The day after three major potential candidates bowed out of the San Diego mayoral race, District 2 City Councilman Kevin Faulconer announced he was in.
“Putting San Diego first is the principle I believe in, and that principle that will guide my administration,” said Faulconer, who was joined by wife Katherine, son Jack and daughter Lauren at a Sept. 4 news conference at Harbor Island Drive Park to announce his candidacy.
Faulconer said he is looking forward “to an honest conversation with my fellow San Diegans in the coming weeks about our city’s bright future and the path to get us there.”
Faulconer said San Diegans, by working together “will heal once again, and we will rebuild and restore San Diego.”
Noting the recently disgraced Filner administration “has halted or in many cases reversed our (San Diego’s) progress,” Filner said united San Diegans can begin “taking our city back.”
“I’m ready to do my part to make sure San Diego’s next chapter is our best,” Faulconer said. “Today, I announce my candidacy for mayor. “Together, we will restore integrity to City Hall. Together, we will put an end to the dysfunction and get our city working again for the taxpayers of San Diego. Together, we will heal our city and create a community where every neighborhood is strong, and every San Diegan has the opportunity to reach their full potential.”
“Returning trust to the mayor’s office is one of the great challenges facing our community,” Faulconer concluded.
Faulconer, a Republican, will be running against two other high-profile opponents: Nathan Fletcher, a Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat who served one term in the state Assembly; District 8 City Councilman David Alvarez; and former City Attorney Michael Aguirre. There are numerous lesser-known candidates in the Nov. 19 special election.
If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote on Nov. 19, there will be a runoff between the top two vote-getters, likely in January.
On Sept. 3, former city councilman and ex-mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio, as well as interim Mayor Todd Gloria and longtime county Supervisor Ron Roberts each announced they would not enter the race for San Diego mayor to replace Filner, who resigned Aug. 30.