Race Outcome – Won:   

Retiring from the U.S. House to run for the Office of Mayor of San Diego, Bob Filner has a chance to wrest the San Diego city hall from Republican control.

Filner’s opponent, San Diego City Council member Carl DeMaio, a staunchly conservative Republican, has proposed a financial recovery plan similar to Scott Walker’s Wisconsin budget repair bill.

It relies on cutting firefighter compensation and white-collar workers, and ending significant benefits for city employees. The plan earned him the description “San Diego’s own version of Scott Walker.”

Progressive Credentials:

• Working to have the public sector drive demand for solar power
• Committed to protecting environmental laws, advocating for environmental justice and defending the science of climate change
• Entered into a life of public service when he was 18 years old, during the Civil Rights Movement
• Arrested as a Freedom Rider, he served almost two months in the Mississippi State Penitentiary
  

Why We Like Him: Filner has a strong record of fighting for the working families, veterans, seniors and small-business owners that make up his district. He prioritizes providing affordable health care for border communities and all Americans.

Candidate Quote: “This city has a majority of ethnic minorities. Everyone should get to sit on the table, because if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”

Candidate Website: http://www.bobfilnerformayor.com/

The now-Californian was born in Pittsburg but has been a part of the San Diego community for over four decades. After receiving a chemistry degree and a doctorate in the history of science from Cornell University, Filner became a history professor at San Diego State University. He became the president of the San Diego Board of Education, served on the San Diego City Council, became deputy mayor in 1991, and has been serving as a congressman since 1992, always winning by a sizable margin.