Written by Nicholas Vetrisek
Todd Gloria is all-but officially the new Mayor of San Diego. He is currently leading City Council President Barbara Bry by nearly 74,00 votes with just over 83% of votes counted. While results won’t be certified for a few weeks, he will almost certainly be replacing two-term Republican incumbent Kevin Faulconer, who was termed out this year.
Bry conceded the race a few days after the election and added, “But for the next few years, our city faces many challenges because of COVID-19, and Mr. Gloria will have a tough job. Thousands of San Diegans are unemployed through no fault of their own and city revenues are declining.”
Republican mayoral candidate Scott Sherman had endorsed Gloria before the election, but that doesn’t mean he was the best choice for San Diego.
Todd Gloria co-authored AB5 with Lorena Gonzalez, and the bill is currently wreaking havoc on people’s livelihoods all across the state. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been destroyed as a result of the bill, and Gloria played a large part in its creation. The bill is so extreme, companies like Uber, Lyft, and Doordash were ready to pack their bags and leave the state entirely. The only reason they are staying is because Proposition 22 passed, which carved out an exemption for rideshare and food delivery services.
In addition to eliminating important industries in California, Gloria made the City of San Diego spend millions on the wasteful purchase of the 101 Ash Street building. The building was supposed to house some of the homeless population, but it has numerous problems including asbestos and other hazards that were not checked prior to purchase. As a result, the building has remained vacant and taxpayers are footing the bill.
This is the man San Diego voted for. Barbara Bry was not a much better choice, as both candidates believed ostensibly the same things, but Todd Gloria has far more baggage as a politician. With a democrat at the helm for the first time in 6 years and a new Democrat supermajority on the City Council, San Diego will likely see some drastic changes in the near future, and those changes are not likely to be for the better.
