Dennis Herrera, Who Led Fight For Same-Sex Marriage as SF City Attorney, to Retire From Public Service
Dennis Herrera, a longtime fixture in San Francisco city government who rose through multiple roles over three decades, announced he's retiring in December, as the Chronicle reports.
Herrera is best known for his nearly 20 years as city attorney, during which he helped lead San Francisco’s legal defense of marriage equality after then-Mayor Gavin Newsom began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2004. Herrera’s office defended the city through years of litigation that ultimately led to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
Over his time as the city’s top lawyer, Herrera also repeatedly challenged policies from the first Trump administration, including efforts to restrict funding for sanctuary cities and rules affecting immigration and access to public services, as SFist reported in 2017.
According to the Chronicle, Herrera's office became a training ground for several figures who later rose to national prominence, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Senator Scott Wiener, and US District Judge Vince Chhabria.
https://sfist.com/2026/06/23/dennis-herrera-who-led-fight-for-same-sex-marriage-as-sf-city-attorney-to-retire-from-public-service/