Runoff determined, Fletcher to exit politics

David Schwab | Noticias del Centro

Councilmembers Kevin Faulconer and David Alvarez will square off against each other in a runoff election for San Diego mayor on a yet to-be-determined date early next year.

Faulconer, a Republican, led a field of 12 candidates in the Nov. 19 special election with 42.73 percent, 98,360 votes, according to figures released by the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.

Democrat Alvarez finished 5,193 votes ahead of former assemblymember Nathan Fletcher in the race for second. Alvarez received 60,993 votes, 26.50 percent of the vote, to Fletcher’s 55,800 votes, 24.24 percent.

The only other candidate to receive at least one percent of the vote was former City Attorney Michael Aguirre, who finished fourth with 4.47 percent, 10,283 votes.

Faulconer’s mostly coastal District 2 includes Bay Ho/Bay Park/Morena, Midway/North Bay, Mission, Ocean and Pacific beaches and Point Loma.

Alvarez currently represents District 8, which includes the mid-city communities of Barrio Logan, Eggar Highlands, Grant Hill, Logan Heights, Memorial, Nestor, Ocean View Hills, Sherman Heights and Stockton, as well as Otay Mesa West & East, San Ysidro and the Tijuana River Valley.

Alvarez campaigned on strengthening San Diego’s neighborhoods and had the backing of the county Democratic Party and San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, an umbrella group for the region’s unions. Fletcher gained the support of individual unions and numerous state elected officials.

Fletcher was the first major candidate to announce he would run to replace disgraced ex-mayor Bob Filner, who resigned at the end of August following numerous allegations of sexual harassment.

Having grown up in Barrio Logan, Alvarez began his career as a social services worker and after-school teacher. Before his election to City Council, he represented State Sen. Denise Moreno Ducheny as a community liaison to the neighborhoods he grew up in.

Coming from single-digit support when the Nov. 19 special election for mayor kicked off and ending up with more than 25 percent of the vote, Alvarez credited loyal community support as the fundamental reason for the shift.

“I gained traction every day with a positive, grassroots campaign that focused on describing my vision for a San Diego for everyone and every neighborhood,” said Alvarez in a prepared statement after the election.

“We started this campaign as an underdog, but we stuck to our values and talked about the issues that our neighbors, co-workers, friends and family care about – getting to the finish line with an amazing amount of momentum,” he said.

At a press conference the morning after his close defeat to Alvarez for runner-up, Fletcher said, “I leave today with my head held high, feeling really good about the campaign that we ran, about the ideas that we advanced, about the way we conducted ourselves.”

Fletcher—who also ran an unsuccessful mayoral bid in 2012, falling third to Filner and republican Carl DeMaio in the primary—surprised many by claiming the Nov. 19 political race was his last.

“Today, I leave the pursuit of elected office,” he said. “It’s time to move on to other things. My boys are at an age when they need their dad around. There’s a lot of other things out there in life. I never had to hold an elected office to be fulfilled in life.”

Fletcher then said his support was now behind Alvarez.

“I believe he’ll be a great mayor,” he said, adding, “but whoever the mayor is, I remain someone who cares about our City and wants our next mayor to be successful.”

He wrapped up his press conference noting that although political campaigns are “always tough,” his team worked hard. “We came really close,” he said.

“I want to thank Nathan for his support,” Alvarez said, reacting to Fletcher’s endorsement. “He has been, and continues to be, someone who has put community service above himself. We share a vision for the future of San Diego where we invest in our neighborhoods, protect our environment and strengthen the middle class. I look forward to broadening the coalition of San Diegans who share that vision, too.”

Top vote-getter Faulconer is currently serving his second and final four-year term as a councilmember. He was elected to his current district in January 2006, also through a special election. Prior to seeking office, Faulconer worked in public affairs for more than a decade and was vice president of a leading firm where he managed complex projects within strict budget guidelines. He graduated in 1990 from San Diego State University.

In his victory speech, Faulconer thanked his three biggest opponents, Nathan Fletcher, Mike Aguirre and David Alvarez, for “sacrificing their time to make San Diego better.”

He said he began his campaign with a simple promise: “Together, we will restore trust and integrity to City Hall.”

“We can achieve great things when we stop focusing on what divides us and start focusing on what brings us together,” Faulconer added, focusing on his vision for the city.

“I see a San Diego with beautiful parks and quality education for our children,” he said. “I see a San Diego with smooth roads and great neighborhoods so everyone, no matter where you live, feels safe. I see a San Diego where even the less fortunate among us have the opportunity for a good-paying job to put their children through school, buy a home and live the American Dream. I see a San Diego where our communities are finally put first.”

The actual date for the mayoral runoff election between Faulconer and Alvarez—most likely to be held in February of 2014—has not yet been set. Interim Mayor Todd Gloria will oversee the election and then return to his position as Council President and leader of District Three once the results are finalized.

Dave Schwab came to San Diego 30 years ago with a journalism degree from Michigan State University and has worked and freelanced for numerous dailies, weeklies and other regional publications. He can be reached at [email protected]