The City Council runoff in San Diego’s Coastal District 2 is expected to be a routine win for an incumbent Democratic in a heavily Democratic district, but his opponent is hoping to score one of the biggest upsets in the game. recent political history of the city.
Republican Linda Lukacs has considerably less money than Democrat Jennifer Campbell, and registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans almost twice in the district, which includes Clairemont and Point Loma.
But Campbell could be more vulnerable than those numbers indicate. It faced an unsuccessful recall campaign last year, spurred by its handling of vacation rental legislation and complaints that its staff were unusually unresponsive to residents.
Campbell received less than 30% of the vote in the June primary, despite having better name recognition as an incumbent, significantly outperformed her five opponents and won the help of an independent committee financed by both trade unions and companies.
The county Democratic Party is spending more than $100,000 to help Campbell win the runoff. The money will help pay for couriers that could influence the outcome, but it may also be a sign that the party sees Campbell as more vulnerable than expected.
A letter sent by Campbell recently pointed out that she was the “only Democrat” in the race and touted her liberal background on issues important to most Democrats: abortion rights and gun control.
Another recent post from Campbell focused on his efforts to reduce homelessness, including support for more city-sponsored overnight parking lots for people living in their cars and forced guardianships for the homeless. suffering from mental illness.
“Homelessness is a key issue for my district and the entire city,” Campbell said in a phone interview this week. “We are starting to succeed.
Lukacs said over the phone that Campbell exaggerates San Diego’s success with homelessness, saying District 2 residents don’t feel safe visiting Mission Beach and Ocean Beach because of homelessness and the crime.
She also accused Campbell of focusing too much on city issues and not enough on the neighborhoods and residents she represents.
“The main issue in this race is for our district to have a voice at city hall focused on our quality of life,” Lukacs said. “Right now we don’t have that voice, and the community is begging for it.”
Campbell said his strong Democratic pedigree fit well with a Democratic mayor and a Democratic-dominated city council focused on social equity issues.
“It’s the Democrats fighting for working families and the little guy,” Campbell said.
It was endorsed by Mayor Todd Gloria, several members of council, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, and unions representing police and firefighters in the city.
Lukacs stressed that the race is officially nonpartisan, saying most of the issues that matter to the neighborhoods don’t fit easily into the typical left-right divide.
She also noted that a victory for Campbell on Nov. 8 would almost certainly give the Democrats 9-0 unanimous control of the City Council, saying it wouldn’t be a good result for San Diego.
“Any board needs a diversity of voices and ideas,” Lukacs said. Being more aware of potential criticism during political debates would help the council make better decisions, she said.
The two candidates also differ on Measure B, which would end the city’s free garbage pickup in single-family homes.
Campbell voted to place the measure on the ballot. But she did not voice strong support, saying she could see why people would vote both ways on the measure.
Lukacs expressed mild opposition. She acknowledges that the existing policy is unfair to people living in condos and apartments, but says the city’s past mismanagement of taxes and fees collected from residents prevents it from supporting a new garbage tax.
According to the latest campaign contributions disclosures in late September, Campbell passed Lukacs by $59,000 to $21,000 after the June primary. That money does not include contributions Campbell has received from the county Democratic Party.
Conventional wisdom suggests it would be very difficult for Lukacs to win as a Republican in the district, where registered Democrats outnumbered registered Republicans by 41,350 to 23,582 as of Oct. 1.
But District 2 could be called volatile. Only two incumbents have lost San Diego City Council races since 1992, but one of those cases was when Campbell ousted incumbent Lorie Zapf just four years ago – the last time the seat was up for grabs. .
The district has also been redrawn since Campbell’s election. To accommodate demographic changes reflected in the 2020 U.S. Census, Pacific Beach was moved out of the district, while eastern Clairemont and parts of Old Town were added.
Campbell, 77, lives in Bay Ho. She is a retired doctor. Lukacs, 58, lives in Sunset Cliffs. She is a practicing dentist.
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| Patrick Soon Shiong | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 29, 1952 Port Elizabeth, Union of South Africa |
| Nationality | chinese american |