Democrats Appear Positioned To Take Supermajority On SD Council

SAN DIEGO, CA — Early results are in, and while it is too early to call any of them, Democrats appear well positioned to take a supermajority on the San Diego City Council.

Elections can be transformative even in the dullest of years, but in a year rich with dramatic cultural and political shifts, San Diego's vote will bring about major change, with five new faces joining the nine-member City Council.

While council races are technically nonpartisan, in recent years, council decisions have broken largely along party lines, with conservatives regularly outnumbered. One of the seats up for grabs in the November election is held by a Republican and another by an independent. The other three seats on the ballot are held by Democrats and will continue to be in Democratic hands.

The election could potentially bring in a slightly more conservative council, or it could usher in a supermajority of seven or eight Democrat votes as San Diego faces some of the most important issues in its history. An ongoing fight against climate change, high levels of homelessness and lack of affordable housing, a utility franchise agreement, monumental transit developments, the ramifications of bad property deals and tangling with what role police should play in society are all on the docket in coming years.

However, far and away the most important issue for the region is and likely will remain the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed hundreds, badly sickened thousands, cost tens of thousands of jobs, decimated the tourism and hospitality industry and created financial insecurity for thousands of residents.

Tackling the issues will fall to the council victors, along with a new mayor, new city attorney and incumbent council members Jennifer Campbell, Monica Montgomery Steppe, Chris Cate and Vivian Moreno.

— In District 1, which has been represented by Democrat and now- mayoral candidate Barbara Bry since 2016, Joe LaCava, a civil engineer and business owner, has a large lead over small business attorney Will Moore, 61.87% to 38.13%. Both LaCava and Moore are Democrats.

District 1 includes La Jolla, Del Mar Heights, Carmel Valley and University City.

— In District 3, Councilman Chris Ward is vacating the seat in an effort to replace Assemblyman Todd Gloria -- who is running for mayor against Bry. A Democrat, Ward has served since 2016. With an early lead in the Democrat- only race is Stephen Whitburn, a community nonprofit director, with 63.43% of the vote to state Senate district representative Toni Duran's 36.57%.

District 3 represents Balboa Park, Hillcrest, Downtown San Diego, North Park, Old Town, Normal Heights, Golden Hill, Little Italy and University Heights.

— In District 5, the race could change the makeup of the council. Its current occupant, Mark Kersey, is an independent who votes with his more conservative colleagues as often as he votes with the progressive ones. He has served since 2012 and has termed out. Democrat Marni von Wilpert, a deputy city attorney, leads Republican Joe Leventhal, an attorney and small business owner 56.78% to 43.22%.

District 5 represents Black Mountain Ranch, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Penasquitos, Scripps Ranch and Torrey Highlands.

— In District 7, Republican Scott Sherman has termed out. He ran for mayor and finished in third place in the March primary. Democrat Raul Campillo, a deputy city attorney, leads Republican Noli Zosa, a small business owner, 58.56% to 41.44%.

District 7 represents north-central and northeast San Diego, including Mission Valley, Linda Vista, Serra Mesa and Tierrasanta.

— Lastly, District 9 is being vacated by current Council President Georgette Gomez as she runs for California's 53rd Congressional District. Democrats Kelvin Barrios, a community outreach director, and Sean Elo-Rivera, a San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees member, were competing for the seat.

Barrios suspended his campaign in early September after admitting misuse of funds while serving as the treasurer for the San Diego County Young Democrats.

But Barrios — who finished first in the primary with a comfortable 11- point margin of victory — still appeared on the ballot.

Still, Elo-Rivera jumped out to a huge lead Tuesday night, with 64.06% of the vote to Barrios' 35.94%.

District 9 covers east-central San Diego, including Kensington, College Area, City Heights and Southeastern San Diego.

— City News Service