Written by Riley Gould
San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer is thinking about running for Governor in the next election. Faulconer was elected in February of 2014 to fill the empty seat left by disgraced former mayor Bob Filner. Filner resigned in August 2013 due to allegations of sexual harassment. He later pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and battery.
In an interview with NBC 7, Faulconer said that he is ‘strongly considering’ a run for governor in 2022, while noting Newsom’s shortcomings in handling the ongoing pandemic and homelessness. He also mentioned his opposition to AB 5 and that he would continue to be “vocal” about these issues.
“I feel strongly about the need for us to help control our own destiny, as an example during COVID-19 in terms of opening up our economy, doing it safely, the right way and I feel strongly about that. I feel strongly on some of the changes we’ve made here on homelessness in San Diego that we ought to be doing statewide…”
After a year of pushing back against Gov. Newsom and the state on coronavirus policy, #AB5 & more, I asked outgoing #SDMayor @Kevin_Faulconer if he's considering a run to be California's Governor.
"To be continued."#PoliticallySpeaking https://t.co/teH7eihtCc pic.twitter.com/sS0HQJ7Veu
— Danny Freeman (@DannyEFreeman) November 1, 2020
As the mayor of the state’s second-largest city, Faulconer has shown success in fixing problems like increased homelessness, budget deficits, public safety, and crumbling roads. After the citizens of California have experienced the turmoil that will mark Newsom’s first term, they will likely want to see a change in leadership. Kevin Faulconer will be able to provide strong leadership that will appeal to Democrats and Republicans, just like he’s done in San Diego for the past 6 years.
