DeMaio Picks Up Endorsements from Fellow City Council Members

San Diego mayoral hopeful Carl DeMaio has picked up four endorsements from fellow City Council members and members-elect, his campaign announced Monday.   

San Diego City Council President Pro-Tem Kevin Faulconer, Councilwoman Lorie Zapf, and councilmen-elect Mark Kersey and Scott Sherman will publicly endorse DeMaio in his bid to replace Mayor Jerry Sanders at a news conference outside City Hall later this morning, according to a statement from DeMaio's campaign office.

“I'm committed to building a strong team at City Hall, of reformers who will work together to serve the taxpayers, not the special interests,” DeMaio said. “I'm pleased to have the support of these council members who will help move San Diego forward.”   

Sanders, who is terming out, previously endorsed District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, whose campaign came to an end last week.   

DeMaio was the top vote-getter out of four major mayoral candidates in last Tuesday's primary election, with 31.87 percent of the vote. He did not, however, garner enough votes to win the seat outright. To avoid a November runoff, he would have had to secure more than 50 percent of the vote.   

Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, was the second top vote-getter, with 30.01 percent; followed by Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher with 24.05 percent; and Dumanis with 13.36 percent.   

As the top two finishers, DeMaio, a Republican, and Filner, a Democrat, are squaring off in the November general election. Officially, the race is nonpartisan, but it is nonetheless expected to turn into a classic conservative- versus- liberal slugfest.

DeMaio currently represents Council District 5, which includes Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch and Rancho Bernardo. Because of his bid for mayor, he declined to seek reelection to the council seat.   

Kersey is slated to succeed DeMaio in the District 5 seat, having won unopposed last week.

Sherman, a businessman, beat out home health advocate Mat Kostrinsky in the District 7 race last week's primary election, with 51 percent of the vote compared to Kostrinsky's 39.3 percent. District 7 includes Tierrasanta, Del Cerro and San Carlos.

Faulkner represents District 2, which includes mostly coastal communities from downtown to a small portion of south La Jolla.   

Zapf represents District 6, which includes Mission Valley, Clairemont and Kearny Mesa.

–City News Service