Government and Elections

Matt Gonzalez

Many people who want to effect political and social change find working in government and the political mainstream to be imposing. They don’t know where to start to implement their ideas, and the idea of mounting a campaign seems like something best left to campaign consultants. This workshop explores various aspects related to municipal governance, with particular emphasis on the legislative process, election reform, and the role of third parties in our society. It also summarizes the mechanics of mounting a winning campaign for local political office.

Matt Gonzalez has been a voice of progressive change in San Francisco over the last decade, particularly around issues related to income wage disparity, community land trusts, and election reform. A member of the Green Party and former president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, he now heads Gonzalez & Leigh, LLP, a seven-member progressive law firm in San Francisco.

Jim Dorenkott, who will be assisting Matt, is a former legislative aide to Supervisor Gonzalez and has been active in progressive politics throughout his life. He led the Nuclear Freeze Campaign in San Diego during the 1980s, served as a delegate to the 2004 National Green Party Convention, and is an elected member of the San Francisco Green Party County Council.