Rafael, Age 9
Bicycle enthusiast.
Holocaust survivors, Rafael's grandmother and father immigrated to the United States in 1952.

Holocaust survivors, Rafael's grandmother and father immigrated to the United States in 1952.


Rafael and his grandmother at his graduation from Lick-Wilmerding High School in 1992.

Rafael and his grandmother at his 1992 graduation from Lick-Wilmerding High School.


Rafael took an early interest in government and politics. As a teenager he interned at the Board of Supervisors when progressive Supervisor Harry Britt served as Chair of the Board.

Rafael took an early interest in government and interned at the Board of Supervisors when Harry Britt served as President.


Rafael in silver suit

San Francisco roots
Rafael Mandelman knows what it’s like to grow up in San Francisco. He arrived twenty-five years ago, an 11 year-old kid in need of a new start. He found his home here and with the support of his grandmother, good friends, great teachers, and generous financial aid, graduated from Brandeis-Hillel Day School and then Lick Wilmerding High School.

Rafael was a City kid, relying on Muni to get around, doing homework at the neighborhood library, and hanging out with his friends at Stonestown Mall and Ocean Beach. He competed in cross-country in Golden Gate Park, and like thousands of other kids, saw doctors at UCSF and SF General. He took an early interest in politics and, as a teenager, learned first-hand the possibility and challenges of local government while interning for the Board of Supervisors.

The skills to make a difference
Rafael attended Yale where he studied the history and evolution of democratic government. He has a law degree from UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law, and a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

As an affordable housing and land-use attorney representing cities, Rafael helps Bay Area communities to serve the public interest and protect the needs of local residents through smart development. He understands how decisions made at City Hall can impact our neighborhoods. He has put his skills to use as a commissioner on the City’s Building Inspection Commission and on the Board of Appeals, where he works to ensure laws are applied fairly and that neighborhood concerns receive adequate attention.

A progressive leader
Rafael has served as President of the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club and the Noe Valley Democratic Club, and has twice been elected to the San Francisco Democratic Party, where he currently serves as Vice-Chair.

In each of these roles, Rafael has worked to build coalitions between grassroots activists, affordable housing advocates, environmentalists, working people and all others who believe the purpose of politics is to build a better world.


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