Video of Yee after Filing for Mayoral Exploratory Committee

Last week, California State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) announced the formation of an exploratory committee as part of his bid to run for Mayor of San Francisco in 2011.

A video of Yee filmed just after said filing has the Senator stating that the move will allow him to “begin the conversation with the people of San Francisco as to how to move the city forward.”

Yee, or course, authored the original California law that has made it all the way to the Supreme Court as Schwarzenegger vs. EMA. Surrounded by family, Yee played up his community roots in the video and said that he was “absolutely passionate and eager” to discuss dealing with the important issues facing San Francisco.

As noted previously, current San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (D) was just elected Lieutenant Governor of California and plans, according to ABC, to vacate his post in January of next year. A new Mayor will be appointed by the city’s Board of Supervisors, who are itching to speed up the process and could appoint a lame-duck, one-year replacement as early as this week.

Newsom called the Board’s eagerness “meaningless" and an an attempt at "politicizing" the process.