The election of San Diego’s next mayor will be one of the most important events of 2014. Equally important is the fact that once again San Diego’s communities of color will have an opportunity to be the deciding factor in that election and not the issue of who has the most money. All citizens and voters should look beyond the two men facing each other in this general election with a view toward the politics behind the men running.
Faulconer is clearly the candidate of not only the Republican Party in this non partisan election, but also the candidate of business and what many have called the “downtown interest” which has appeared more concerned with a new stadium for the Chargers than neighborhoods and infrastructure. One need only look back at the State of the City Addresses of former Mayor Jerry Sanders to see how the seals and the beaches were more important than people, transportation and housing.
David Alverez is clearly the candidate of the people and that includes organized labor, which is heavily financing his campaign through their Political Action Committees. But labor is not in and of itself a friend to San Diego’s African American community. One need only look at the number of union locals, the number of African Americans in leadership roles and the extent to which organized labor is involved with the community.
Since a choice must be made between the two candidates in the coming general election, then if follows that there must be some serious examination of issues and support for each of the two candidates. It cannot be assumed that all Democrats will now support Alvarez since Fletcher loss in the primary. Faulconer will either need some of the votes that went to the other candidates, or he will have to have a campaign organization that gets Republicans, Independents and the White vote that will not support a Latino. The African-American vote can be a determining factor if it gets to the polls and votes. The Republicans are counting once again on low voter turnout which we saw in the November election. Such a low turnout by the masses will ensure that Faulconer and the Business/Republican interest win the election by the shear commitment of going to the polls and voting.
African Americans in particular, throughout the city of San Diego should look very closely at who the so called leaders endorse this time since they failed to deliver for Fletcher. Clearly the community did not follow them since Fletcher did not win one precinct with major African American voters. Neither the city or the candidates can afford to take time off this holiday season. Something to think about.
