San Diego in 2024: Who’s Running for What Office?

Here’s a projection into San Diego politics 2024 – who is running for what office?  Here’s what we know now broken down by district and office, now that we’ve passed the signature qualification phase:

San Diego City Council

District 1

Joe LaCava represents north coastal District 1 and will run unopposed for re-election. Anthony Olmo was challenging him but failed to submit enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.

District 2

Jen Campbell is not up for re-election in 2024. She was re-elected in 2022.

District 3

Incumbent Stephen Whitburn in central urban District 3,  is being challenged by two fellow Democrats — Coleen Cusack and Kate Callen — and Republican Ellis California Jones.

District 4

The biggest race of the 2023 Primary season is the Special election to replace Monica Montgomery Steppe in District 4. And the big news of the day is that one candidate, Shane Harris, has just withdrawn from the race.

Harris’ withdrawal brings the pool of candidates down to two political insiders and one community candidate.  The two insiders are Chida Warren Darby — an aide to Mayor Todd Gloria — and Henry Foster — an aide to Monica Montgomery. Tylisa Suseberry is the community candidate. The campaign by the “insiders” reflects the division among the Council democrats: Council President Elo-Rivera’s coalition and Mayor Gloria’s coalition.

Henry Foster

Four Councilmembers – who are nominally part of Elo-Rivera’s coalition -Joe LaCava, Vivian Moreno, Kent Lee and Elo-Rivera himself — immediately endorsed Foster. So did the largest union of city employees, the Municipal Employees Association and another city union, AFSCME Local 127, the blue-collar sanitation workers, etc. The resigned candidate, Harris, now supports Foster. Black and African Women Rise has endorsed Foster as have Dems for Equality.

Foster doesn’t see the division on the City Council as defining the race. “I’m not looking at this as a divide with the council. I want to sit down with each and every member and gain their support,” he said. But he echoed his former boss, Montgomery Steppe by emphasizing that the Council must be strong in contrast and as a check to the mayor, as Voice of San Diego reported.

“Henry is an experienced and trusted leader who is best equipped to immediately address the city’s most pressing challenges, including employee recruitment and retention and essential neighborhood services,” said MEA general manager Mike Zucchet.

Tim Douglass, president of Local 127, said his union’s backing was based on Foster’s experience. “Henry has the in-depth understanding as chief of staff for Council President Pro Tem Montgomery Steppe in District 4, working within the city, and his private business experience with the skilled trades to hit the ground running on day one,” Douglass said.

Chida Warren Darby

The other four members of Council who were opposed to Elo-Rivera’s re-election as the presiding member of the Council, probablly support Warren-Darby, the mayor’s preferred candidate, who they would like to see on the council and to join their coalition. Councilwoman Marni Von Wilpert and Councilwoman Jen Campbell have come out publicly. As has U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas.

Warren-Darby served Gloria for years as his director of boards and commissions. From the Balboa Park Committee to the Ethics Commission.

Tylisa Suseberry

Suseberry ran unsuccessfully against Montgomery Steppe last year.

District 5

Marni von Wilpert will also run unopposed in next year’s elections. Brittany Naucke, who was challenging von Wilpert, failed to submit enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. Von Wilpert represents north inland District 5.

District 6

Kent Lee is also not up for re-election, having won his seat in 2022.

District 7

Raul Campillo — will run unopposed for re-election next year.  Campillo represents central eastern District 7 and was already running unopposed before the signature verification process.

District 8

Vivian Moreno is not up for re-election in 2024.

District 9

In central eastern District 9, Council President Sean Elo-Rivera has two challengers: fellow Democrat Terry Hoskins and independent Fernando Garcia.

Mayor of San Diego

In the mayor’s race, Gloria is facing Geneviéve Jones-Wright, Larry Turner, Jane Glasson and another always-run candidate. Two other candidates, Thomas Nguyen and Athena Johnson, failed to qualify.

City Attorney

The race to succeed termed-out San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott is a two-way battle between Assemblymember Brian Maienschein and Chief Deputy City Attorney Heather Ferbert.

Runoffs in District 3 and District 9 will take place in November. Those runoffs will happen no matter how many votes the first-place finisher gets in the March primary.

The District 4 election will take place during the March primary. But a runoff, which will only happen if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, would have to be held earlier than November — in June or July.

Sources: SD Union-Tribune

Voice of San Diego