On August 30, 2013, Bob Filner resigned from his office as mayor of San Diego. He successfully defeated his opponent, Carl DeMaio, less than a year prior before becoming the first Democrat in several years to hold the office. This transition away from the Republican Party did bring change, but it was not the kind of change many had hoped for.
Embroiled by countless accusations of sexual harassment by a number of women, the Democratic mayor was forced to leave his office in disgrace. In the aftermath of this scandal, a new election was held. In the end, it was Republican candidate Kevin Faulconer who ultimately won. On March 3, 2014, he was formally sworn in as the mayor.
In the years since his ascent to the office, Faulconer’s successes have been numerous and positive overall and he has stood firm to his beliefs when outside forces went against them. Among the most notable examples of the latter came in his first year in office. Late in 2014, a proposal was made to increase the minimum wage by a few dollars. Similar such measures have many times been proven to be detrimental to business owners and workers alike, but a determined council supported it both initially as well as after Faulconer’s proud veto.
Though the measure did eventually pass, that he so adamantly defied the act speaks volumes of our Mayor’s commitment to local businesses and his understanding of the long-term effects this act would have. This general attitude is something that many local businesses appreciate and it helps to encourage yet more to open up shop within San Diego. It is thus that even in a rare example of defeat, Faulconer still manages to stand tall in the long term.
This is all to say nothing of his successes. The ongoing construction and refurbishing of downtown San Diego is a monument to the Republican party as a whole. Though this effort has been ongoing for decades and is the responsibility of many prior Republican mayors, Kevin Faulconer has continued these efforts during his tenure via further construction and thus continuing the fine tradition of success that has preceded him. The generally strong state of the local economy is something of an added bonus.
The greatest success of our Mayor though is not something that can be seen through fanciful constructions and an increased flow of revenue. No, our Mayor’s most notable achievement lays in the scope of his support and the extents of his electoral victories. In any city, a mayor being reelected is generally a sign of success. Kevin Faulconer, however, stands as a Republican in the liberal bastion that is California and in a border town with a particularly diverse population no less.
Despite these factors though, he has managed to win comfortable victories and has maintained approval during the tumultuous times since the 2016 elections. He has achieved this through his outreach and support of these same diverse groups. By maintaining good relations with the Hispanic community, Faulconer has proven himself able to represent all Americans and serves to demonstrate that even under circumstances typically viewed as unfavorable for Republicans, victory is attainable.
For all of these reasons, Faulconer stands as a successful mayor and the right choice for all residents of the city of San Diego.
Photo by Josh Esh
