By Arturo Castañares Editor-at-Large / La Prensa / Feb. 27, 2023
A new poll conducted in the last month suggests that a majority of San Diegans are looking for new leadership at City Hall just as first-term Mayor Todd Gloria starts gearing up his re-election campaign for next year’s election.
“Nearly six-in-ten voters (59 percent) think the city has gotten off on the wrong track,” the poll analysis states. “Only 36 percent say it is heading in the right direction.”
The negative view of the City’s direction was highest among older voters, with 72% of voters over 45 years of age saying the City is heading in the wrong direction, and the lowest percentage believing so being among young and liberal voters.
The poll also suggests that the blame for the City’s wrong direction lies with one person: current Mayor Todd Gloria.
“Thirty-nine percent of the voters say Gloria deserves to be re-elected and 54 percent say it is time to give a new person a chance (33 percent say it is ‘definitely’ time for a new person),” the poll analysis states.
A hypothetical matchup in the poll shows that Gloria is vulnerable to losing re-election to another well-known local politician, Congressman Scott Peters.
The poll asked respondents whether they would vote for Gloria or Peters if the election were held today.
“Gloria does not fare well in a matchup with Scott Peters,” the analysis states. “Peters has a six-point advantage in an election matchup with the current mayor.”
The poll results show Peters at 50% to Gloria at 44% with 4% of the respondents undecided.
The City faces several vexing issues, including rising housing costs and increasing homelessness, especially around downtown, which has more than doubled during Gloria’s term, according to the most recent monthly count of unsheltered individuals conducted by the San Diego Downtown Partnership.
Gloria was elected in 2020 after having served two four-year terms in the California State Assembly. Gloria previously served two four-year terms on the San Diego City Council, including one year as Interim Mayor after Mayor Bob Filner resigned in 2013 amid sexual harassment claims
Peters currently represents the 50th Congressional District which includes the cities of Coronado, San Marcos, Escondido, and most of the City of San Diego. First elected to Congress in 2012, Peters previously served two four-year terms on the San Diego City Council, including having been the first Council President in 2005 after voters approved the “Strong Mayor” form of government that removed the Mayor from the Council and created a Council President to preside over the meetings.
Peters endorsed Gloria in the 2020 campaign for Mayor.
Sources close to former Mayor Kevin Faulconer say he is considering running for Mayor again after having failed to make the 2021 runoff in the special election to recall Governor Gavin Newsom. Faulconer served two terms as Mayor from 2013 to 2020. Under the City’s term limits, mayors and councilmembers are limited to two consecutive four-year terms but can run again after sitting out at least one election.
The poll was conducted by New Bridge Strategy, an experienced public policy and campaign research firm based in Colorado.
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
While I would welcome a Scott Peters campaign, I just can’t fathom why he would want to leave the halls of congress to try to clean up the cesspool that Gloria has created. I’d like to see an anti-bike candidate rise to the challenge, it would be a very popular issue to campaign on!
As the old saying goes, one person’s cesspool is another’s paradise. As much as I hate ole Todd, I as a pro bike person I consider the explosion of bikes lanes the one good thing he’s done. Granted many those lanes were laid out poorly (Harbor Dr is a perfect example). Hopefully who ever replaces him will continue with the expansion of bike infrastructure. Sam, I’m not a mean or vicious person by any stretch but I just don’t about the negative impact folks like me have on folks like you. Just sayin.
Chris, I love that our city has embraced the concept of more bike infrastructure but I hate how it is implemented. I don’t feel safe in my own car, I always have to assume that everyone around me is an idiot and that thinking has kept me alive. When I bike, I always go the opposite direction of traffic because if I can’t see them, I might as well be dead. I would like to see San Diego be more aggressive in boldly integrating biking as an option on the road, not the lame green paint that pisses of drivers and people like me who don’t see them as safe. We need a takeover over the public roads for bikes, not a paint job smaller than an emergency lane on a federal high way.
And I’m sure you feel the same way about me.
I have no issue with bike lanes that make sense, but when I see what is happening around town, with virtually nobody using them, I wonder why we are spending the public’s money on things that they mostly don’t want or use. The lane from Nimitz to Sports Arena on W Pt. Loma is a perfect example. I drive that stretch everyday, often multiple times. In the 3 or 4 years that have passed since that was installed, I have seen exactly 6 people using that bike lane. And how many people are going to be suing the lanes on Convoy St. which is in an industrial zone with virtually no residential anywhere near that area. What is the point?
I’d rather the money be used to fix these horrific schools or getting homeless people off the street, or any number of real issues affecting tens of thousands of people everyday.
I don’t think lack of usage is a good reason for them to not be there. A big part of the underutilization is how they are laid out in many areas and how they connect (or put a better way, how they don’t connect) to other lanes. You’re are riding in a lane and all of a sudden it disappears. Often along some very busy roads. Harbor Drive it’s a death trap in some spots because of slip lanes. The key is to fix that issue, not remove them. At least with Harbor Dr there’s the option to ride along the multi-use path.
I often ride from Hillcrest to Point Loma and ride the lane along Nimitz. For the most part it’s fine but when you get to the end there’s no real way cross over the freeway entrance to go on the other side and continue on that bike path. In my case I know the area enough to cut over to Chatsworth and then ride into OB, get to the path along the river and then proceed to MB.
Also I think the lack usage many people claim gets exaggerated, at least based on my own observations. 30th is a good example. Whether or not they should be there when there’s options like Utah is a whole separate argument, but I DO see people riding there every time I do.
But again I don’t think underutilization is a good reason for them not to be there.
I’m kind of confused Chris. “I don’t think underutilization is a good reason for them not to be there.”? Can you explain that one to me? I would compare that to anything else the City could build and let’s sit empty. Another runway at Lindberg, only to be used by helicopters perhaps? How about a traffic light in the middle of the block that turns red for no reason. Utilization should be the number one consideration…..at least in the top 3.
I guess that’s a matter of personal opinion. As someone who does ride in bike lanes and is glad they’re in places as compared to busy streets without them, I don’t consider the small # of users as a valid reason to take them out. Suggesting they shouldn’t be there is akin to saying underutilized bus line services should be cut. Perhaps it’s selfish of me to think that way but what can I say? I’m very thankful we have as many as we do now as compared to before. Granted some are laid out poorly but that’s why they need to be improved, not removed.
I would love to see Lori Soldana run and would go all out working for her.
Todd has got to go. The sooner the better.
Our Mayor should take a lesson from what happened to Lori Lightfoot. Only it won’t be crime that knocks him off his perch at City Hall but his inattentiveness to removing vagrants and homeless from our streets and public places. He’s too occupied serving the moneyed interests whom he believes will keep him in power
“Only it won’t be crime that knocks him off his perch at City Hall but his inattentiveness to removing vagrants and homeless from our streets and public places.”
If this is your heartfelt choice of words, then you are not really any better of a human being than he is. Just sayin.
Gloria has got to go, along with several council members. The reason is to put a scare into any politician who doesn’t take off the communities in a meaningful way.
There’s a great example of Gloria’s lack of leadership recently. He announced a big initiative to fix lights and fix potholes recently on one of the local news station. What is laughable, is that just a few weeks earlier, on the same local channel 8 reported someone who’s been trying to get streetlights fixed for months. The city told him it would be 18 months! Gloria said if you see a streetlight out, you have to report it, otherwise somehow it’s your fault. Bizarre. Must be time for fundraising and reelection, so politicians are trying to get tv time for just about anything!
A mayor has a few very essential roles among others. That is to make sure basic services are provided, like pothole repair, garbage pickup, light maintenance, efficient department services, etc.
He made it sound like it was some great new idea when it is really just doing the most basic deliverables.
Maybe our leadership should be less concerned with a mile walk to transit (that doesn’t exist really) etc.
Tell it to someone who cares what you think
I’d say the majority of people who read, write for and comment on this site would be more focused on the homeless as being people who need help than from your perspective.
And in your case, if you really don’t care what I think you would have just scrolled past.
BILL WALTON for Mayor. He has a great plan for the homeless. Is a native San Diegan who knows what a great place this was…and can be again…with some brains, will-power, and plans!
Save the neighborhoods. NO on SB10. and Elect a NEW LEADER.