Assembly candidate Campos draws criticism for saying his campaign like Ukraine is ‘fighting against the odds’

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Assembly candidate David Campos on Saturday compared his campaign against San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney to Ukraine fighting Russia, and then amid immediate Twitter criticism protested that he would never trivialize the bloody conflict in Europe.

A 14-second clip, initially posted on Twitter by the Marina Times, shows Campos, a former San Francisco supervisor, saying of his campaign against Haney, “There is some, you know, connection to Ukraine because we are fighting and running like Ukrainians . We are fighting against the odds, right, in the primary.”

Campos made the remarks at a volunteer mobilization event Saturday morning at the Bernal Heights Recreation Center, according to Daniel Anderson, campaign manager for Campos.

David Campos comparing his fight to beat @MattHaneySF for an assembly seat in Sacramento to the Ukrainians. So sad to see this comparison of an existing disaster.

Source: Anonymous pic.twitter.com/ZznkgegFYB

— ℝaul ∈ Pay it 4ward & Vibe ❤ (@RaulingAverage) March 19, 2022

The video drew swift condemnation on Twitter.

“So sad to see this comparison of an existing disaster,” one Twitter user wrote.

“Shameless,” Lee Edwards tweeted. “But on the plus side, this makes it so much easier to hold your nose and vote for Matt Haney.”

In a Twitter thread, Campos then sought to explain his comments. He wrote that would “never trivialize the suffering taking place in Ukraine.”

Let me get this straight. My opponent’s supporters are attacking us because I expressed admiration for people fighting for democracy against a regime backed by oligarchs? I would never trivialize the suffering taking place in Ukraine.

— David Campos (@DavidCamposSF) March 20, 2022

“My family and I fled a civil war in Guatemala, twice,” he wrote. “But I know that all struggles against oligarchs, against democracy, and against injustice are united.

“I am proud to stand up for all the underdogs in San Francisco and California and if people want to criticize that – it says more about them than it does about me and our campaign,” he added.

Haney then chimed in on Instagram, calling his opponent’s comments as “offensive.”

“(Campos) was not attacked for “expressing admiration for Ukraine,”’ Haney wrote, but rather for making a “direct parallel between his campaign and people who are fighting for their lives and country and dying in Ukraine. And yes, that was trivializing it, there is obviously no comparison.”

Campos and Haney are seeking election to the Assembly District 17 seat being vacated by David Chiu, with an April 19 runoff set.

Campos said that Haney’s supporters were “attacking” his campaign “because I expressed admiration for people fighting for democracy.”

Supervisor Hillary Ronen chimed in on Twitter and defended Campos:

“(Campos) was simply saying he’s the underdog in a fight & like Ukrainians knows the feeling of fleeing a war,” Ronen wrote in a response to a Twitter critic.

“He did carry his sister on his back across the border to safety. No need to stoop so low,” she added.

Jessica Flores (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @jesssmflores

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