Election 2012: Mayoral Candidates to Debate

San Diego's first widely aired mayoral debate is set for Thursday at KPBS studios.

San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher and Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, will answer questions posed by panelists during a debate scheduled to air live on radio station KPBS -- 89.5 FM -- at 2 p.m. Thursday, then on KPBS-TV at 6 p.m. and KGTV at 7 p.m.

Though the race is nonpartisan, Fletcher recently made waves by quitting the Republican Party to become an independent, something that won him instant fans and campaign contributors.

Another televised debate is scheduled for Monday at NBC7/39.

A poll released last week showed Fletcher pulling into second place behind DeMaio, not long after announcing his defection from the GOP. DeMaio has consistently led the polls. Filner, who had been placing second, dropped to third place. If no one wins a majority of the vote in the June 5 primary, the top two vote-getters will face one another in November.

-City News Service