Lori Saldaña, former state legislator and Bird Rock ex-resident, is reportedly poised to enter the race for mayor of San Diego as an independent candidate.
Voice of San Diego reported Jan. 25 that Saldana will join the race Jan. 28 as an independent. Republican mayor Kevin Faulconer has been all but unopposed in his re-election bid since Gretchen Newsom, political director of the local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union, ended her campaign in early December after seven weeks for personal reasons.
The election will be held Nov. 8.
Saldaña, 57, left the Democratic party in 2014 following disputes with local leaders and a growing dislike for party politics, according to Voce of San Diego.
She reportedly said the city deserves a conversation about its future, which won’t happen unless someone from the political left joins the race. Meanwhile, the San Diego native and Clairemont resident told the website she looks at affordable housing, crumbling infrastructure and income inequality as key issues in her campaign. She also said she would oppose any taxpayer subsidies for a new Chargers stadium.
Saldana, a graduate of Madison High School and San Diego State University, served in the state Assembly beginning in 2004 and was termed out in 2010. She represented the 76th District, which includes North County from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton to Encinitas.
She lost to Scott Peters in the 2012 Democratic primary for the 52nd Congressional District, which includes La Jolla.