With the primary election just a month away and mail-in ballots dropping, the San Diego Democrats have seemingly left their candidates high and dry this primary. Voters will be deciding on who they want to see on the ballot in November, and in arguably the largest race in the County, the San Diego Democrat Party has turned its back on Dave Myers.
In a crowded field to replace recently retired Sheriff Bill Gore, Republicans have backed former SDPD officer, Marine, and Prosecutor John Hemmerling. However, the Democrats are split. The Democrat Party and its activists have endorsed Dave Myers, but the Democrat establishment politicians endorsed Kelly Martinez. The Democrat establishment purposely failed to publish a voter guide, something unheard of for a political party. The Democrat establishment, Will Rodriguez- Kennedy, Todd Gloria, Toni Atkins, Nathan Fletcher, Lorena Gonzalez, and Juan Vargas, are purposely undermining Dave Myers.
The elites of this organization, as they have in their elected positions, have ignored the voice of those who helped them get there. In their stance of “they know best,” the Democrat establishment actively worked against their own group to keep their own personal progress moving forward. Kelly Martinez has received endorsements from almost every major Democrat Politician in the county, which is odd since Martinez, in her recent efforts, has worked against their own Party Platform. This coincides with Martinez’s recent efforts on the war on drugs in East County, shutting down Pot Shops in communities her party would see as historically negatively impacted by the War on Drugs. This all adds up to the Democrat elites working against their base. The deafening silence from the San Diego Democrats Party and their support of Myers is proof enough.
The failure to publish a voter guide shows the disconnect between the Democrat Party establishment and its activists. The activist’s wing pushed heavily for Dave Myers because he best represents their values. Myers is from the progressive wing of the party and is heavily involved with the unions and big labor groups. Myers has also been endorsed by notable anti-police and far-left businessmen Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the founders of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. While the Democrat party and many of its clubs have endorsed Myers, many of the political elites and politicians from their side did not. Most of the Democrat establishment endorsed Kelly Martinez, who only recently registered as a Democrat from an independent. Martinez is backed by former Assemblywoman and current California Labor Federation President Lorena Gonzalez as well as her husband, Supervisor Nathan Fletcher. Martinez. This is with the support of Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Nora Vargas, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, and State Senator Toni Atkins, all of which are considered members of the Democrat establishment.
So why such a split? The root cause of that could be that many in the Democrat elites are dictating their will and do not see Myers as a viable candidate. Congressman Juan Vargas even said that he thought Myers was “unhinged” in an interview with Voice of San Diego and has openly endorsed Martinez. The Democrat establishment is clearly at odds with its base. Due to this disconnect, they will lose out on support for Myers and other candidates that they have hurt without having their voter guide. With Democrats already polling at such an unpopular level, this could spell disaster for their party not just in June but in November.
