The Main Event

Illustration Dave Arkle

MORE THAN EVER, the democratic process is asking a lot of San Diegans. One election cycle overlaps the next. Resignation begets special primary election. Primary begets runoff. Convictions beget primaries and, quite possibly, more runoffs. Can we handle it?

I, for one, will not be bowed. In the July 26 primary mayoral special election, my polling place was a church. A colleague voted this year in a Pacific Beach garage. In past elections, I’ve voted in a school, a homeless shelter and on a floating Maritime Museum ferry boat. In the ’90s, even though I didn’t move, my polling place changed three times over three elections. But I found my way there every time.

Unfortunately, it takes more than a sense of responsibility and a free “I VOTED” sticker to get people to care about electing public officials. Wherever you marked a ballot this latest go-round, only 44 percent of you turned out. What do we have to  do to pull in the remaining 56 percent— set up polls in Starbucks?

Great Odin’s raven, people! Don’t you realize that if you don’t vote, the terrorists have won?

We’ve got a passel of elections coming down the road, folks, starting November 8. If you haven’t registered or have recently moved, go to sdvote.com/reg.htm. For those playing catch-up on what we’re voting on next, read on.

In the race for mayor, what will the campaign be like now that just Jerry Sanders and Donna Frye are left? Third-place finisher Steve Francis’ endorsement of former police chief Jerry Sanders was a moot point. Francis, who was backed by the local Republican Party, ran as a fiscal and social conservative. Sanders is seen as a moderate Republican; City Councilmember Donna Frye is cast as the liberal Democrat. Francis voters switching to the Frye camp are as likely as Paris Hilton being named U.S. vice ambassador to the United Nations.

Problem for Frye: She got 43 percent of the vote. Sanders’ 27 plus Francis’ 23.5 equals 50.5 percent. It’s an oversimplification, but Frye needs to get out the Democratic vote in higher numbers. It’ll behoove her if surf conditions are bad on November 8.

Both candidates want to run as the outsider. Why? Because the public thinks politicians suck. And it sucks when the public thinks you’re in a profession that sucks, especially when you need their votes to reach sucky public office.

Who’s in, and who’s truly the outsider? Both. And neither. Frye has long been the dissenting voice on the city council. That’s a legitimate claim to the outsider mantle. However, Frye’s ties to labor (a force sadly amuck in our town) could label her an insider.

For his part, Sanders has never been a political candidate. Can’t get more outsider than that. He is, though, much more connected to San Diego’s big-business power circles. That’s pretty insider. So the answer to who’s the outsider depends on the color of your shirt. A blue collar means you believe business-aligned Sanders is in the in. A starched white shirt says you fear council-borne, insider Frye will let labor run even rougher shod over the city.

Will the mayoral campaign turn into a boxing match? It’s already a Billie Jean King vs. Bobby Riggs–type match. It’s apparent both Frye and Sanders are good counterpunchers. Sanders and his political operatives at Shepard & Associates deflected Francis’ best attacks during the primary. Frye has also demonstrated she won’t sit still when uppercuts are directed her way.

It’s probably best for both to not throw the first punch. Voters appear weary of negative ads. If Frye vs. Sanders has to come down to a boxing match, the winner will be the one who returns with a right hook after the other attempts to open with a couple of useless jabs.

So after November 8, how much rest do we get before the next election? Here’s a possible calendar of events:

November 8: The mayoral runoff will be decided. There will be closure . . . But we’ll also be voting on two vacant city council seats that day. Districts 2 and 8 are open, since Michael Zucchet and Ralph Inzunza were convicted in the Strippergate trial and resigned. If no candidate in District 2 or 8 gets 50 percent in those elections, we’ll need runoffs . . . And if Frye wins the mayor’s race, we also might need an election to fill her District 6 council seat. Down a Red Bull and read on.

December 6: This is the last day for the San Diego registrar of voters to certify the November 8 election. This happens to be two days after city rules say the city council could appoint—rather than hold another election for—a District 6 successor, should Frye become mayor. (December 6 is two days after there’d be one year left in Frye’s current council term.) If it takes until December 6 to name Frye mayor (wink, wink), this might mean one—or two— fewer elections next year. But don’t plan that vacation just yet.

December 27: This is 49 days after November 8. Again, according to city mandate, this is when the runoff for Districts 2 and 8 should be held—if no candidate gets 50 percent of the vote . . . However, state law dictates no elections (which are always on a Tuesday) shall be held the day after a state holiday. Christmas is on a Sunday. So December 26 is a state holiday. The next Monday—after New Year’s Day—is also a holiday. Hence, January 10 might actually be the date for a council runoff election. Maybe.

Infinity: Just when it was looking like Frye’s successor could be appointed and bimonthly elections were winding down, Luis Acle decided to run for city council in District 8. Acle was just elected (November 2, 2004) to be a San Diego Unified School District board member. If Acle wins District 8, then . . . you guessed it, a school board vote and ensuing runoff are possible.

San Diego hasn’t gotten a national black eye from all this turmoil, has it? Tonight Show host Jay Leno was kind enough to mention our city in his monologue. “There’s more security being president of Iraq than there is being mayor of San Diego,” joked the square-jawed funnyman.

It has been noted in newspapers across the country how Mayor Dick Murphy resigned and was succeeded by Councilmember/Deputy Mayor Zucchet. The young politician lasted through the weekend, before he was convicted and resigned. Councilmember Toni Atkins is currently mayor pro tem. From the San Jose Mercury News: “The mayor’s seat is a musical chair.” MSNBC reports we are a “rudderless city in trouble.”

National pundits are aware of our $1.4 billion underfunded pension. And how one-third of our council seats are vacant. It’s well known that City Attorney Mike Aguirre has threatened to sue, fire and/or pink-belly every elected official in San Diego. The recent mayoral candidate who came in fourth, Pat Shea, sounds an alarm that the city is on the verge of bankruptcy. And the national morning shows loved showing mayoral candidate Frye wearing a flowered lei and proclaiming San Diego needs more “aloha spirit.”

No, I think we’re fine in the national eye. We’ll just maintain the climate control at 72 degrees and sunny. And keep churning out baby pandas.

Now get back to your voter’s manual.

© 2006 San Diego Magazine

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