The president of Ocean Beach Town Council wants to be San Diego’s next mayor.
Gretchen Newsom announced plans to run for mayor of San Diego in 2016 against Republican incumbent Kevin Faulconer recently at the San Diego County Democratic Convention.
Newsom, who is political director of San Diego’s branch of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union, has declared herself to be the “neighborhood” candidate in the mayoral election.
“I heard the call, and I’m stepping up to bring a new conversation to this race,” Newsom said. “I’m going to be talking about empowering our communities and investing in working families.”
“I am running for mayor because San Diego deserves a leader who will stand up for working families and our communities,” continued Newsom. “I am committed to the values that are important to us, and I have a vision for a better San Diego that will build bridges of opportunity for all. I look forward to working with you to build a better San Diego.”
Newsom said she had something of an “epiphany,” which compelled her to strive to become the next San Diego mayor.
She said: “Over the past few months I’ve been having conversations with friends, leaders and community members about who could run for mayor and stand up for our communities … we all watched with disappointment as our leaders declared their candidacy for other offices … my close friends and colleagues suggested I have strong leadership qualities and might be the person we were looking for … I decided in that moment that I could be the spark, represent our values and speak up for our communities. ”
In her campaign literature, Newsom has set forth five priorities. They are:
• Create a San Diego that is more responsive.
“Our community groups are laboratories for finding solutions to improve our neighborhoods, but they aren’t being heard by the current mayor,” she said. “To make our city government more responsive, I propose creating a meaningful role for town councils and neighborhood groups to inform city decisions and ensure that city actions provide solutions that we want and that we need.
• Create a San Diego that is more affordable.
“We need a city that is affordable for everyone,” she said. “If you work here, you should be able to live here. If you make a career here, you should be able to retire here. That is why I support the creation of more affordable housing and raising the minimum wage.”
• Create a San Diego that is more innovative.
“San Diego’s economy is driven by innovation.,” she said. “We can lead the nation as a hub of innovation if we prioritize investments in training people. To become a world-class city, I propose we prepare our young people to be successful in the 21st century and drive the innovation economy. By training our own to become the best and the brightest, we will also attract the talent and investments to expand our innovation economy.
• Create a San Diego that is more sustainable.
“San Diego is positioned to be a global leader in addressing climate change and sustainability,” she said. “Coastal San Diego is living the reality of climate change everyday and we know we can’t wait. What we do here can and should set a national example. I have been active in finding solutions and propose the city develop an infrastructure plan that protects our natural resources, provides for water independence,and prepares for extreme weather conditions from droughts to floods.
• Create a San Diego that is more empowering.
“We need to empower and uplift all communities to ensure everyone has a voice in the solutions that will transform our city,” she said. “Participation in our democracy is one way that people can have a stake in the decisions that affect their everyday lives. I propose a city government that is transparent and seeks the input of residents on all major decisions.”