The San Diego Democrats for Equality announced its endorsement Friday of Assemblyman Todd Gloria, D-San Diego, for mayor of San Diego.
A total of 55 club members voted to endorse Gloria, while five voted for activist Tasha Williamson and three for City Councilwoman Barbara Bry.
The club favored Gloria due in part to what he represents for the city and the club itself, which was formed in 1975 to support local LGBTQ issues, according to club President Ryan Trabuco.
Should Gloria win the 2020 mayoral election, he would become the city’s first person of color and first LGBTQ community member to be elected to the office. Gloria and fellow LGBTQ community member Sen. Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, both served as interim mayor at separate times when they were members of the City Council.
“This time, it’s the people’s decision to elect the next chief executive and leader of our city,” Trabuco said. “It will be up to us to help make the case that Todd Gloria is the right leader for this moment in history.”
The club is the first wedge of the party to endorse a candidate for mayor, a technically nonpartisan race. According to the club, Bry and Williamson attended the club’s Thursday night meeting to discuss their priorities for the city’s immediate future.
“It’s a big deal,” Gloria said of the endorsement. “The San Diego Democrats for Equality is one of the premier Democratic endorsements in San Diego.”
Gloria has racked up multiple endorsements since launching his campaign for mayor in January, a pattern he called “humbling” considering the primary is still 11 months away. Atkins, Rep. Susan Davis, D-San Diego, Equality California and several local labor unions have announced that they’ll back Gloria.
“We’re building a big, broad coalition,” he said.
Bry, Williamson and attorney Cory Briggs are all running against Gloria in a race without a standout Republican candidate. Bry has garnered high- profile endorsements like Rep. Mike Levin, D-Oceanside, since launching her campaign in January.
The Democrats for Equality also endorsed San Diego City Councilwoman Georgette Gomez in her re-election campaign in council District 9. Gomez is running unopposed.
–City News Service
