Angela Alioto’s progressive beliefs, value of tradition, and love for the City emerged from her family’s historic San Francisco roots. Since their arrival in the late 1800’s, the Alioto family has been a major force shaping San Francisco life.
Angela has championed the people of San Francisco throughout her life. Whether working as a civil rights attorney or as a San Francisco Board Supervisor, Angela has always fought for the people of San Francisco. Her record is one of taking on the tough issues, and fighting the tough fights, and winning!
Since 1997, Angela has been a successful civil rights and anti-discrimination attorney. She won landmark discrimination cases against corporations such as Mary Kay Cosmetics and Interstate Brands Corporation (Wonder Bread) by standing up for African Americans and the disabled who were the victims of discrimination. And in November 2000, Angela appeared before the United States Supreme Court in a case regarding employment discrimination.
Angela has also worked effectively as a San Francisco Board Supervisor. She was first elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1988 and reelected in 1992 – serving as board President from 1993 to 1995. As a San Francisco Supervisor, Angela, won important battles for diverse causes ranging from healthcare and government accountability to improving the local economy.
Angela’s extensive legislative record demonstrates her commitment to fight for the people of San Francisco. She fought tobacco companies by helping to pass the strongest anti-smoking ordinance in the country. Angela also opposed deep cuts in health services during the last budget crisis, and created the San Francisco Mental Health Board. She also wrote the nation’s first needle exchange legislation, which reduced the transmission of HIV and ultimately saved lives.
She also created the San Francisco Film Commission which increased revenue to the City and the world-wide recognition of San Francisco increasing San Francisco's visibility to the world, causing it to be a top tourist destination. Angela took the lead in creating one of the first task forces to keep the Giants in San Francisco and formed the City's Youth Commission, which gave youth a voice in city government.
Angela advocated government accountability by being one of the first supervisors to support the “Sunshine Ordinance” which made city government more accountable to the public.
Angela was a co-sponsor of San Francisco's landmark "Equal Benefits Ordinance" that require any business that contracted with the city to provide domestic partner benefits to their employees.
Angela’s passion for families comes from a deep devotion to her own. The Alioto family first arrived in San Francisco from Sicily in the late 1800’s. Angela's grandfather, his nine brothers, and one sister helped establish the industry at Fisherman's Wharf. Angela and her five brothers were born and raised in San Francisco by their parents, former San Francisco Mayor Joseph L. Alioto and Angelina Genaro Alioto.
Angela married Adolfo Veronese on December 8, 1968. Adolfo passed away in 1990; and Angela raised their four children on her own. At the age of 29, while all four of her children were in school, Angela enrolled in The University of San Francisco Law School. She entered law school at a time when many people told her a mother of four belonged at home. As a result of her perseverance and determination, Angela was awarded her Jurist Doctorate in 1983.
Now, Angela is returning to San Francisco politics to help get the City back on track. Angela’s combination of an outsider’s perspective and a reformer’s heart can clean up the mismanagement in City Hall, get the City back to fiscal discipline, create jobs, improve healthcare, and solve the City’s homeless problem.
In 1998, Angela authored a book about her personal experiences in San Francisco politics. The book is entitled "Straight to the Heart", and it covers eight years of San Francisco politics appropriately based on Dante's inferno. The book incorporated several of Angela’s passions: public service, love for the City, the writings of Italian poet Dante, and her own Italian heritage.
For more information, please contact Campaign Headquarters (415) 434-2100 or send an email message to HQ@Angela4Mayor.com.
