill fated presidential run against Richard Nixon. He talked with voters who described themselves as “Democrats for Nixon.”
Today, nearly 52 years later, it was hot and dry as we climbed the hills with our sack full of literature in Chinese and English. Lee didn’t bring any water and made a detour to Walgreens.
Liz took the blowback quietly she received from an occasional white voter; quick to be rid of her, “Naw, you can keep that (literature). Aaron is the last person I would vote for.” Liz took the slight with aplomb. Knowing she would soon catch up with Asian neighbors who made sure to thank her for giving them election material. In their mother tongue there seemed a stark difference in the standoffish reception Liz received from her white neighbors. No warmth or graciousness.
There were many steep hills. Liz climbed many flights of stairs to distribute Aaron Peskin literature. Armed with a precinct map Liz made sure to correctly distribute the literature in either Chinese or English in this predominantly Chinese speaking neighborhood.
During our campaign walk we took a break and met a friendly dog named Koji or “Ocean” who is half poodle and half labrador.
There were so many flights of stairs for Liz to climb and so many steep hills to challenge our endurance, we called it quits after 3 1/2 hours on the campaign trail.
Liz said, “Let’s go home and finish tomorrow.”
Lee's Perspective 