James H. Coleman
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Other people|James Coleman}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = James H. Coleman
| image =
| office = Member of the
South San Francisco City Council
from District 4
| term_start = December 9, 2020
| term_end =
| predecessor = Richard Garbarino
| successor =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|June 3, 1999}}
| birth_place = South San Francisco, California, U.S.
| party = Democratic
| education = Harvard University (BA)
| image_size = 200px
| office2 = Mayor of
South San Francisco
| predecessor2 = Buenaflor Nicolas
| termstart2 = December 5th, 2023
| termend2 = December 10, 2024
| successor2 = Eddie Flores
}}
James Hsuchen Coleman ({{zh|t=柯文建|link=no}}; born June 3, 1999) is an American politician currently representing District 4 on the South San Francisco City Council.{{cite web |title=City Council|url=https://www.ssf.net/departments/city-council|website=City of South San Francisco}}{{cite news|last1=Pollack|first1=David|date=June 4, 2021|title=Leadership Reflective of Our Diverse Communities|work=San Mateo Daily Journal|url=https://www.smdailyjournal.com/opinion/guest_perspectives/leadership-reflective-of-our-diverse-communities/article_9c03ff66-c4d4-11eb-a8cf-cb3a50cae172.html|access-date=January 8, 2022}}{{cite news|last1=李|first1=晗|date=November 11, 2020|title=21歲哈佛華裔生 當選南金山議員|work=World Journal (in Chinese)|url=https://www.worldjournal.com/wj/story/121519/5006411|access-date=January 9, 2022}} Elected at the age of 21, he is one of the youngest elected officials in the United States.{{cite news|last1=Vainshtein|first1=Annie|date=November 13, 2020|title=How LGBTQ climate activist, age 21, toppled longtime South S.F. incumbent|work=San Francisco Chronicle|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/21-year-old-LGBTQ-activist-toppled-a-longtime-15723368.php|access-date=January 9, 2022}}
Early life and education
Coleman was born in South San Francisco.{{cite news|last1=Lempert|first1=Sue|date=November 16, 2020|title=Meet South City's 21-year-old councilman|work=San Mateo Daily Journal|url=https://www.smdailyjournal.com/opinion/columnists/meet-south-city-s-21-year-old-councilman/article_627cc612-27bb-11eb-9033-5b2ace486f29.html|access-date=January 9, 2022}} His mother is a Taiwanese immigrant who works as a lab technician at Kaiser Permanente. His father was a FedEx worker and died when James was 16.{{cite news|last1=Toledo|first1=Aldo|date=December 8, 2021|title=South San Francisco's Youngest Council Member Ever Elected Announces Run for Assembly|work=The Mercury News|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/12/07/south-san-franciscos-youngest-council-member-ever-elected-announces-run-for-assembly/|access-date=January 8, 2022}} Coleman graduated from South San Francisco High School in 2017, and from Harvard University in 2021.{{cite news|last1=Rumple|first1=Jennifer|date=July 13, 2017|title=ABC7 Star Scholar: South San Francisco's James Coleman|work=ABC7 KGO-TV|url=https://abc7news.com/abc7-star-scholar-james-coleman-south-san-francisco-high-school/2213910/|access-date=January 9, 2022}}
At Harvard, Coleman majored in human developmental and regenerative biology with a minor in government.{{cite web |title=James Coleman|url=https://www.ssf.net/departments/city-council/meet-the-city-council/james-coleman|website=City of South San Francisco}} He conducted undergraduate research in the Sahay Lab, a neuroscience laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital.{{cite web |title=The Team|url=https://www.sahaylab.com/the-team|website=The Sahay Lab}} Coleman was also active in Harvard's fossil fuel divestment campaign from 2018 to 2020, in which Harvard announced their intentions to divest on September 9, 2021.{{cite episode|title=Divest Harvard activist explains why they stormed the field|series=The Hill's Rising|credits=Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWmJY_kQJW8|network=The Hill|air-date=November 29, 2019}}{{cite news|last1=Pesantez|first1=Gabrielle"|last2=Meimei|first2=Xu|date=October 8, 2020|title=James Coleman's Campaign of Necessity|work=The Harvard Crimson|url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/10/8/coleman-ssf-profile/|access-date=January 9, 2022}}{{cite news|last1=Goodman|first1=Jasper|last2=Griffin|first2=Kelsey|date=September 10, 2021|title=Harvard Will Move to Divest its Endowment from Fossil Fuels|work=The Harvard Crimson|url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/9/10/divest-declares-victory/|access-date=January 9, 2022}}
Political career
Coleman was elected to the South San Francisco City Council in the middle of his senior year at college in 2020, defeating 18-year incumbent Richard Garbarino with 52.27% of the vote.{{cite news|last1=Chan|first1=Nancy|date=November 23, 2020|title=Young progressive set to shake up South City|work=San Francisco Examiner|url=https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/young-progressive-set-to-shake-up-south-city/|access-date=January 9, 2022}}{{cite web |title=November 3, 2020 Election Results|url=https://www.smcacre.org/post/november-3-2020-election-results|website=San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Chief Elections Officer}} He became the city's youngest ever and first openly LGBTQ+ council member.{{cite news|last1=Bajko|first1=Matthew|date=|title=Political Notebook: Bi councilman Coleman enters Assembly race|work=Bay Area Reporter|url=https://www.ebar.com/news/latest_news//311188|access-date=January 9, 2022}}
On the city council, Coleman has led the passage of a $5 Hazard Pay ordinance for grocery workers, and worked with Mark Nagales to establish a Universal Basic Income pilot program providing $500 per month for 12 months to 160 families.{{cite news|last1=Calvey|first1=Mark |date=September 10, 2021|title=South San Francisco is piloting a new path to economic equity |work=San Francisco Business Times|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2021/09/10/south-san-francisco-guaranteed-income-program.html|access-date=January 9, 2022}}
On December 7, 2021, Coleman announced a run for California State Assembly, to succeed incumbent Kevin Mullin. Mullin is not seeking reelection since he is running for Congress, following Jackie Speier's announcement that she would not run for reelection in 2022. On June 7, 2022, Coleman was defeated in the primary by San Mateo Mayor Diane Papan, who went on to win the general election.
In 2022, Coleman successfully led the passage of Measure AA to allow the City of South San Francisco build or acquire city-owned affordable housing, or social housing.{{Cite news |last1=Rancaño |first1=Vanessa |date=November 4, 2022 |title=In Pushing Affordable Housing Measures, Local Leaders Ask Voters to Contend With Racist Housing Law |url=https://www.kqed.org/news/11931068/in-pushing-affordable-housing-measures-local-leaders-ask-voters-to-contend-with-racist-housing-law |access-date=2023-03-03 |work=KQED |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last1=Toledo |first1=Aldo |date=February 17, 2022 |title=South San Francisco could get social housing ballot measure in November election |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/02/17/south-san-francisco-could-get-social-housing-ballot-measure-in-november-election/ |access-date=2023-03-03 |work=Mercury News |language=en-US}} On November 8, 2022, Measure AA passed with 58.85% of voters voting yes.{{cite web |title=November 8, 2022 Election Results |url=https://www.smcacre.org/elections/november-8-2022-election-results |website=San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Chief Elections Officer}}
Coleman identifies as a democratic socialist.{{Cite web |date=May 3, 2021 |title=Meet James Coleman, South San Francisco District 4's new Socialist City Council Member |url=https://sfindependentjournal.com/meet-james-coleman-south-san-francisco-district-4s-new-socialist-city-council-member/ |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=San Francisco Independent Journal |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Socialist James Coleman Thinks California Is Ready for a Leftward Shift |url=https://jacobinmag.com/2022/03/james-coleman-dsa-san-mateo-county-city-council-california-state-assembly |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=jacobinmag.com |language=en-US}}
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Coleman, James H.}}
Category:People from South San Francisco, California
Category:Harvard College alumni
Category:American gay politicians
Category:LGBTQ people from the San Francisco Bay Area
Category:American LGBTQ people of Asian descent
Category:American LGBTQ city council members
Category:California socialists