London Breed unanimously elected Board president as supervisors sworn in; Jeff Sheehy sworn to fill District 8 vacancy

London Breed was unanimously elected president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Jan. 9, 2017, after the board completed roll call, administered oaths of office to newly and returning supervisors, and established seniority by lottery.

The board convened at San Francisco City Hall for its inaugural meeting. Judge Terry Jackson administered the oath of office to new and returning supervisors, including Jeff Sheehy, who Mayor Edwin Lee had appointed Jan. 8 to fill the District 8 vacancy. Following the swearing in, the board used the lottery process described in Board Rule 6.2 to assign seniority for the newly seated members, then opened nominations for board president.

Why it matters: The president of the Board of Supervisors presides over meetings, helps set the board agenda and represents the board publicly; unanimous support across the 11 members signals an early show of institutional unity as the body begins its two‑year leadership term.

The proceedings began with the clerk reporting three communications to the board: a letter from Mayor Edwin Lee regarding the District 8 appointment; a certification from the director of the Department of Elections confirming the official election results from Nov. 8, 2016, naming several supervisors as elected; and a controller’s transmission certifying surety bond filings for reelected, newly elected and appointed members. After the oath, the board conducted a seniority lottery for positions 8–11, assigning Hillary Ronan to position 8, Jeff Sheehy position 9, Sandra Lee Feuer position 10 and Asha Safai position 11. Earlier seniority positions 1–7 had been read into the record per board practice.

On nominations for president, Supervisor Malia Cohen nominated Supervisor London Breed; Supervisor Aaron Peskin seconded the nomination. The board then took a roll‑call vote in alphabetical order. The clerk recorded 11 votes for Breed; the clerk announced, “There are 11 votes for president London Breed. Congratulations.” The official tally was 11–0 in favor; the outcome was approval.

Mayor Edwin Lee addressed the board at the meeting, congratulating the newly elected and returning supervisors and noting the board’s historic female majority. In remarks after her election, President London Breed framed the board’s responsibilities in the weeks ahead against a changing national political backdrop, urging colleagues to work together. “Don’t be discouraged, be determined,” Breed said after her election.

Board members and visiting officials who appeared in the chamber included former Mayor Willie L. Brown Jr.; City Attorney Dennis Herrera; Treasurer José Cisneros; Assessor Carmen Chu; District Attorney George Gascón; Sheriff Vicki Hennessy; and department heads and other elected officials who stood to be acknowledged in the record.

Votes at a glance

- Election of Board president: London Breed — Nomination by Supervisor Malia Cohen; seconded by Supervisor Aaron Peskin. Roll‑call result: 11 yes, 0 no. Outcome: approved.

Administrative notes and next steps

- Jeff Sheehy’s appointment by Mayor Edwin Lee (dated Jan. 8) was acknowledged and Sheehy was sworn in; no board vote on the appointment was recorded in the transcript. The clerk also read the Department of Elections certification of the Nov. 8, 2016 results for several districts and a controller certification of surety bond filings for officers.

- The board will proceed with its agenda under the new presidency; Breed said she would deliver more complete remarks at the end of the meeting and urged coordinated action on city priorities.

(Article based on sworn oaths, clerk communications, the seniority lottery, the nomination and roll‑call vote for president, and speeches recorded during the Jan. 9, 2017 San Francisco Board of Supervisors inaugural meeting.)