San Diego Mayoral Election: 6 Candidates Compete

SAN DIEGO — Six candidates are competing to become San Diego's next mayor in Tuesday's primary election. Mayor Kevin Faulconer was ineligible to run for re-election due to city term limits.

The top two vote-getters will advance to the November general election.

These are the candidates:

• Assemblyman Todd Gloria: Gloria, 41, has lived in San Diego all his life. He has represented the 78th District in the Assembly since 2016, previously serving two terms on the San Diego City Council, including as council president and interim mayor following Bob Filner's resignation. Gloria identifies some of his biggest issues as homelessness, housing and climate change. He introduced the city's Climate Action Plan as interim mayor.
• Scott Sherman: Sherman, 56, is also a lifelong San Diego resident. He has represented Council District 7 since 2012 and previously owned a small insurance business. Homelessness is also one of Sherman's biggest issues, and he says the city needs to "provide services to those with mental health issues and treatment for those with substance abuse issues," but also said enabling people to live on the street endangers those people and the community.
• Barbara Bry: Bry, 70, has lived in San Diego for 39 years. She has represented Council District 1 since 2016 and has been council president pro tempore and chair of the Budget and Government Efficiency Committee. Her campaign website highlights a wide range of issues, but paring down short-term rentals to allow for more housing is one of her most prominent issues.
• Gita Appelbaum Singh: Singh, 57, is a 27-year San Diego resident. She is a family nurse practitioner and CEO of La Jolla Integrative Health and Charter Academy. She has said affordable housing is high on her priority list. She believes the tiny home project would be a way of providing more housing.
• Rich Riel: Riel, 72, has lived in San Diego for 66 years. He is officially listed as a computer technician, but has also identified himself as a philosopher and claims to be the elected leader of the "Hogwash Party." He previously worked for the San Diego Housing Commission. Riel has made keeping a balanced budget the most important part of his campaign.
• Tasha Williamson: Williamson, 48, has spent the last 20 years working for nonprofits advocating for racial and criminal justice. She has worked with the San Diego Compassion Project and other community advocacy groups, particularly those focused around gun, gang and police violence. Overhauling the San Diego Police Department is a major issue for Williamson, and she has openly called for the removal of Police Chief David Nisleit.

Also see:

• 2020 Primary Election: San Diego County Voter Guide
• San Diego City Council Election: 5 Open Seats, 28 Candidates

By City News Service; Kristina Houck/Patch contributed to this report.