Angela Alioto on the 25th anniversary of the smoking ban

Years of fighting Big Tobacco led to a law that swept the nation — and the world

When you ask politicians if they’re running for office, you expect coy deflection or a flat-out no, even if that no really means yes, but that’s not how Angela Alioto rolls. “Am I running for mayor? I’m always running for mayor,” she says with a glint in her eye. “Any politician who says they’re not running for something is a liar.” Sitting behind a desk in her office in a building that bares her family name, Alioto is blunt, down-to-earth, and charismatic. Born into one of the most prominent political families in San Francisco, Alioto is an attorney who served eight years on the Board of Supervisors, including a stint as president. Her father, Joseph Alioto, was the 36th mayor of San Francisco. She’s the proud mother of four children and, because of them, a former smoker... Read More