Today: Judicial Offices, Assessor/Recorder/Clerk, Sheriff, District Attorney, Board of Supervisors, Community College Board, SD Unified School Board, & SD County Board of Education.
The OB Rag and San Diego Free Press are pleased to present our 2018 Primary Election Progressive Voter Guide. As usual, we tried not to let perfect be the enemy of good in our decision making. This year we’re breaking it into parts to make it more digestible.
We endorsed (or didn’t) contests where editors and contributors had some working knowledge of the contests. Generally speaking, we didn’t endorse in non-competitive races with a Democratic incumbent (who you should probably vote for). Candidates with low fundraising totals or no campaign organization were not included.
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, and Doug Porter. It should be noted there were many non-unanimous decisions.
Democratic Candidates are Blue * Republican Candidates are Red
Many candidates names are linked to their websites.
An asterisk (*) next to a name indicates an incumbent.
A Summary of Our County ?Endorsements?:
(our endorsements have question marks around their names – why question marks? Because of a glitch in our graphics)
Judicial Office #37– Victor Torres
Assessor/Recorder/Clerk – Matt Strabone
Sheriff – Dave Myers
District Attorney – Geneviéve Jones-Wright
Board of Supervisors District 4 – Omar Passons
Board of Supervisors District 5 – Michelle Gomez
Community College Board – Maria Nieto Senour, Craig Milgrim, Rafael Perez
SD County Board of Education – Alicia Munoz, Rick Shea
***
Two Judicial Contests You Don’t Want to Miss!
Really! Most races (45 out of 47) this year are uncontested. Normally it’is considered a career ender for a practicing lawyer to run against an incumbent judge. Right-wing extremists trying to get (or already on) on the bench is the exception. And we have two of those exceptions in this election.
Office # 28
No Endorsement, just a warning.
Herbert Exarhos* Was on County DA’s blackball list for “sentencing irregularities.” (This was a good thing)
Vicki Rothman | Twitter | Attorney – Don’t Vote for Vicki Rothman. Once worked for the law firm of Judge Gary Kreep, hangs out politically with the far right crowd.
Office # 37
A unique contest. Democrats, Republicans, and the legal community all want the incumbent replaced by another, any other person.
Gary Kreep* Incumbent. Right-wing kook. Elected by mistake in 2012. This Ballotpedia page explains all his censures by various entities. This City Beat article explains the rest (It’s amazing!) Don’t vote for Gary Kreep.
Your choices to replace him are:
Matt Brower Facebook | Twitter | Deputy District Attorney– Endorsed by local Democratic Party and virtually every law enforcement support group in the region.
Steve Miller | Retired Federal Prosecutor
Tim Nader | Facebook |Deputy Attorney General- Endorsed by Tom Homann LGBTQ Law Association, San Diego Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and 16 local Democratic elected officials.
?Victor Torres? | Facebook | Lawyer –Endorsed by San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association, MABPA (Mexican-American Business & Professional Association), San Diego Chapter, National Latino Peace Officers Association, Democratic Freedom Caucus, California Chapter, San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council. Looks to be the most progressive candidate in this contest. Has proven his value to the community.
San Diego County
Most contests will be decided on June 5. There is a real opportunity this year to change the direction of a government entity that’s mostly been indifferent, slate, white and Republican for decades. An SDFP Overview – These Elections Are the Ones to Watch
County Assessor/Recorder/Clerk
One of the most influential positions in government you never heard of. A change here would be like taking out the garbage. The Republican incumbent is Ernest Dronenburg. There is only one challenger in this contest and it will be decided on June 5.
?Matt Strabone?
Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements | Issues Page | SDFP Profile
Analysis: Ethics attorney Matt Strabone actually knows something about this position, like the fact that 150,000 homeowners in San Diego County not getting the property tax exemption they should be getting and paying extra money on property tax every year. He has the kind of smart thinking and values we need going into the future.
County Sheriff
Chief law enforcement officer for all County unincorporated areas. plus 9 cities. The seven seven detention facilities, with an average daily population of approximately 5,300 inmates have an embarrassing track record on inmate deaths. There there’s the matter of the Deputies who keep getting busted for sexual harassment. And how about the $24,033,149.36 via 108 personal injury and damage settlements paid from your taxes during the reign of incumbent Republican Bill Gore?
There is a better person for this job.
?Dave Myers?
Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements | Issues Page | SDFP Profile
Analysis: Sheriff’s Department Commander Dave Myers has put everything on the line in running for this position as a reform candidate. As an openly Gay man in a macho culture, the challenges he’s faced have been substantial. As a subordinate who dared to challenge his boss, he’s been subjected to unending personal and professional attacks by the incumbent. He’ll help put the “Justice” back into our criminal justice system.
County District Attorney
The County DA has the power to impact the lives of people, their families, and entire communities. If someone is accused of committing a crime, it is not the police but the DA who decides if criminal charges are filed and the severity of those charges. Their power includes deciding who is incarcerated, will be routed into a diversion program to help rebuild their lives, or have charges dismissed. The appointed Republican Candidate is Summer Stephan
?Geneviéve Jones-Wright?
Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements | Issues Page | SDFP Profile
Analysis: Public defender Geneviéve Jones-Wright is the real deal, part of a national movement for criminal justice reform. We can no longer tolerate a DA whose idea of service to the citizenry are public relations programs. Equal Justice for All needs to be the norm in San Diego County.
Note: We did not endorse candidates who sought and/or received the blessings of the San Diego Working Families Council (WFC). The argument about endorsements from this breakaway group reflecting the interests of its affiliated union’s members doesn’t hold water when you take into account the departure of the Service Employees Internation Union Local 221, which represents County of San Diego employees, from the Council. Their choice for a County Supervisor candidate was not respected, which leads us to conclude the WFC is really just a one-man (Mickey Kasparian) show.
Board of Supervisors District 4
Central and western portions of the county, most of the City of San Diego. Democrats have the upper hand in voter registration. Incumbent Ron Roberts is termed-out. Chances are good the top two vote-getters will face off in November. The Republican Candidate is Bonnie Dumanis. Please don’t vote for her.
Other candidates are:
Nathan Fletcher
Facebook Page | Twitter | Endorsements | Issues Page | SDFP Profile
Analysis: Former Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher is the Democratic party’s favorite. His approach to making a change at this level is to build coalitions with interest groups and activists to bring pressure to bear. He has the political chops to get things done and has paid his dues. And we’re convinced his ideological transformation is real.
Ken Malbrough
Facebook | Twitter | Issues Page
Analysis: Retired Deputy Fire Chief from the City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, has grassroots support in the Black community. Seems like a thoughtful person.
?Omar Passons?
Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements | Issues Page | SDFP Profile
Analysis: Attorney and community planning activist Omar Passons has been vanquishing his name id problem with a solid canvassing campaign. His campaign blog has the most detailed descriptions of his ideas of any candidate. We believe he deserves the opportunity to realize his thoughtful vision.
Lori Saldaña
Facebook | Twitter | Issues | SDFP Profile
Analysis: Former Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña had a good track record as a progressive in the legislature. She’s burned a lot of bridges with the Democratic establishment (not necessarily a bad thing). Her ability to build the kinds of political coalitions needed to bring even incremental change over the next few years, given the animus we sense coming from her camp toward potential future allies is, however, a legitimate question. Finally, her association with a Mickey Kasparian-led group is a deal-breaker for us.
San Diego County Supervisor Districts Map
Districts 4 and 5 are voting this year.
Board of Supervisors District 5
North County Communities. The GOP has a sizable voter registration advantage in the district, with 38% of the electorate. Democrats have 30.4%, while another 25.9% do not belong to a political party. Incumbent Bill Horn is termed-out. Chances are good the top two vote-getters will face off in November.
Jacqueline Arsivaud
Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements | Issues Page
Analysis: Community activist Jacqueline Arsivaud comes with a recognized an expertise with on land conservation, smart growth, and fire politics. Has made it clear she won’t be a tool for big developers.
?Michelle Gomez?
Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements | Issues Page
Analysis: Legislative Analyst Michelle Gomez has lined up major labor and party support in a contest devoid of Democratic candidates until recently. She could benefit from increased turnout in the 49th Congressional District election. Let’s end the hoarding and start serving the needs of the people of North County.
The Republicans are Jim Desmond, Jerry Kern
School Boards
San Diego County Board of Education
District 3: ?Alicia Muñoz*?, Eric Lund
District 5: ?Rick Shea*?, Steven A McDowell, Cheryl James-Ward
San Diego Community College Board
District A: ?Maria Nieto Senour*? Diane Hickman, Janette Williams
District C: ?Craig Milgrim?, Angel Aviva, Loren S Casuto, John B. Watson
District E:: ?Rafael Perez? Sean Elo, David Alvarez
San Diego Unified School Board – No SDFP Endorsements
District B: Kevin Beiser*
District C: Michael McQuary*, Eric Korevaar
Upcoming:
Thursday-City of San Diego
Friday-Statewide Offices & Legislative Seats
Monday-Federal Offices, plus Ballot Measures
Tuesday: Voter Guide Crib Sheet (All Contests)
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