San Francisco District 4 one-time candidate, Leanna Louie, has filed a lawsuit asking that a judge force the Department of Elections to put her back on the Board of Supervisors ballot.
She was stricken from the ballot last week when the city raised questions about proof of her residency in the district.
“She has a right to be on the ballot,” said attorney Christine Linnenbach.
According to attorneys Linnenbach and Stanley Shen, the San Francisco Department of Elections did not have the authority to remove Louie from the ballot last week. They say if the city wanted her removed, it needed to do so more than a month ago.
“If anyone from the community wants to challenge her qualifications, they have a right to do so prior to June 27,” said Louie. “That is the timeline that's published.”
Louie’s attorneys also plan to argue before a judge that she is a legal resident of the Sunset Neighborhood, which makes up District 4.
According to the city charter, a candidate must live in a district more than 30 days before a filing to run for that district.
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The city says she didn't meet that mark. But her team says she filed on June 3 and had been living at her District 4 address since mid-April, well beyond the 30-day window.
The attorneys also say they have all the documentation to prove it.
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“Visa statements, Amazon deliveries, mattress receipts, that were all delivered to that home, where she currently resides and where she is domiciled,” said Linnenbach.
Attorneys for Louie are hoping for some quick relief from a Superior Court judge in their petition.
That's because ballots go to print for the San Francisco General Election in the middle of September.
According to a city attorney's office spokesperson, they are looking forward to a day in court as well, writing in part, "We stand by our facts and conclusions. She did not meet her burden to prove that she established legal domicile in the sunset 30 days prior to declaring her candidacy. The director of elections had the authority to remove Ms. Louie from the ballot because she did not meet the minimum residency qualifications to run for District 4 supervisor."
In a 13-page memo released last week, a city attorney's office investigator claimed Louie has close ties to two other addresses outside her district.
And registered to vote in District 4 on May 7, three days short of the required 30-day window.
