By Stevon Marshall and Miriam Raftery

June 14, 2014 (San Diego)—Two Democratic Council members, Myrtle Cole and David Alvarez, won their races outright in districts 4 and 8, with over 50% of the vote in recent primary, so they won’t have to vie in a run-off race in November.  Republican Lori Zapf,  a Councilwoman who had to run in a different district due to reapportionment, also won her district 2 race with over 50%.

By Miriam Raftery

San Diegans head to the polls on Tuesday to elect the city’s next mayor.   Councilmembers David Alvarez and Kevin Faulconer are vying for the spot.  The race is a classic matchup pitting interests of working people vs. big business.  Urban poor and minorities vs. wealthy powerbrokers   Boosting budgets to help those in need vs. belt tightening and fiscal restraint.

As the election draws near, some high-profile endorsements have been announced.  Today, President Barack Obama weighed in on San Diego’s mayoral race, throwing his support behind Alvarez.

Update November 20, 2013:  With 100% of precincts counted but over 34,000 mail-in ballots remaining to be counted, the tally stands at Faulconer 43.58%, Alvarez 25.59%, Fletcher 24.3%, Aguirre 4.44%. Of seven lesser known candidates in the race, none attained more than a half percent. A run-off election will be held early next year between the top two.

By Miriam Raftery

November 19, 2013 (San Diego) – The San Diego Mayoral race appears destined for a run-off election, since no candidate has captured more than 50% of the votes needed to win outright. 

With 86.9% of precincts counted, Kevin Faulconer, the only Republican in the race, leads with 43.84%. 

Of three prominent Democrats in the race, former Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher had the early lead, up by 2% for most of the evening thanks to absentee ballots. But late tonight, as working class districts polling results came in, Councilman David Alvarez, the Democratic Party's endorsed candidate, has movedahead slightly of Fletcher slightly with 25.19% of the vote to Fletcher's 24.39%.

Faulconer, Alvarez surprisingly similar on issues; Aguirre drops bombs

By Mark Gabrish Conlan • for East County Magazine, www.eastcountymagazine.org

November 13, 2013 (San Diego)--Three of the four so-called “major” candidates for mayor of San Diego in the November 19 special election — Republican Kevin Faulconer and Democrats David Alvarez and Mike Aguirre — debated November 11 at California Western School of Law in an event co-sponsored by the school and KNSJ 89.1 FM Descanso, San Diego County’s new community radio station. The fourth “major” candidate, Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat Nathan Fletcher, did not appear.

Surprisingly, given how most of the local media outlets have scripted their coverage of the race — Faulconer the center-Right Republican, Alvarez the progressive Democrat and Fletcher the man in the middle — Faulconer and Alvarez, colleagues on the current San Diego City Council, agreed on as many issues as they disagreed. It was Aguirre, running a distant fourth in most polls, who challenged the other two candidates and confronted many issues that both Faulconer and Alvarez did their best to duck.

By Miriam Raftery

September 19, 2013 (San Diego) – After filing papers to run for Mayor,  former Democratic Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña yesterday announced she will not run and instead has endorsed Councilman David Alvarez. 

“David has a strong record of supporting neighborhoods and protecting the environment,” said Saldaña, who believes he is the best choice because of his “commitment to standing up for our communities.” Alvarez represents South San Diego and the Barrio Logan area.  Alvarez has also been endorsed by the Sa n Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council. 

Today, former Councilmember Donna Frye also endorsed Alvarez, stating, "David understands that people deserve to be treated with courtesy and respect and be provided an opportunity to have their issues heard in public, before (not after) decisions are made."

The first mayoral debate among prominent candidates is set for 3:15 Friday at the Westin Gaslamp Quarter Hotel, sponsored by the Asian Business Association.  Democrat Nathan Fletcher, a former Republican, declined to participate. However Democrats Alvarez and Mike Aguirre, the former city attorney, will participate along with Republican Councilman Kevin Faulconer.

Town hall forum: "Stand up for Our Neighborhoods" Thursday, June 9

Memorial Prep School Auditorium, 2850 Logan Ave., San Diego

June 8, 2011 (San Diego)-- A town hall forum on foreclosures is planned by a coalition of interests on Thursday, June 9 at  6 p.m. at Memorial Prep School.  San Diego City Councilmember David Alvarez will participate in the forum, which also will include testimony from people affected by foreclosures and new data illustrating the damage foreclosures do to neighboring property values and city revenue, as well as individual homeowners.