Category: Election

Richard Bailey, one of the newest candidates to have thrown their hat into the ring for the District 2 City Council race, has now changed his party affiliation from Republican to No Party Preference.

Bailey has asked for a retraction from the Rag, but there is nothing to retract.

By Anonymous OBcean

Dear representatives of Councilmember Campbell and Mayor Gloria,

I am writing to express my outrage after receiving a citation under San Diego’s “daylighting” parking enforcement near an unmarked crosswalk.

This law, as currently enforced, functions as a trap. There are no signs, no painted curbs, and no visible warnings to alert drivers that parking is prohibited. Residents and visitors are expected to somehow know they must remain 20 feet from an invisible, unmarked crosswalk. That is not reasonable governance — it is punitive and predatory.

Public safety should never be implemented through gotcha enforcement.

Earlier today, Friday, Feb. 20, the Rag re-posted an article from the Times of San Diego about Richard Bailey, the former mayor of Coronado, who has just announced he is in the running for the District 2 San Diego City Council seat.

In Times reporter Tessa Balc’s Feb. 19 article, she says this:

“As mayor of Coronado he [Bailey] was affiliated with the Republican Party. He has since re-registered as an independent.”

Now to be clear, Bailey is not quoted as saying this — Balc the reporter says it. Where did she get it, if not from Bailey? (We have a call into her at the Times.)

The League of Women Voters San Diego have just announced that they have set up two candidate forums for City Council District 2 this spring.

The first is scheduled for Thursday, March 5  –    5:30-7:30 PM  at the Cathy Hopper Clairemont Friendship Center, located at  4425 Bannock Ave, San Diego 92117   This Forum is hosted by the Clairemont Town Council and the League of Women Voters, SD

by Tessa Balc / Times of San Diego / Feb. 19, 2026,

To little surprise, Richard Bailey has announced that he’s running for the District 2 seat on the San Diego City Council. All that’s left to do is file the forms.

After sending out campaign-style mailers, announcing a ballot measure to remove trash and parking fees — which has yet to materialize — and relocating to Point Loma, the former mayor of Coronado said on Wednesday that he’s planning to seek the council seat.

In his Instagram announcement, Bailey asked for support for what he described as a “non-partisan, policy-focused, back-to-basics” campaign. As mayor of Coronado he was affiliated with the Republican Party. He has since re-registered as an independent.

Over the last year Bailey has positioned himself to move the needle in San Diego politics through viral Instagram videos which focus on quality-of-life issues that don’t follow stringent party lines.

A Republican plan to overhaul voting is back. Here’s what’s new in the bill

By Benjamin Swasey  / NPR / Feb. 19j, 2026 

A Republican voting overhaul is back on Capitol Hill — with an added photo identification provision and an altered name — as President Trump seeks to upend elections in a midterm year. Opponents say the legislation would disenfranchise millions of voters.

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act — now dubbed the SAVE America Act — narrowly passed the U.S. House last week, with all Republicans and one Democrat backing the bill.

Its approval came about 10 months after House Republicans last passed the SAVE Act.

The measure, which would transform voter registration and voting across the country, faces persistent hurdles in the GOP-led Senate due to Democratic disapproval and the 60-vote threshold to clear the legislative filibuster. Some Republicans have called for maneuvering around the filibuster to pass the legislation, but GOP leadership has been cool to the idea.

The overhaul would require eligible voters to provide proof of citizenship — like a valid U.S. passport, or a birth certificate plus valid photo identification — when registering to vote. The new iteration adds a requirement that voters also provide photo ID when casting their ballot.

By Arturo Castañares / La Prensa / Feb. 18, 2026

Three former Republican elected city leaders now head up three of the area’s top civic groups, even as Democrats hold every elected position in the City of San Diego.

This week, former San Diego City Councilman Mark Kersey was announced as the new CEO of the San Diego County Taxpayers’ Association, while former Councilman Chris Cate leads the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, and former San Diego City Councilman and Mayor Kevin Faulconer leads the San Diego Lincoln Club business league.

The three men served in office concurrently from 2014 to 2020.

Kersey, who served two terms on the City Council from 2012 to 2020, took over the local taxpayer advocacy group after its former leader, Haney Hong, resigned last March. The organization monitors government agencies and awards its annual Golden Fleece Award for the worst use of taxpayer dollars, as well as its Media Watchdog Award for news coverage of local agencies.

By Donna Frye

The Community Coalition Bulletin for this week included helpful and important information about the February 18, Rules Committee meeting regarding the public’s right to know and some important state Brown Act amendments.

Items 2 and 3

As discussed in the Bulletin, Items 2 and 3 are being proposed by Councilmember Campillo. The changes are a result of the fees San Diego residents were led to believe they would be paying when they voted to support a trash tax. As everyone knows, voters were told in the ballot materials that the fees would be much lower than the amount approved by council. It’s why Campillo voted against the increased fees.

His proposal includes an option for the council to require that ballot measures have a cost-of-service study done before, not after, voters cast their ballot to avoid another trash fee debacle. “It would only apply to ballot proposals put forward by Councilmembers, the Mayor, mayoral departments, independent department directors, or a public agency” but “would not apply to proposals submitted by members of the public.”

OB Rag Staff

The San Diego Community Coalition publishes this email bulletin to keep our members and the general public informed about important Council and Planning Commission hearings and other city public meetings.

Wednesday, February 18: Rules Committee, 9:00 a.m.

Agenda:

Item 2: Amendments to Council Policy 000-21 related to the submission of ballot proposals by the Mayor, the Council, City Hall departments and public agencies.

Why it matters: This proposal by Councilmember Raul Campillo would place new requirements on City-initiated ballot measures

“Don’t cause trouble. You’ll just make matters worse.”