Your monthly support provides voters the knowledge they need to make confident decisions at the polls. Donate today.
Municipal elections in San Diego, California (2016)
2018 →
|
| 2016 San Diego elections |
|---|
 |
| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: N/A |
| Primary election: June 7, 2016 General election: November 8, 2016 |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: Mayor, city council, and city attorney |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2016 |
Mayor Kevin Faulconer, District 5 Councilman Mark Kersey, and District 7 Councilman Scott Sherman won re-election to new four-year terms in San Diego's primary election on June 7, 2016. While the open District 3 seat race was also determined in the primary by newcomer Christopher Ward's victory, the open races for District 1 and 9 advanced to a runoff election on November 8, 2016.
While the June election was called a primary, it was functionally a general election. Only races where no candidate won a majority (50 percent plus one) of the votes cast in the primary advanced to the election on November 8, 2016. The November election was called a general election, but it was functionally a runoff. This election system, which the city first used in 1989, was challenged by local voters, who said they were planning a ballot initiative to change the system.
Barbara Bry defeated Ray Ellis in the runoff for the District 1, while Georgette Gomez defeated Ricardo Flores in the District 9 runoff.
Faulconer won re-election to his first full term in office after winning a special two-year term in 2014. The Republican-affiliated mayor faced two Democratic-affiliated challengers—Ed Harris and Lori Saldaña. This result meant that San Diego would remain the most populous American city with a Republican mayor as of 2016. At the beginning of 2016, only 27 of America's 100 largest cities by population had a Republican mayor.
Two of the five city council incumbents whose seats were up for re-election filed to seek new terms. Districts 1, 3, and 9 were won by newcomers. Incumbents Mark Kersey and Scott Sherman in Districts 5 and 7 faced two challengers each in the primary.
Voters also decided nine local ballot measures when they voted in June, including a veto referendum to keep or repeal the city's planned minimum wage of $11.50.
Elections: mayor, city council, and local ballot measures
General election
Candidate list
- District 1
- ☑ Barbara Bry
- ☐ Ray Ellis
- District 9
- ☐ Ricardo Flores
- ☑ Georgette Gomez
- City Attorney
- ☑ Mara Elliott
- Robert Hickey
Primary election
Candidate list
Mayor of San Diego
- Kevin Faulconer (i)
- Endorsed by the Republican Party in 2014 special election
- Ed Harris
- Endorsed by the San Diego County Democratic Party
- Lori Saldaña
- Former Democratic candidate for U.S. House in 2012
- Gita Appelbaum
- Write-in candidate
|
District 1 District 3 |
District 5 District 7 |
District 9 |
Campaign finance
Candidates for local offices in San Diego file their campaign finance reports electronically with the San Diego City Clerk's office. Candidates for the June primary were required to file the following reports:[1]
- April 28, 2016, for the first campaign finance report for the year
- May 26, 2016, for activities from April 24, 2016, to May 21, 2016
- June 3, 2016, for activities from May 22, 2016, to June 1, 2016
- August 1, 2016, for the semi-annual campaign statement
Additionally, contributions and independent expenditures of $1,000 or more had to be reported within 24 hours of the transaction if they occurred between March 9, 2016, and June 6, 2016.[1]
Candidates whose races advance to the general election in November had additional reporting deadlines:[1]
- September 29, 2016, for activities between July 1, 2016, and September 24, 2016
- October 27, 2016, for activities between September 25, 2016, and October 22, 2016
- November 4, 2016, for activities between October 23, 2016, and November 2, 2016
- January 31, 2017, for the semi-annual campaign statement
From August 8, 2016, to November 7, 2016, the same 24-hour reporting requirement applies to large contributions and expenditures.[1]
Ballot measures
Information coming soon.
Issues
Partisanship in U.S. mayoral elections
|
Incumbent Kevin Faulconer was endorsed by the Republican Party and won a special election in 2014. The election was called when the previous mayor Bob Filner (D) resigned amidst sexual harassment charges. In previous presidential elections, Barack Obama (D) carried the city in 2012 and 2008, though George W. Bush (R) was favored by San Diegans in 2000 and 2004. The following three candidates were certified for the ballot in March 2016: Faulconer won the primary election outright, earning almost 60 percent of the vote. Although the race was officially nonpartisan and party labels did not appear on the ballot, each candidate was either endorsed by or affiliated with the Republican Party or Democratic Party in the past. Chris Jennewein of the Times of San Diego noted that Faulconer's campaign strategy contrasted with that of Donald Trump (R). "In contrast to Trump and the Tea Party, Faulconer practices the politics of inclusion. He began his re-election campaign with an ad in Spanish, and called for the first debate of the campaign to be on Spanish-language television," Jennewein wrote. He believed that Faulconer's refusal to endorse Trump and choosing to not appear at a May rally for the Republican candidate may have made him more favorable to Democratic and independent voters in the city.[2] The chart below summarized voter registration in San Diego as of November 1, 2015. At that time, there were nearly 50 percent more registered Democrats than registered Republicans in the city. The 29 percent of voters who did not declare a political preference represented a substantial swing vote.[3] |
|
Citizen group call for change in primary process
The Independent Voter Project (IVP), a citizens’ group, criticized the city's election process as being undemocratic. Starting in 1989, the city began using a two-tier election process. If a candidate wins 50 percent plus one (a majority) of the votes cast in what is called the "primary election," that candidate wins the seat and does not face a general election. In races where no one candidate receives a majority, the top two vote recipients from the primary face off in a general election. In the past two election cycles, just three of the 11 races advanced to a general election ballot.[4]
IVP opposed this system, arguing that it limited voter choice. "Part of the discussion develops between that June and November election. That's when we have a heightened sensitivity, the public discourse, the issues, and when we stop an election in June, we stop the discourse," said IVP member Chad Peace. He also contended that most nonpartisan voters waited until the November general election to participate, which came too late for any race decided in the primary.[4]
In 2016, the group said they were writing a ballot initiative that would remove the system of winning by majority at the primary. The group stated they wanted to see the measure on the ballot in 2018.[4]
About the city
- See also: San Diego, California
San Diego is the county seat of San Diego County. As of 2010, its population was 1,307,402.
City government
- See also: Mayor-council government
The city of San Diego uses a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body while the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.[5]
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for San Diego, California | ||
|---|---|---|
| San Diego | California | |
| Population | 1,307,402 | 37,253,956 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 325 | 155,857 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 65.1% | 59.7% |
| Black/African American | 6.4% | 5.8% |
| Asian | 16.7% | 14.5% |
| Native American | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 5.6% | 14% |
| Multiple | 5.3% | 4.9% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 30.3% | 39% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 88.1% | 83.3% |
| College graduation rate | 45.9% | 33.9% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $79,673 | $75,235 |
| Persons below poverty level | 12.8% | 13.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'San Diego' California election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| San Diego, California | California | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 San Diego City Clerk, "Election Filing Deadlines (includes Campaign Disclosures) Calendar," accessed April 8, 2016
- ↑ Times of San Diego, "Kevin Faulconer and a New Republican Politics of Inclusion," July 10, 2016
- ↑ San Diego City Clerk, "Voter Registration in the City of San Diego," accessed November 1, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 KUSI News, "'50 plus 1' election rule," April 7, 2016
- ↑ San Diego City Charter, Art. XV 250-295, accessed October 29, 2014
 |
State of California Sacramento (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
