Local attorney and former City of San Diego Ethics Commissioner to run for Kersey’s term-limited seat
(San Diego, CA) – Local attorney and former Ethics Commissioner, Joe Leventhal, today announced his candidacy for San Diego City Council, District 5. As a former Ethics Commissioner for the City of San Diego, Joe was restricted from officially launching his campaign until today.
“I’m running to bring bold leadership to the City Council, to significantly reduce the number of homeless in our city, improve our roads, and bolster public safety,” said Leventhal. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to work hard for every vote and deliver for the people of council district five.”
Joe has already been endorsed by San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, San Diego County Board of Education Chair Mark Powell, retired San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman, and the Associated Builders and Contractors of San Diego. The campaign will be directed by Stephen Puetz of Axiom Strategies, with Golden State Consultants serving as finance director.
“I’ve worked with Joe and have first-hand experience seeing his leadership in bringing people together to serve the interests of our justice system,” said retired San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman. “I trust him to ensure our public safety officers have the tools, resources, and leadership they need to keep San Diego America’s safest big city.”
Once elected to the San Diego City Council, Joe will prioritize solutions to reduce homelessness, public safety, and road repair. Joe believes that bold, collaborative leadership, as he’s demonstrated throughout his life, is the best way to approach San Diego’s persistent challenges.
The 5th District includes the communities of Black Mountain Ranch, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Miramar Ranch North, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Encantada, Rancho Peñasquitos, Sabre Springs, San Pasqual, Scripps Miramar Ranch, and Torrey Highlands. The District’s registration is nearly evenly split between Republicans, Independents, and Democrats.
To learn more about Joe and his campaign for City Council, visit www.JoeforSanDiego.com.
Meet Joe Leventhal
Joe Leventhal is a lawyer, business owner, and U.C. San Diego alumnus running for San Diego City Council, District 5. A resident of San Diego for almost 20 years, Joe has a history of leadership in the City through his service as an Ethics Commissioner – protecting San Diego citizens and taxpayers from government ethics violations.
As a lawyer running the San Diego office of a highly-respected, national law firm of over 650 attorneys, Joe guides individuals and businesses through the often-complex legal process to get results for his clients. He was elected to the firm’s Board of Directors and also serves on the finance committee where he helps manage the operations of the 250 million-dollar business.
Joe obtained his law degree with honors from the Georgetown University Law Center while working on Capitol Hill as a legislative aide, working on issues such as health care and education. After law school, Joe served as an attorney in the White House as deputy assistant to the vice president. As part of the vice president’s senior staff, Joe was then the youngest deputy assistant to the vice president at the age of 25.
Joe chose to move back to San Diego after his service in the White House, bringing back a breadth of knowledge on tackling the tough issues with thoughtful, decisive leadership. San Diego has now been Joe’s home for 15 years. He is a member of numerous local organizations such as the Rancho Bernardo Rotary, the Rancho Bernardo Business Association, and the Rancho Bernardo Community Foundation. Joe also served for 6 years on the Board of Directors for the non-profit Kids Included Together, which focuses on inclusion training for the benefit of kids with disabilities.
Joe’s priorities include reducing homelessness, public safety, and road repair. Joe believes that bold, collaborative leadership, as he’s demonstrated throughout his life, is the best way to approach San Diego’s persistent challenges. Through his work as an Ethics Commissioner, Joe has a crystal-clear perspective on what it means to serve with integrity as an elected official. Joe looks forward to the opportunity to improve the quality of life for San Diego’s citizens as a member of the City Council.
Joe graduated from U.C. San Diego, where he served as president of the student body and ran NCAA cross country, before obtaining his law degree from Georgetown University with honors. He and his wife, Erin, have three school-aged children.
