The results, finalized Thursday after a tense count that began on Election Day, mean that for the first time in more than a decade, no candidate endorsed by the United Educators of San Francisco (UESF) will win a seat on the seven-member board. The union's slate — Virginia Cheung, Ryan Hazelton and Reina Tello — trailed the three front-runners in that order.

All three winners were endorsed by GrowSF, a moderate political group that has become a major force in recent city elections, and by the San Francisco Democratic Party. Kim, the incumbent board president, had his reelection called shortly after polls closed Tuesday night. Tung, a public finance analyst, and Brown Garibay, a district parent, secured the remaining two seats on Thursday, each with roughly 15.5% of the vote as counting continued Friday.

The outcome marks a sharp break from the union's long-standing dominance over school board races. Since 2016, only two UESF-endorsed candidates had lost their bids — one in 2018 and one in 2024.

Kim prevailed despite discontent from some of his own supporters over his vote for Superintendent Maria Su's plan to replace the district's elementary school lottery with a neighborhood-based assignment system. Parents had overwhelmingly pushed for an enrollment model giving families more choice among district-wide schools, but Kim joined the board majority in passing Su's alternative, which places students in a neighborhood school while allowing applications to a small number of campuses with special city-wide programs.

In a statement Tuesday night, Kim said he was focused on the "next chapter" for the district, acknowledging its struggles with declining enrollment and limited resources. "That means making difficult decisions about school consolidation and ensuring our schools are fully enrolled, adequately funded and positioned to thrive," he said.

Tung, speaking shortly after polls closed, said he was "feeling really good" about the campaign. "Throughout this entire journey on the campaign trail, the people I've talked to have really appreciated my views, and it's been really enlightening being able to understand from the community what's important to them," he said. "I'm looking forward to hopefully being elected and then also being able to move the district forward in a responsible way."

Brown Garibay, reacting to the latest vote returns on Friday, said she felt "grateful and really excited that San Francisco showed that they are putting their trust in me."

SF Parent Action, the political arm of the nonprofit SF Parents, endorsed two of the three winners: Kim and Brown Garibay. "It's clear voters are paying attention to the progress the district has made, and what San Francisco wants to continue to see from its schools: a focus on student learning, raising the bar, closing the gap," said Rebecca Kee, the group's executive director.

Incumbent Alida Fisher and small business owner Laurance Lee rounded out the bottom of the eight-candidate field. Kee said Fisher, who was also endorsed by SF Parent Action, was seen by more informed voters as "part of that focus" on academic progress but lacked the institutional support the other candidates amassed.

The newly configured board will be tasked with a series of tough and consequential decisions related to the district's enrollment system and school portfolio during its term, including potential school consolidations as SFUSD grapples with shrinking enrollment and budget pressures.

The election result deals a significant blow to the union's political influence at a time when the district faces hard choices about its future. For a city that has long leaned on organized labor as a pillar of its progressive coalition, the sweep raises questions about whether voters are prioritizing different approaches to school governance — and whether the union can rebuild its electoral strategy ahead of the next cycle.