Morgan M. Hurley | Downtown Editor

** Updated as of Tuesday, Sept. 3. *****

Today, potential candidates are releasing statements regarding their intentions. We will update this as we learn more.

Todd Gloria’s statement, released Tuesday morning:

I have decided not to run for Mayor of San Diego at this time.

In the few days since I assumed the duties of mayor, it has become clear to me that the problems left by Bob Filner are substantial and serious. The enormous task of cleaning up City Hall while ensuring District Three is represented requires me to lead a focused team effort that produces quick results for San Diego.

San Diegans can count on me to lead our City with honesty and integrity. We will resolve the problems left by the previous administration. Together we will open our new Central Library, advocate for the expansion of our Convention Center, and make a $100 million investment in repairing our roads, sidewalks and other neighborhood infrastructure.

My parents taught me to leave things better than I found them. This has been the guiding principle of my public service. Now as the interim Mayor, I want to work together with City leaders and my fellow San Diegans to make sure the reputation of our City is better than I found it when I took on this role.

Thank you to the many supporters who have called and emailed, urging me to run. I am deeply appreciative of your help and guidance. There is no doubt that I will do a better job as Interim

Carl DeMaio held a press conference near the Bay on Tuesday morning:

“Today I reaffirm my commitment to be San Diego’s voice in the U.S. Congress,” DeMaio said, referring to his plan to unseat freshman Rep. Scott Peters in the 52nd Congressional District seat. 

DeMaio also reaffirmed his intention to “hold elected officials accountable,” and called himself a “new generation Republican.”

Supervisor Ron Roberts also released a statement regarding his plans to run for the vacancy created by Bob Filner’s resignation.

“After much consideration, I have decided to pursue my final term as a member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors rather than entering the race for San Diego’s mayor. I made this decision after much discussion with my family and close supporters. I will be forever grateful for their confidences.”

*** original article posted Friday, Aug. 30 ***

With Mayor Bob Filner’s resignation effective as of today, Aug. 30, at 5:00 p.m., the topic of the hour is what the future holds for the city of San Diego. What is certain, as of 5:01 p.m. Council President Todd Gloria will step in as interim mayor, with Council President Pro Tem Sherri Lightner moving up to take over Gloria’s duties overseeing the city council as acting president.

According to Gloria, who spoke in council chambers after the mayor’s resignation last Friday, the first order of business on his agenda will be a “top down” assessment of every City department to address the issues that have been overlooked since the scandal began, as well as any loose ends from what he and Councilmember Faulconer told the U-T editorial board were “months” of distractions on the mayor’s part prior to that.

“Five competitions that were ready to go sitting on his desk that could save the city tens of millions of dollars and they are still sitting on his desk that voters approved,” Faulconer told the U-T.

“We’ve been falling backwards for months now,” Gloria added. “I’m very concerned about the Balboa Park Centennial, [because] I think the mayor’s efforts in that area have left that event in jeopardy.”

The Council President went on to mention the opening of the Downtown Central Library on Sept. 28, an upcoming “key Coastal Commission hearing” regarding the convention center’s expansion, and other important issues that have been on his mind.

Gloria’s second order of business as interim mayor will be his oversight of the special election to fill the vacancy in the mayor’s office. According to article seven of the San Diego Municipal Code, this must happen within 90 days of the vacancy, which begins today, Aug. 30. The City Clerk’s office has since chosen Nov. 19 as that date.

Nathan Fletcher, who took third in last year’s primary, was one of the first to file for candidacy. Now a Qualcomm executive, Fletcher served one term in the California State Assembly as a Republican, but switched his party affiliation to Independent in the middle of his mayoral run. He has since registered as a Democrat, which could work in his favor as a replacement for Filner.

Aside from Fletcher, KPBS City News Service has identified 12 others who have filed their intention to run for the city’s highest office, many of which are relatively unknown, though several ran in the last election as well: attorney Hud Collins, energy nonprofit executive Paul Michael Dekker, realtor Harry J. Dirks, SEMPRA intern Michael Kemmer, entrepreneur Jared Mimms, Accountant Teresa Miucci, psychiatrist Ashok Parameswaran, website owner Tobiah Pettus, Afghanistan veteran Kurt Schwab, Libertarian activist Mark Schwarz, and Taxicab owner David Tasem.

Even before news broke of Filner’s resignation, names of potential candidates were being tossed around like hot potatoes. Some have since declared they will not run, while others still appear to be watching how things play out before making a decision.

Though she made it clear at Voice of San Diego’s recent Politifest event that she had no intention of seeking the office of mayor, a Facebook page called “Draft Toni Atkins for Mayor” gathered over 500 “likes” before the Assembly Majority Leader addressed her supporters and publicly ending speculation once and for all in a press release.

“I am deeply committed to helping the city heal and move forward,” Atkins said in the release. “But I also take very seriously my responsibility to the people who elected me to represent the 78th Assembly District in Sacramento and to my colleagues in the Assembly, whom I have the privilege of serving as Majority Leader.”

Though recently termed-out state senator Christine Kehoe’s name has also been bounced around, there hasn’t been one word from her or her camp to suggest she is interested.

Former councilmember Carl DeMaio, who conceded at the end of a highly contentious race against Filner last fall, has spent the year laying the groundwork for a potential run against first-termer Rep. Scott Peters. With Filner out, however, DeMaio, an openly gay republican who only narrowly lost to his now-shamed opponent, may jump in the race again. DeMaio has said he will make his plans known on Tuesday.

Others mentioned considering a run are Supervisor Ron Roberts, former Assemblymember Lori Saldana, SOHO Executive Director Bruce Coons, and Matt Romney, son of the former presidential candidate.

What do you think? Join the conversation.