Why next year's Castro supervisor race is already off and running

The comforting aroma of a pumpkin-scented candle. The return of rain. A plea from a political candidate asking for your support — any amount helps, even $10.

That’s right, San Francisco. It’s fall, and it’s election season — November 2026 election season, that is.

Cafe owner, community organizer and person-who-knows-everybody Manny Yekutiel announced last month that he’ll run for the Board of Supervisors in District 8, which includes the Castro, Noe Valley and Cole Valley neighborhoods.

Gary McCoy, a longtime aide to Rep. Nancy Pelosi, launched his own bid for the seat shortly after Yekutiel.

It’s certain to be a compelling campaign, even if it's getting underway at an inauspicious time. In local politics, the debate over a proposed plan to allow for denser housing development is raging. Statewide, Proposition 50 will be on the ballot in November, aiming to change the shape of congressional districts in California. And the federal government — well, please hold.

To a voter fatigued by the dizzying tornado of current events, it might feel as if it’s far too early to be talking about November 2026.