By Miriam Raftery

January 26, 2016 (San Diego)—Former Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña announced on her Facebook page that she has filed papers to challenge San Diego’s Republican Mayor Kevin Faulconer. A long-time progressive, environmental leader and former Assembly Speaker Pro Tem, Saldaña was a Democrat for years but will be running as an independent.

Saldaña has said that her main issue will be inequality in income and city services, including lack of high-speed internet in low-income communities, crumbling city infrastructure, and lack of affordable housing, Voice of San Diego reported.

“I’m running to give voters of San Diego a choice,” Saldaña said, adding that she will be “there for people who otherwise feel disenfranchised by the process…I want to encourage more people to turn out to vote and I want to have a very spirited debate on the future of this city.”

By Miriam Raftery

San Diegans head to the polls on Tuesday to elect the city’s next mayor.   Councilmembers David Alvarez and Kevin Faulconer are vying for the spot.  The race is a classic matchup pitting interests of working people vs. big business.  Urban poor and minorities vs. wealthy powerbrokers   Boosting budgets to help those in need vs. belt tightening and fiscal restraint.

As the election draws near, some high-profile endorsements have been announced.  Today, President Barack Obama weighed in on San Diego’s mayoral race, throwing his support behind Alvarez.

By Claudia Millerbragg

I am asking you to put human life before money. If you continue with your plans to drain Lake Morena it puts the residents of rural East County at a higher fire risk.

If a fire sweeps through here and property and lives are lost because of the low water levels at Lake Morena are you prepared to live with the fact that your decision to drain the lake contributed towards the destruction?

Faulconer, Alvarez surprisingly similar on issues; Aguirre drops bombs

By Mark Gabrish Conlan • for East County Magazine, www.eastcountymagazine.org

November 13, 2013 (San Diego)--Three of the four so-called “major” candidates for mayor of San Diego in the November 19 special election — Republican Kevin Faulconer and Democrats David Alvarez and Mike Aguirre — debated November 11 at California Western School of Law in an event co-sponsored by the school and KNSJ 89.1 FM Descanso, San Diego County’s new community radio station. The fourth “major” candidate, Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat Nathan Fletcher, did not appear.

Surprisingly, given how most of the local media outlets have scripted their coverage of the race — Faulconer the center-Right Republican, Alvarez the progressive Democrat and Fletcher the man in the middle — Faulconer and Alvarez, colleagues on the current San Diego City Council, agreed on as many issues as they disagreed. It was Aguirre, running a distant fourth in most polls, who challenged the other two candidates and confronted many issues that both Faulconer and Alvarez did their best to duck.

By Miriam Raftery

September 19, 2013 (San Diego) – After filing papers to run for Mayor,  former Democratic Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña yesterday announced she will not run and instead has endorsed Councilman David Alvarez. 

“David has a strong record of supporting neighborhoods and protecting the environment,” said Saldaña, who believes he is the best choice because of his “commitment to standing up for our communities.” Alvarez represents South San Diego and the Barrio Logan area.  Alvarez has also been endorsed by the Sa n Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council. 

Today, former Councilmember Donna Frye also endorsed Alvarez, stating, "David understands that people deserve to be treated with courtesy and respect and be provided an opportunity to have their issues heard in public, before (not after) decisions are made."

The first mayoral debate among prominent candidates is set for 3:15 Friday at the Westin Gaslamp Quarter Hotel, sponsored by the Asian Business Association.  Democrat Nathan Fletcher, a former Republican, declined to participate. However Democrats Alvarez and Mike Aguirre, the former city attorney, will participate along with Republican Councilman Kevin Faulconer.

By Nadin Abbott

September 5, 2013 (San Diego)—The special election set for November 19 to replace Bob Filner, who resigned August 30, is starting to shape up.  To date, 21 people have thrown their hat in the ring. But thus far, only three candidates  have strong name recognition.

The first, and no surprise to any observer of San Diego politics, is former Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher who previously ran for Mayor against Filner. The second is Second District Councilmember Kevin Faulconer. The third is former City Attorney Mike Aguirre, recently recently has represented consumer groups fighting utility companies and big businesses.

“We have an opportunity in San Diego to create a truly great international city; a city that respects and empowers its people; a city that protects and enhances their quality of life, and a city that promotes good-paying jobs and a healthy economy for all residents.” – Mayor Bob Filner

By Miriam Raftery

January 17, 2013 (San Diego)—In his State of the City address this week, newly elected Mayor Bob Filner  discussed financial challenges as well as his vision for the future. He likened the city to a “patient who has overcome a serious illness,” citing a past cover-up of financial problems.

“The budget surplus predicted by my predecessor last year could actually be a deficit as much as $40 million,” Filner said, noting that state funding issues and court cases remain to be resolved.   “But if we learned anything from the mistakes of the past, it’s that it is better to be truthful about these problems than to cover them up,” he said.  Despite challenges ahead, the Mayor laid out ambitious plans for revitalizing the region's economy, making San Diego the nation's solar capital, expanding redevelopment to neighborhoods city-wide, and improving communication systems for regional emergencies such as wildfires.

By Nadin Abbott

September 6, 2012 (San Diego)-- Mayoral candidates Carl DeMaio and Congressman Bob Filner met at the Photographic Museum in Balboa Park in a lively debate hosted by Innovation Alliance, moderated by Erik Anderson of KPBS this week.

The candidates sparred over innovation, the arts and education issues, offering clear choices for voters.

Independent survey of likely November voters shows Filner leads by 8 points

August 6, 2012 (San Diego)--A poll of San Diego voters shows Bob Filner with a significant 8-point lead in the race for San Diego Mayor.

 In a survey of 400 likely November voters in the City of San Diego, 40 percent of respondents said they support or lean toward Filner in the Mayor’s race. Thirty-two percent of respondents said they support San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio and 29 percent were undecided.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Nadin Abbott, Tom Abbott and Miriam Raftery

June 6, 2012 (San Diego) – Two feisty and fiercely competitive politicians, polar opposites in the partisan divide, will square off in the San Diego Mayoral run-off race in November. 

Carl Demaio, a conservative Republican and former councilmember, in his victory speech at the U.S. Grant Hotel , said that “Citizens have shifted the city into drive and put their foot on the gas.”  He pledged to “finish the job of fiscal reform”  by implementing Propositions A and B, as well as fixing “roads that are falling apart.”

Congressman Bob Filner, a liberal Democrat and former Deputy Mayor of San Diego, faulted DeMaio for focusing on “a pothole somewhere” while lacking a positive message for voters.  “I want to talk about a vision of the future of what can be a really great city,” Filner told media at Election Central. 

• Ramona wines beat French varieties in competition (UT San Diego)
• La Mesa Council deadlocked on PBID approval, will make decision in July (La Mesa Patch)   
• $1 billion hospital opens (Valley Roadrunner)
• DEA “accidentally” left forgotten suspect in holding cell for 5 days (UT San Diego)
• 6 La Mesa officers exonerated in fatal shooting of Andrew Yacko (La Mesa Patch)
• Lloyd Jr pleads guilty to manslaughter in Santee teen Carioscias’ death (Santee Patch)
• Lemon Grove School District cuts 30 jobs (UT San Diego)

• Voice of San Diego series:  Who is….

Bob Filner
Nathan Fletcher
Bonnie Dumanis
Carl DeMaio

• Other mayoral coverage:
• Filner releases pension plan (UT San Diego)
• Fletcher pledges to make cycling, transit a priority (Reader) 
• Fletcher-GOP feud still going strong: party sues candidate over $5,000 fundraiser (UT San Diego) 
• The Fletcher Flim-Flam (OB Rag) 
• The unfortunate trajectory of Carl DeMaio (Citybeat)
  

STATE

• San Diego takes water fight public (New York Times)
• UCAN reaches settlement to allow group to go on (UT San Diego)
• California rakes in healthcare grants (Saramento Bee)
• Environmentalists feeling burned by rush to build big solar projects (Los Angeles Times)
• Discovery of Indian artifacts complicates Genesis Solar project (Los Angeles Times)
• Calif. Public Utilities Commission: PG&E smart meter “opt out” fees suspended
• Diablo Canyon reactor gets some unwelcome guests  

April 20, 2012 (San Diego) –Prominent women leaders in San Diego will be speaking out to support Bob Filner’s mayoral candidacy this Saturday.

“Bob Filner is the only candidate for mayor who has spent his career fighting for women's rights,” a press release from the Filner campaign states. In Congress, Filner co-sponsored the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. He is endorsed by the National Organization for Women (NOW) San Diego chapter and has earned an “A+” from Planned Parenthood for his voting record to support women’s rights.

February 24, 2012 (San Diego) -- What if San Diego produced its own electricity with solar on rooftops and parking garage covers?  Imagine if San Diego became its own utility provider—instead of SDG&E.  

That’s exactly what Congressman and mayoral candidate Bob Filner proposed in a brainstorming session with top regional experts at part I of “Forging a Sustainable Future.”  (Part II takes place March 3-4 at San Diego State University. Filner will be among those speaking.)

The implications of his proposals are staggering.

February 1, 2012 (San Diego) – A group of citizens attempted a citizens’ arrest of Mayor Jerry Sanders on Monday, alleging that his deal to temporarily change the name of Qualcomm Stadium without Council’s approval amounted to felony embezzlement.

Click to view video of speech highlights

September 22, 2011 (San Diego) –Congressman Bob Filner laid out an ambitious plan for revitalizing San Diego in a speech Saturday at the County’s Democratic Convention. He wants to transform the port into a maritime center to employ thousands of people and replace good-paying jobs for skilled middle class workers that vanished when General Dynamics left San Diego. He aims to make San Diego the alternative energy capitol of America, bringing green jobs to our region. In addition, he seeks to create a more “livable city”, moving redevelopment out of downtown and into communities with greater needs.

Why does he believe he can succeed at leading such a major redevelopment effort? Because he already has. “I wrote the Gaslamp plan,” he says of his service on the City Council before his election to Congress.