The editors of the OB Rag and the San Diego Free Press are pleased to present our 2016 General Election Progressive Voter Guide.
We believe this is a historic election, one that will set the course of the United States for decades to come. If there ever was an election where voting was important — this is it.
The candidacy of Donald Trump is no accident. It is a consequence of decades of building a constituency for a market-driven political economy by capitalizing on fear, bias, and ignorance.
The ballot this year is long and complicated. Not everything is as it seems. Practitioners of deception have deliberately crafted personas and propositions in a manner to trick people into voting against their best interests. There are an equal number of voting decisions to be made on less-than-perfect candidates and causes.
We tried not to let perfect be the enemy of good in our decision making.
We endorsed (or didn’t) contests where editors and contributors had some working knowledge of the issues and the personalities involved. There were some races where we just opted to show the candidates with codes indicating who else had endorsed them.
Thus, out of the 638 candidates appearing on various ballots throughout San Diego County and City, we only weighed in on 130+ of them, plus the thirty odd propositions and measures.
We’re an all-volunteer organization doing what we do because we think it’s important to share progressive values.
Endorsements or lack thereof reflect a majority opinion of the Editorial Board, which includes: Brent Beltrán, Anna Daniels, Frank Gormlie, Patty Jones, Rich Kacmar, Annie Lane, Doug Porter, and Barbara Zaragoza. It should be noted there were many non-unanimous decisions.
(Psst! There’s a little spooky something all the way at the end of this story.)
Here’s a link to a pdf version with working links more suitable for viewing on some mobile devices.
Endorsement Key
SDFP/OB Rag positions appear before candidates, contests, or ballot measures.
[–]No Endorsement
We Endorsed
We say no way
Endorsements 
, [–], and Hell No 
Symbols reflect a majority vote of the editorial board.
Organizational Endorsements Key
Democratic Candidates
Republican Candidates
If two candidates in a race are from the same party, the letter D or R is used to indicate party endorsement.
Labor Endorsed Candidates = LC
Positions on ballot measures are color coded and appear after the description:
YES or [–] or NO = Labor
YES or [–] or NO = Democratic Party
YES or [–] or NO = Republican Party
Clicking on candidate’s names or measure numbers (in most cases) will take you to our coverage. Additional links will be added as they appear.
PRESIDENT
Hillary Clinton LC
Donald Trump
Jill Stein
Gary Johnson
US SENATE
Kamala Harris LC D
Loretta Sanchez
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
District 49
Doug Applegate LC
Darrell Issa
District 50
Patrick Malloy
Duncan Hunter
[–]District 51
Juan Vargas LC
Juan Hidalgo
[–]District 52
Scott Peters
Denise Gitsham
[–]District 53
Susan Davis
James Veltmeyer
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY
39th State Senate District
Toni Atkins LC
John Renson
[–]75th Assembly District
Andrew Masiel Jr
Marie Waldron
[–]76th Assembly District
Rocky Chavez R
Thomas Krouse
[–]77th Assembly District
Melinda Vasquez
Brian Maienschein
78th Assembly District
Todd Gloria LC
Kevin Melton
79th Assembly District
Shirley Weber LC
John Moore
80th Assembly District
Lorena Gonzalez LC
Lincoln Pickard
STATEWIDE PROPOSITIONS
Clicking on the Proposition/ Number will take you to our coverage on this issue.
Proposition 51 $9 billion in bonds for education and schools YES YES YES
Proposition 52 Extends fees protecting MediCal funding YES YES YES
Proposition 53 Voters must approve revenue bonds more than $2 billion NO NO YES
Proposition 54 Conditions under which legislative bills can be passed NO NO YES
Proposition 55 Personal income tax increases on incomes over $250,000 YES YES NO
Proposition 56 Increase the cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack YES YES NO
Proposition 57 Sentencing Reform YES YES NO
Proposition 58 Bilingual education in public schools YES YES NO
Proposition 59 State’s position on Citizens United YES YES NO
Proposition 60 Require the use of condoms in pornographic films [–] NO NO
Proposition 61 Prescription drug price regulations [–] [–] NO
Proposition 62 Repeal the death penalty YES YES NO
Proposition 63 Background checks for ammunition purchases [–] YES NO
Proposition 64 Legalization of marijuana and hemp [–] YES NO
Proposition 65 Would undo parts of the plastic bag ban. [–] [–] YES
Proposition 66 Make Death Penalty Easier NO NO YES
Proposition 67 Ban Plastic Bags YES YES NO
LOCAL MEASURES
SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Measure A – SANDAG Sales Tax [–] NO [–]
Measure B – Ballot Box Zoning (Lilac Hills) [–] NO YES
SAN DIEGO CITY
Measure C – Buy the Billionaire a Stadium [–] [–] YES
Measure D – Briggs/ Hall Tourism Proposal [–] YES NO
Measure E – Replace the Mayor Procedure [–] YES YES
Measure F – Deputy City Attorney Good Cause Protection YES YES YES
Measure G – Rename Police Civilian Review Board [–] YES YES
Measure H – City Purchasing Rules [–] YES YES
Measure I- San Diego High School / Balboa Park YES YES YES
Measure J – Shift Park Funding Mission Bay to Balboa [–] YES YES
Measure K – All Candidate Races Finalized in November YES YES NO
Measure L – Ballot Measures To Be Moved to November Ballot YES YES NO
Measure M- Increases cap on Affordable Housing [–] YES NO
Measure N – City Tax on Pot [–] YES NO
OTHER LOCAL MEASURES
Measure O – Carlsbad Fire Station [–] YES YES
Measure P – Chula Vista Sales Tax to fix stuff [–] YES NO
[–]Measure Q – Del Mar sales tax to fix stuff [–] [–] NO
Measure R – Del Mar voter approval for developments larger than 25,000 Sq ft.[–] [–] NO
Measure S – El Cajon, City Council Districts [–] YES YES
Measure T – Encinitas, Update to General Plan Allowing Increased Density [–] YES YES
Measure U – La Mesa Medical Marijuana ordinance (Regulating) [–] YES NO
Measure V – Lemon Grove Medical Marijuana ordinance (Regulating) [–] YES NO
Measure W – Poway. Allows Sunroad to build a hotel [–] [–] YES
Measure X – Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Bond YES YES NO
Measure MM- Miracosta Community College Bond [–] YES NO
Measure Z– Southwestern Community College Bond YES YES NO
Measure BB- Grossmont Union High School District YES YES [–]
Measure CC– Term Limits for Sweetwater School Board [–] YES YES
Measure HH – National City Schools $30 million in bonds for repairs [–] YES NO
CITY COUNCILS AND ADMINISTRATIONS
SAN DIEGO [–] = No SDFP Endorsement
Board of Supervisors
Dave Roberts
Kristin Gaspar
City Council, District 1
Barbara Bry LC
Ray Ellis
City Council, District 9
Georgette Gomez D LC
Ricardo Flores
City Attorney
Mara Elliott LC
Robert Hickey
NATIONAL CITY
City Council (Two Seats, but we liked three)
Alejandra Sotelo-Solis D LC
Jose Rodriguez
Luis Nativitad D
Candy Morales
Jerry Cano
David Garcia
LA MESA
City Council
Colin Parent
Christine Alessio
Ruth Sterling
LEMON GROVE
Mayor
George Gastil
Teresa Rosiak
Raquel Vasquez
City Council (Two Seats)
David Arambula LC
Steve Brown
Charlene McAdory
Matt Mendoza
Jerry Selby
Michael E Summers
Glenn A Thornton, Jr
CHULA VISTA
[–]City Council, District 3
Steve Padilla LC
Jason Paguio
City Council, District 4
Rudy Ramirez LC
Mike Diaz
ENCINITAS
Mayor
Catherine Blakespeare LC
Paul Gaspar
ESCONDIDO
[–]City Council District 3
Olga Diaz
Jose Garcia
IMPERIAL BEACH
City Council: (Two Seats)
Mark West LC
Julie Behrens
Moises Camacho
Tim O’Neal
Robert Patton
Michelle Sanchez-Huffman
[–]OCEANSIDE City Council
Esther Sanchez LC
Victor Roy LC
Jack Heller
Steve Hasty
OCEANSIDE City Treasurer:
Nadine Scott LC
Gary Ernst R-Deceased
EDUCATION BOARDS AND DISTRICTS
CV Elementary School Board Election
[–]Seat 2
Michael D. Jackson
Hans d’Oleire
Armando Farias
Willard “Doc” Howard
Michael Deangelo Jackson
Rosa Maria Robles
Seat 4
Glendora Tremper
Laurie Humphrey
Grossmont Union High School District
[–]Trustee Area 1
Steve Babbitt
Chris Fite LC
Richard Preciado
Rolland Slade
Trustee Area 2
Kevin Conover
Elva Salinas LC
Jim Stieringer
Oday Yousif Jr
National City School Board Election
Barbara Avalos
Brian Clapper
Sheryl Celladora
Irene Lopez
Steven Kinney
Southwestern College Board of Trustees
[–]Seat 3
Roberto C. Alcantar LC
Casey Tanaka
Lei-Chala Wilson
Lander Iriarte
Bud McLeroy
[–]South Bay Union Elementary
Barbara Elliot-Sanders
Tom Schaff
Cheryl Quinones
Kevin Drolet
Sweetwater Unified High School
Andrew Valencia
Kevin Pike LC
Hector Romero
San Diego Unified School District
District A
John Evans
Stephen Groce
District D
Richard Barrera LC
[–]District E
Sharon Whitehurst-Payne LC
LaShea Collins D
San Diego County Board of Education
District 5
Rick Shea LC
Mark Wyland
San Diego Community College Board
District D
Mary Graham LC
Alice Pipin
Poway Unified School District (Top Two)
Kimberley Beatty
Nick Anastasopoulos
Debra Cooper
Jimmy Karam
John Moriarty
Terry Norwood
Darshana Patel
Stanley Rodkin
Carol Ware
Palomar Community College Board (Top Three)
Nina Deerfield LC
Rose Marie Dishman
Tim Fillinger
John Halcon LC
Nancy Ann Hensch LC
Keith Mikas
WATER DISTRICTS
Division 2
Jose Cerda
John Vogel
Division 3:
Jose Preciado
Daniel Munoz
Division 5
Ernie Zamudio
Jose Calderon Scott
Division 2
Mitch Thompson
Paula Whitsell
[–]Division 4
Jose Lopez
Hector Gastelum
[–]Division 5
David Charles
Mark Robak
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Why are you and the Labor Council endorsing Mary Graham ? Why are the Democrats endorsing her opponent Alyce Pipkin-Allen ?
Also why aren’t you endorsing either Sharon Whitehurst-Payne or Lashae Collins ?
Thanks for this!
Kudos to the SDFP and Rag for not only compiling all of this info, but also taking a stand on so many of these issues. As someone who is just starting to dig-in to these (out of control) Props and Measures, this a great tool. Thanks to all involved.
Good to know you support making criminals out of law-abiding citizens.
63 is much more than background checks on ammunition purchases (which on it’s own I would support). It will force owners of existing magazines to give them up or become criminals.
Nice work on dismantling the Constitution via willful omission.
“share progressive values”??? Try telling both sides of the story in your articles rather than just the side you favor to push your own agenda. No wonder almost a third of your readers who took your poll said they will be dancing in the streets if Trump is elected. Thats the reality of your reader base. Try some real journalism for a change. Those are the values our community needs!
We are a progressive online journal. If you want to see or hear the other side, try FoxNews or the GOP blogs, etc. It’s clear that OB supports us, we are now in our 10th year, and have survived on our readers’ and supporters’ contributions.