District elections in Millbrae

A month earlier, I had just lost an election by a mere 33 votes to an opponent who spent $100,000, an eye-watering sum 13 times greater than what my campaign spent. We obviously could not continue to tolerate candidates buying elections with special interest money. I knew we needed this critical reform in Millbrae to increase equity, level the playing field, and encourage more bona fide grassroots candidates to run for office.

District elections worked exactly as intended. On Tuesday evening, the city swore in Maurice Goodman and Angelina Cahalan as Millbrae’s newest councilmembers. Both Goodman and Cahalan are extremely qualified to be serving our city, and the diverse composition of our new council is truly laudable.

I would not dare share credit for any candidate’s hard work and electoral success, but do want to opine that it was our city’s transition to district elections that made this outcome possible. Congratulations are in order for all those who participated in the city’s transition processes and hearings. I hope that this sends a clear message to my fellow community members that cronyism is no longer the norm in this city, and that any qualified candidate is welcome to run for office. I will continue working with others to break down inequitable barriers to entry in our political system.

You You Xue

Millbrae