Fletcher Wins Support of BIOCOM in Mayor's Race

The trade group for San Diego's life sciences industry endorsed the mayoral campaign of independent Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher on Tuesday.

Fletcher, who made national headlines when he , won the support of BIOCOM because of his work on tax and regulatory reform in Sacramento, said Joe Panetta, the organization's president and CEO. Many executives of BIOCOM companies had previously endorsed him individually.

"Nathan's well-established history of putting results and the needs of his constituents before party politics was a critical consideration in this endorsement decision," Panetta said.

The assemblyman said BIOCOM was an example of what was working well in San Diego.

"Innovative companies that are working each day to solve problems and create the jobs of tomorrow," Fletcher said. "When I am mayor, I pledge I will work to ensure job creators like the 500 companies they represent have what they need to expand."

He faces Councilman Carl DeMaio, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, and website owner Tobiah Pettus in the June 5 primary election.

Polls leading up to his change of registration showed him lagging in a virtual third place tie with Dumanis, well behind DeMaio and Filner, in part because of low name recognition.

Unless someone tops 50 percent, the top two vote-getters will vie for the mayor's job in the November general election.

-City News Service