Rules committee forwards charter amendment to end term‑limit loophole to full board after 2–1 vote

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Rules Committee on Jan. 26 voted to forward to the full Board of Supervisors a ballot measure that would convert the city’s current two‑consecutive‑term limit for mayor and Board of Supervisors members into a lifetime two‑term limit, after roughly an hour of debate and public comment.

Supervisor Mahmood, the measure’s author, told the committee the amendment "will enforce that term limits that the voters already voted on ... should remain at 2 terms over their lifetime," saying the change would close what he called a loophole that lets formerly termed‑out officials step away and return to office. He said the aim is to "open[] a pipeline of a next generation of candidates" and give voters in San Francisco the chance this June to reaffirm the limit.

The item’s supporters urged the committee to place the amendment on the June 2, 2026 ballot. Adriana Zhang, a former chair of the San Francisco Youth Commission, told supervisors the current rule "discourages young candidates" and urged them to "place this measure on the ballot." Multiple public speakers — including Ruth Ferguson, a City College trustee speaking in a personal capacity, and Gudvit Quintilis, vice chair of the San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission — urged the committee to let voters decide, arguing the change would restore the original voter intent behind term limits.

Not all members supported the proposal as written. Chair Supervisor Shamon Walton called it "a solution in search of a problem," raised fiscal priorities and proposed broader amendments that would extend the lifetime two‑term limit to all city elected offices, including assessor‑recorder, city attorney, district attorney, public defender, sheriff, treasurer, the Board of Education and City College trustees. Walton said his version would allow current officeholders to finish their existing terms and serve one additional four‑year term.

Supervisor Madeline said she was "ambivalent about term limits because they are inherently anti democratic" but suggested a possible compromise of a longer lifetime cap, telling the committee she could support a 12‑year limit while expressing concern about extending lifetime limits to offices that require specific professional qualifications.

The committee first voted on Walton’s amendment to expand lifetime limits citywide; that motion failed on a 1–2 vote with Walton in the lone affirmative. The committee then voted to refer Supervisor Mahmood’s measure to the full Board of Supervisors "without recommendation" as a committee report; Vice Chair Cheryl and Supervisor Madeline voted in favor and Chair Walton dissented. Clerk Victor Young had earlier told the room that items acted on in Rules are expected to appear on the Board agenda of Feb. 3, 2026.

The measure as presented would change the charter’s treatment of term limits for mayor and supervisors from consecutive‑term limits to lifetime limits and, as the author’s office described in committee, would allow incumbent officeholders as of the June election or elected at that election to complete their current term and one additional four‑year term. The amendment’s long title and section references mentioned during the hearing included proposed adjustments to charter sections cited in committee comments.

Next steps: the item will be considered by the full Board of Supervisors; the Rules Committee forwarded it as a committee report without recommendation.

(Reporting by the Rules Committee meeting; quotes and actions drawn from the committee proceeding.)