The Rise and Fall of Beya Alcaraz: Inside the 7-Day Term of SF’s Newest Supervisor

In San Francisco politics, that’s how long the historic term of Isabella “Beya” Alcaraz lasted. Appointed by Mayor Daniel Lurie amid high hopes and historic significance, her tenure collapsed in a stunning public firestorm before she ever attended her first board meeting.

This isn’t just another political resignation; it’s a story of a political novice, a high-stakes appointment intended to heal a neighbourhood scarred by the Joel Engardio recall, and a controversial past that unravelled it all in record time. The Beya Alcaraz resignation is a political implosion that reveals more about the brutal nature of San Francisco politics than it does about the appointee herself.

This article details the full story: from her groundbreaking Beya Alcaraz appointment as the first Filipina-American supervisor to the explosive Beya Alcaraz controversy that forced her resignation just seven days later.

Who is Beya Alcaraz? The “Political Novice” Tapped by Mayor Lurie

When Mayor Daniel Lurie announced the Beya Alcaraz appointment on November 6, it was framed as a breath of fresh air. District 4, which covers the city’s Sunset neighborhood, was still reeling from a divisive and bitter recall election that ousted its previous supervisor, Joel Engardio. The political atmosphere was toxic, and Lurie, himself new to the mayor’s office, needed a pick who could heal, unite, and, most importantly, lower the temperature.

Enter Isabella “Beya” Alcaraz.

At 29, she seemed to be the antithesis of a career politician. A lifelong Sunset resident, an art and music teacher, and a former small business owner, Alcaraz represented a new generation of Beya Alcaraz San Francisco leadership—one seemingly detached from the city’s entrenched and often dysfunctional political machine.

Her appointment was immediately celebrated as a historic milestone. Beya Alcaraz was set to become the first Filipina-American supervisor to ever serve on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. In a city with a deep, vibrant, and long-standing Filipino community, this was a significant moment, and community leaders rallied in support.

For Lurie, the strategic logic seemed sound. He wasn’t just filling a seat; he was making a statement. He was signaling his administration’s commitment to community-first governance, to elevating new voices, and to moving past the ideological warfare that has come to define City Hall.

That optimism, and the historic tenure of the District 4 Supervisor, would prove tragically short-lived.

The “Pet Store” Controversy That Sparked the Resignation

The celebrations barely lasted the weekend. The Beya Alcaraz controversy didn’t begin with a policy misstep or a political gaffe. It began with a whisper campaign that rapidly crescendoed into a full-blown media inferno, resurrected from her past as a small business owner.

Before her life as a teacher, Alcaraz had owned and operated a local pet store in the Sunset, The Animal Connection. What may have seemed like a benign and relatable line on a resume—a community-facing entrepreneur—quickly became the anchor that would sink her political career.

Local news outlets and social media began to surface damaging reports, allegedly from former employees and, most critically, the store’s new owner. The allegations were not just of a struggling business; they were specific, visceral, and politically lethal.

Reports painted a grim picture of “poor management”, “financial irregularities”, and a business left in a state of chaos. But the detail that dominated the headlines, the quote that proved impossible to spin or ignore, came from the person who took over the lease. They allegedly told reporters the Beya Alcaraz pet store “smelt like death” upon their first entry, a quote that, whether fairly contextualised or not, created an indelible and horrifying image.

The story exploded.

In the high-stakes, hyper-online world of San Francisco politics, the narrative was set within hours. Lurie’s “fresh face” had a past, and it was messy. The Beya Alcaraz controversy became the only story in town. The focus shifted overnight from her historic appointment to her basic fitness to manage a district budget, let alone a government office. The brutal speed of the unraveling was a spectacle even by San Francisco standards.

The Beya Alcaraz Resignation: A 7-Day Term Ends

The political pressure was immediate and incalculable. By Wednesday, November 13—just seven days after her appointment—the Beya Alcaraz resignation was confirmed. Her tenure as District 4 Supervisor was over.

Mayor Daniel Lurie, who had championed her as a “bridge-builder” just days before, released a terse and visibly frustrated statement. He said that after speaking with Alcaraz, they both agreed the “issues that have arisen” would “become a distraction” from the critical work the city needed to do.

“Beya is a dedicated member of her community,” Lurie’s statement read, “but we both agree that these distractions would prevent her from the important work of representing the residents of District 4. We wish her the best.”

Alcaraz’s own statement echoed the sentiment. She expressed deep regret, thanked the mayor for the historic opportunity, and stated she was stepping aside so the district could have a representative focused on the future, not her past.

The Beya Alcaraz San Francisco political chapter was closed. But the political fallout was just beginning. The decision left District 4 in political limbo once again—leaderless and facing yet another appointment process. For Mayor Daniel Lurie, it represented his administration’s first major crisis, a self-inflicted wound that raised immediate and sharp questions about his office’s vetting process.

What Beya Alcaraz’s Story Says About San Francisco Politics

Appointment. Controversy. Resignation. The entire political arc of Isabella “Beya” Alcaraz lasted one week. It’s a timeline that speaks volumes about the brutal velocity and unforgiving nature of modern San Francisco politics.

Was this a colossal failure of vetting by the Mayor’s office? Absolutely. How could allegations tied to The Animal Connection and the Beya Alcaraz pet store—details seemingly discoverable—not have been fully examined before an announcement of this magnitude?

Or is this a sign of how toxic the city’s political arena has become? An environment where any past flaw, no matter how unrelated to policy, is grounds for immediate disqualification? Where political opponents and a ravenous media cycle will seize on any vulnerability, however personal, to destroy a newcomer before they even begin?

The answer is likely all of the above.

The saga of Beya Alcaraz is a cautionary tale for political aspirants and the administrations that appoint them. In a city that demands perfection from its leaders but is itself rife with dysfunction, the story of Beya Alcaraz is a political tragedy in miniature. It’s the story of a historic “first” that ended in a historic “fastest” and a political system that seems to prefer burning its own down to building anyone up.

The saga of Beya Alcaraz is over. But the reverberations—for a new mayor’s credibility, for the leaderless residents of District 4, and for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors—are just beginning.