After reinstating Kevin Ortiz, SF’s Latinx Democratic Club exits the SF Democratic Party

The SF Latinx Democratic Club just quit the local Democratic Party after its leader, Kevin Ortiz, was accused of sexual assault.

The facts

The San Francisco Latinx Democratic Club announced this week that it's cutting ties with the local Democratic Party. The club's leader, Kevin Ortiz, faces allegations of sexual assault.

The context

The announcement comes just months after the club reinstated Kevin Ortiz as its co-president, despite multiple allegations of sexual assault against him, and after the Party initiated a Special Committee on Sexual Assault and Harrasment. This led to the Party adopting new rules to address sexual misconduct, including hiring an ombudsperson and requiring chartered clubs to undergo training.

Ortiz had resigned in July 2024 after two women --- including Zahra Hajee, a former aide to Senator Scott Wiener --- publicly accused him of sexual misconduct. The club promised to investigate.

In January 2025, it announced he'd been cleared, but the process excluded Hajee's testimony, and the second accuser said she was never even contacted. The club has refused to name who conducted the investigation or release any findings. Now, Ortiz is leading the club's withdrawal from the Democratic Party.

This isn't an isolated case. Jon Jacobo, a former activist in the Mission, member of the Latino Task Force, and part of SF political powerhouse TODCO, also faces rape charges. Jacobo is now headed to trial on multiple felony sexual assault charges.

The GrowSF take

It doesn't matter what values you claim to represent. Leadership requires accountability.

Kevin Ortiz was accused of serious misconduct and now the club he leads has withdrawn from the local Democratic Party; a move that looks less like a stand for community and more like an attempt to avoid scrutiny.