By David Garrick / San Diego U-T / March 27, 2026
Four leading candidates to represent areas including Clairemont and Point Loma on the San Diego City Council differ sharply in their experience, neighborhood involvement and how they would solve the city’s budget crisis.
Deputy City Attorney Nicole Crosby — who got key endorsements this week from the county Democratic Party and the city’s firefighters union — said she would bring strong institutional knowledge and deep community roots. Crosby, 46, has worked on housing issues for the city and has served on the Clairemont Town Council and as president of the parent-teacher association of Holmes Elementary, where her daughter goes to school.
Josh Coyne, who at the start of the year was leading in campaign fundraising, knows the district well as former policy director for termed-out incumbent Jennifer Campbell. Coyne, 46, now works for the Downtown San Diego Partnership merchants group. A Point Loma resident, Coyne says he would bring predictable leadership and reduce acrimony at City Hall.
Richard Bailey, a former two-term Republican mayor of Coronado who moved recently to Point Loma, says he would bring major change to City Hall, including with his plan to shrink and restructure city government. Bailey, 39, said he would provide the badly needed perspective of a small-business owner to the council, contending many of the city’s problems stem from having too many career politicians in charge.
Mandy Havlik, a Point Loma neighborhood leader, says she is the only candidate who has successfully fought City Hall and contends that she exemplifies what standing up for your neighborhood means. Havlik, 44, helped overturn a ballot measure that lifted the height limit in the Midway District around the sports arena. Since then, she’s broadened her focus to include infrastructure, environmental issues and e-bike safety.
The four candidates are seeking the available seat in District 2, which includes Mission Beach and Ocean Beach in addition to Clairemont and Point Loma.
They are joined by three other candidates who lack political experience, haven’t raised much money and haven’t secured notable endorsements.
They are Mike Rickey, a Merchant Marine from Clairemont; Jacob Mitchell, a chemist from Point Loma; and Paul Suppa, an attorney living in Point Loma.
Havlik, Coyne and Crosby are all Democrats, Rickey is a Libertarian and Suppa and Bailey are not registered with a political party. Bailey was a longtime Republican who changed his party affiliation. Registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans in the district by nearly 2 to 1.
The top two candidates in the June 2 primary will move on to a November runoff, even if the top finisher in June gets more than 50% of the vote.
Bailey could ride support from Republicans and independents to a top-two finish and then face one of the Democrats in the runoff. He says big changes at City Hall are crucial.
“When you see the challenges facing San Diego, it’s clear that more of the same kind of leadership is not going to get us out of this,” Bailey said in a phone interview Thursday. “If you like how things are going at City Hall, I’m not the candidate for you.”
Coyne concedes the city has problems and says he’s in the best position to diagnose and fix them.
Working for a merchant group that partners with the city on homelessness and other issues has made him acutely aware of places the city falls short, Coyne said Thursday.
Havlik said her goal would be making City Hall more responsive to ordinary residents.
“My neighbors don’t feel the city works for them,” she said Thursday. “They feel it works for the developers and the owners of short-term vacation rentals.”
Crosby said some of her greatest strengths are bridging ideology gaps to get things done and not letting personalities get in the way.
“I have not just very robust neighborhood and community ties, but I also have the ability to work across personalities,” she said Thursday. “I have very thick skin.”
On the city’s budget crisis, Bailey said the only answer is major budget cuts, while Crosby, Coyne and Havlik said the solution is a combination of budget cuts and increasing revenue.
Havlik, however, stressed that new revenue shouldn’t come from city residents. She pointed to a possible November ballot measure she’s working on that would aim to boost the city’s hotel tax revenue.
Crosby said the city needs to stop hiring so many highly paid middle managers who aren’t represented by labor unions, contending they bloat the budget and reduce the voices of city workers — echoing an argument made by union leaders and some council members.
Bailey said he would oppose any ballot measures that would raise the sales tax. Crosby said she would support a sales tax hike, especially if spending was mostly restricted to infrastructure.
Havlik said she could also support a sales tax increase, but that voters likely won’t support one unless the money is earmarked for specific priorities.
Coyne said he supports a sales tax hike and believes most District 2 residents feel the same.
“I don’t think the district is anti-tax,” he said. “I think they want to pay for city services, if those services get delivered well.”
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Richard Bailey recently moved to Point Loma. He did that to Coronado also before immediately running for office. He did win the races but destroyed the town with his Maga policies and acrimony. And what did he do once he termed out on Coronado City Council? He “moved” to Point Loma.
And how is he going to bring a small business owner perspective? By claiming to own a business but then refusing to disclose any financial information.
Beware the Republican in Independent clothing. Vote for him if you want to. But know the truth.
I know he’s a Trump guy but what how exactly did he ruin Coronado?
I ask because Coronado is known to be a very red conservative leaning city.
No on Bailey
Fifth Column (R)
Bailey is baaaaaahd news!
Richard Bailey was the most divisive and self-serving mayor in the history of Coronado.
He supported a Christian Nationalist cult whose founder called Coronado residents “demoniacs,” and vowed to run them out of town, and he helped the cult train candidates for local elections.
When his fellow board member on the San Diego Gun Owners Association, Leo Hamel, pled guilty to gun-running charges, Bailey sent a letter to the court asking for leniency, saying Leo was “the kind of guy every community needs.”
In 2023, Bailey appeared on Tucker Carlson’s Fox TV show and claimed he had solved Coronado’s homeless problem, which does not exist.
For years during his tenure, his campaign manager ruthlessly attacked city councilmembers, a former mayor, and council candidates with scathing letters to the editor in our local paper.
He downplayed the cross-border sewage crisis polluting our beaches, then sought to take credit for attempts to address it.
He is a carpetbagger, full stop, who moved to the second district for the sole reason of furthering his political career. I don’t believe he cares a whit about the district or its citizens. He is a narcissist whose sole concern is furthering his own political ambitions.
I’ll give him this: he is slick. Incredibly ambitious and relentless. Don’t be fooled. He’s the kind of guy no community needs.
District 2: Do not let what happened in Coronado happen to you!
Those of us in District 2 thank you Coronado folks for filling us in about Bailey. My mind was made up when I found out he was a trumper but this all adds support to the decision not to consider him.
Richard Bailey is a political chameleon…and a very skilled one. The only interests he represents are his own. He is not trustworthy or honorable. Don’t fall for the fake charisma and concern like we did in Coronado.
He has kept Coronado in the Black, financially. He has a finance/economics degree, and SD is in need of someone with common financial sense. The mayor and none of the council reps have a clue about finances. Kent Lee is the only one collectively that has an education in economics. Richard Bailey must have pleased the majority of people who vote in Coronado, they elected him for mayor twice. I think people should stop voting for a party, gender, race, smiling face, pretty teeth, and start voting for what they’re being elected for. Intelligence, common sense, small business/budget/financial savvy. Out of 9 SD Council reps and the mayor, at last count there’s only 2 of them that own a home, the rest are portable so they can move into their next political seat easily. I believe Richard Bailey would be an excellent Council member. He is intelligent, politically smart, vocal and not afraid to speak up, and not go along to get along. SD city council do whatever gloria tells them to do. I doubt if Bailey would go for that at all. AND he already is politically schooled. He’s by far more qualified to handle a big city than any other D2 candidate.
Amen!
Good. You can have him. That might keep him out of Coronado.