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Matt Gonzalez | |
|---|---|
(48484425152)_(cropped).jpg) Gonzalez in 2019 | |
| InterimPublic Defender of San Francisco | |
| In office February 22, 2019 – March 11, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Jeff Adachi |
| Succeeded by | Manohar Raju |
| President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors | |
| In office January 8, 2003 – January 8, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Ammiano |
| Succeeded by | Aaron Peskin |
| Member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors fromDistrict 5 | |
| In office January 8, 2001 – January 8, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | District established |
| Succeeded by | Ross Mirkarimi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Matthew Edward Gonzalez (1965-06-04)June 4, 1965 (age 60) |
| Political party | Independent (2008–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Green (2000–2008) Democratic (1999–2000) Peace and Freedom Party (affiliated non-member) |
| Education | Columbia University (BA) Stanford University (JD) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Website | https://themattgonzalezreader.com/ |
Matthew Edward Gonzalez (born June 4, 1965) is an American politician, lawyer, and activist. He served on theSan Francisco Board of Supervisors from 2001 to 2005 and was president of the Board. In 2003, Gonzalez, running as a member of theGreen Party, lost arace for mayor of San Francisco to DemocratGavin Newsom. In the2008 presidential election, Gonzalez ran for vice president as the running mate of candidateRalph Nader. As of February 2024[update], he works as the Chief Attorney at the San FranciscoPublic Defender's Office.[1][2]
Matthew Edward Gonzalez was born inMcAllen, Texas. His father, a division chief for the international tobacco companyBrown & Williamson,[3] moved the family toNew Orleans,Baltimore, andLouisville, Kentucky, before resettling in McAllen when Gonzalez was eleven years old. After graduating fromMcAllen Memorial High School, he attendedColumbia University, from which he graduated in 1987. In 1990, he earned aJuris Doctor degree fromStanford Law School.
Gonzalez began working as atrial lawyer at theOffice of the Public Defender in San Francisco in 1991. Gonzalez served one term on theSan Francisco Board of Supervisors from 2001 to 2005. He was elected president of the board in 2003. After losing themayoral election in 2003, he chose not to seek re-election.[4]
Gonzalez entered politics when he ran for San FranciscoDistrict Attorney in 1999. He campaigned to halt political corruption and marijuana prosecutions.[5] Gonzalez lost to incumbentTerence Hallinan. In a field of five candidates, he finished third with 20,153 votes (11 percent of the total).[6]
A system of electing supervisors by district rather than citywide took effect in 2000. At the urging of SupervisorTom Ammiano, Gonzalez moved from his home in the Mission District to run for supervisor in newly madeDistrict 5.[7] In early November, shortly before therunoff election, Gonzalez switched party affiliations from theDemocratic Party to the nascentGreen Party.[8] His opponent, Juanita Owens, tried to capitalize on many Democrats' ill feelings toward the Green Party in the wake of Ralph Nader's involvement in the acrimonious2000 presidential election,[9] but Gonzalez won the runoff election. He was part of a slate of candidates who wanted to change the direction of city policy, in opposition to the "Brownmachine," a Democratic Party political machine that had dominated local politics for over 30 years behind Mayor Willie Brown, thePelosi family, and other Democrats.[10] His supporters saw his election as a turning point in local politics.[11][12]
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Gonzalez's critics considered him a stubborn and willful ideologue, though supporters noted his commitment to stand firm on principles over politicking. When the Board put forth aresolution commendingSan Franciscan CongresswomanNancy Pelosi for being electedHouse Minority Whip and being the first woman to hold that position, Gonzalez was the only board member who voted against it. Gonzalez said that supervisors should not issue commendations for winning partisan political positions and that he had written a personal note to Pelosi congratulating her, as she had done him for being elected board president.[13][14] Gonzalez refused to meet with Brown during his first two years on the Board of Supervisors, saying he did so to avoid being subject to Brown's influence rather than as a matter of disrespect.[15] Two sources reported that Gonzalez defied Brown by walking out of the mayor's State of the City address in 2002.[16][17] However, Gonzalez later toldSF Weekly that he was never in attendance.[18]
In January 2003, Gonzalez was elected president of the Board of Supervisors after seven rounds of voting, most of which had Gonzalez vying for a majority vote with supervisorsAaron Peskin andSophie Maxwell. When Peskin dropped out Gonzalez emerged the winner, counting among his supporters conservative Board memberTony Hall, who said when asked why he voted for Gonzalez, "Gonzalez is a man of integrity and intelligence who will carry out his responsibilities fairly and impartially."[19][20][21]
Gonzalez hosted monthly art exhibits in his City Hall office. At the last reception,graffiti artistBarry McGee spray-painted "Smash the State" on the walls of the office as part of his exhibit."[22] Gonzalez told the press that he knew his office would be repainted for the next occupant.
In August 2003, Gonzalez ran for mayor of San Francisco in a bid to replace outgoing two-term mayorWillie Brown.[23] On a ballot with nine candidates, Gonzalez finished second in the primary election on November 4 behindGavin Newsom, a Democrat and fellow member of the Board of Supervisors who had been endorsed by Brown. Gonzalez received 19.6 percent of the total vote to Newsom's 41.9 percent.[24] Because none of the candidates received a majority, arun-off election was held on December 9.
Gonzalez faced a difficult run-off election; only 3 percent of voters in San Francisco were registered to the Green Party, the party to which he belonged.[25] Although Gonzalez was endorsed by several key local Democrats, including five members of the Board of Supervisors, national Democratic figures, concerned about Ralph Nader's role in the2000 presidential election, campaigned on Newsom's behalf.[26][27]Bill Clinton,Al Gore,Jesse Jackson,Dianne Feinstein, andNancy Pelosi all campaigned for Newsom. Gonzalez said about his candidacy, "They're scared, not of a Green being elected mayor, but of an honest person being elected mayor."[28] Newsom won the runoff race by a margin of 11,000 votes, capturing 53 percent of the vote to Gonzalez's 47 percent.[29]
Following the mayoral contest, Gonzalez announced he would not seek re-election to the Board of Supervisors. He left office when his term ended in January 2005. He was succeeded byRoss Mirkarimi, aGreen Party member and community activist who had also worked on Gonzalez's campaign.[30] Gonzalez then opened law offices with fellowStanford University alum Whitney Leigh. In May 2005 Gonzalez sought unsuccessfully tooverturn the contract of San Francisco school SuperintendentArlene Ackerman.[31] His law firm brought suit against a San Francisco hotel for not paying its workers the minimum wage;[32] twowrongful death suits against Sacramento police for usingtasers; against the city of San Jose andRingling Brothers Circus for interfering withfree speech rights of protestors; and against Clear Channel in a naming rights dispute over the locally owned San FranciscoWarfield Theatre. It has also been involved in examining theNew Year's Eve attack on the Yalea cappella groupThe Baker's Dozen inPacific Heights.[33]
In January 2008, Gonzalez, along with several other prominentGreen Party members, launched Ralph Nader's 2008 Presidential Exploratory Committee to support a possible Nader candidacy.[34] On February 28, 2008, four days after announcing his presidential bid, Nader named Gonzalez as his running mate for the2008 presidential election.[35]
Nader announced that he and Gonzalez would not seek the Green Party nomination but would run as independents. On March 4, 2008, Gonzalez announced that he had left the Green Party and had changed his voter registration to independent.[36] The change, he said, was to accommodate states, includingDelaware,Idaho andOregon, that did not allow members of political parties to run as independents.
On October 18, 2008 Gonzalez and Nader held a large protest onWall Street following the passage of theTroubled Asset Relief Program.[37] Their opposition to the bailout was a key issue of the Nader/Gonzalez campaign, in contrast to the Democratic and Republican Party candidates who supported the bill.
Gonzalez participated in thethird party vice-presidential debates, along withConstitution Party vice-presidential candidate Darrell Castle andLibertarianWayne Allyn Root, held in Las Vegas, on November 2, 2008.[38] The event was hosted by Free and Equal.org and Free & Equal Elections (FREE), an organization of political parties, independent citizens and civic organizations formed to promote free and equal elections in the United States.[38]
Jeff Adachi appointed Gonzalez as Chief Attorney in the Public Defender's Office in February 2011.[1][2]
In 2012, Gonzalez took a month-long unpaid leave of absence to act as co-counsel for a corporation in its $16 million lawsuit against San Francisco. This was a civil suit, and as such was not a violation of the San Francisco Public Defender's office rules of ethics, which states in part, "No employee may provide legal advice or legal representation...to any person or entity other than in the employee's official capacity."[39][40] The case involved Cobra Solutions, a minority-owned business, that had been wrongfully suspended from being able to bid on city information technology contracts. The article “How Business Was Done,” by Luke Thomas, published in 48 Hills, February 14, 2012, explained the key features of the litigation.Thomas, Luke (February 14, 2012).""How Business Was Done"".48 Hills. RetrievedJanuary 26, 2021.
Gonzalez defended José Inez García Zárate in theKate Steinle homicide trial. The trial received national media attention because the defendant was an undocumented immigrant who had previously been deported five times.[41] Zarate, 45, was found not guilty of assault with a firearm but was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Zárate was sentenced to time already served.[42][43]
After the death of Jeff Adachi on 22 February 2019, Gonzalez served briefly as head of the public defender's office until an interim head,Manohar ‘Mano’ Raju, was named.[44][45] Mano was appointed Public Defender on March 11.[46]
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| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Peace and Freedom Partyvice presidential nominee 2008(a) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of theSan Francisco Board of Supervisors 2003–2005 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Election was not district specific | Member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors District 5 2001–2005 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
