SAN FRANCISCO — Paul Miyamoto was elected sheriff of San Francisco on Nov. 5.
Running unopposed, he received 146,628 votes. He will succeed Sheriff Vicki Hennessy, who is retiring.
His only rival, sheriff’s Lt. Ron Terry, withdrew from the race in August, calling Miyamoto “definitely equipped” to run the department.
Miyamoto, the chief deputy in charge of the department’s largest division, has served on the command staff of three sheriffs during his more than 20 years with the department. He ran unsuccessfully against the previous sheriff, Ross Mirkarimi, in 2011.
“I am grateful and pleased that San Francisco residents voted overwhelmingly to elect Paul Miyamoto as the 36th sheriff of our city,” Hennessy said in a statement. “Sheriff-elect Miyamoto has enjoyed a distinguished career in our department, leading every division and holding every rank up to assistant sheriff. He brings a broad range of experience and skill to the sheriff’s office.
“As a native San Franciscan and father of five, Sheriff-elect Miyamoto has deep roots in our community and is passionate about San Francisco and the Sheriff’s Department. He is and will continue to be an exceptional leader.
“In another historic first, Sheriff-elect Miyamoto will become the first Asian American to hold the position of San Francisco sheriff when he is sworn in on Jan. 8, 2020.
“In the coming months, I will work with Paul for a seamless transition. Please join us in supporting and extending our best wishes to Sheriff-elect Paul Miyamoto.”
The San Francisco Chronicle said in an Oct. 8 editorial, “The candidate has signaled that he will largely continue the policies Hennessy has put in place since taking over following the tumultuous tenure of Ross Mirkarimi …
“He favors rehabilitating department facilities in San Bruno to replace the run-down jail on the San Francisco Hall of Justice’s seventh floor, continuing the department’s broad refusal to collaborate with federal immigration officials, and having complaints against deputies independently investigated by the city’s Department of Police Accountability.”
San Francisco is both a city and a county, and has both a police department and a sheriff’s department. Each agency has different responsibilities, with the SFPD handling patrol work and the Sheriff’s Department running the jails, providing court security, and enforcing civil judgments.