Themes of her work covered issues such as:[2]environmental justice, clean energy and equitable distribution of public resources. Maxwell supported housing development at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, believing that it would bring 10,000 jobs to the area. Environmental activists have called for the preservation of the neighboring Yosemite Slough wetlands.[5]
During her tenure, there were three failed recall campaigns against Maxwell by her constituents.[5] In the second attempt in 2004, half of the 6000 signatures were deemed invalid and the petition was later thrown out.[6] The 2010 recall campaign was partially motivated by Maxwell's vote against advising the United States Navy from re-establishing the Restoration Advisory Board, founded in 1994 to inform the neighboring communities around the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard cleanup. Maxwell has stated that she offered the Navy the choice of either reinstating the board or finding new ways to engage the community, however her critics found that to be weak stance.[7][5]
Her termed finished in January 2011[8] and was succeeded by Malia Cohen.