Although there remain over 400,000 provisional ballots to be counted in San Diego County, it would appear that most politically progressive candidates and causes were triumphant on Election Day. A huge Get Out the Vote effort on the Democratic side of the equation appears to have yielded victories in just about every race where the changing demographics of the region made a win possible.
Congressman Bob Filner has a 10,000 vote lead over Carl DeMaio in the race for San Diego Mayor; the County is on the verge of electing its first Democrat to the Board of Supervisors in a long time as Dave Roberts clings to a small lead over Steve Danon, Sherry Lightner has been re-elected to San Diego City Council, and Proposition Z (San Diego Unified School Bond) took over 60% of the vote.
Despite a massive (and apparently untargeted) phone campaign that included a plea from retiring Mayor Jerry Sanders, San Diego voters rejected candidates for school board backed by the local right wing. Dr. John Evans carried his politically vulnerable seat and political newcomer Marne Foster thumped William Ponder by a better than two to one margin.
The education contests in San Diego were particularly significant in light of a massive amount of very negative publicity aimed at the existing School Board and its policies. Through a campaign of innuendo aimed mostly at defeating Proposition Z, critics, led by the Lincoln Club and the San Diego County Taxpayers Association, sought to undermine the SDUSD Board of Trustees.
See Annie Lane’s totally terrific photo gallery from last night. Right here at San Diego Free Press.
It was also good (but not great) night for progressives regarding the ballot initiatives presented to California voters. The two biggies went our way. Proposition 30 (funding for education) passed, 54% to 46%. Proposition 32 (A one sided attempt at campaign finance reform) failed, 44% to 56%. A proposal to end the death penalty (Prop 34) was defeated, along with a bid (Prop 37) to require labeling of food containing genetically modified organisms.
Here’s the breakdown of key races, as of 6am Wednesday morning. Items in purple indicate how I voted…
Mayor San Diego
Filner (D) 51.53%
DeMaio (R) 48.47%
San Diego City Council
Lightner (D) 54.18%
Ellis (R) 45.82%
Proposition Z
Yes 60.25%
No 39.75%
SDUSD School Board District E
Foster 69.56%
Ponder 30.44%
SDUSD School Board District A
Evans 52.99%
Powell 47.01 %
San Diego Community College District B
Rhinerson 66.10%
Hasson 39.90%
County Board of Education
Robinson 54.99%
Witt 45.01%
Superior Court Judge
Amador 58.92%
Miller 41.08%
County Board of Supervisors
Roberts (D) 50.70%
Danon 49.50%
Proposition 30- Education Funding
Yes 54%
No 46%
Proposition 31 – Budget Cycle
Yes 39.2%
No 60.8%
Proposition 32 – Campaign Finance
Yes 43.8%
No 56.2%
Proposition 33 – Auto Insurance
Yes 45.3%
No 54.7%
Proposition 34 – End the Death Penalty
Yes 47.4%
No 52.6%
Proposition 35 – Increase Sex Trafficking Penalties
Yes 81.1%
No 18.9%
Proposition 36 – Reduce Three Strikes Law
Yes 68.8%
No 31.2%
Proposition 37 – Label Foods with GMOs
Yes 47%
No 53%
Proposition 38 – Molly Munger’s Education Funding
Yes 27.7%
No 72.3%
Proposition 39 – Close Sales Tax Loophole
Yes 60.2%
No 39.8%
Proposition 40 – Affirm CA Senate Redistricting
Yes 71.5%
No 28.5%
49th Congressional District
Issa (R) 55.91 %
Tetalman (D) 44.09%
50th Congressional District
Hunter (R) 68.49%
Secor (D) 31.51%
51st Congressional District
Vargas (D) 70.74%
Crimmins (R) 29.26%
52nd Congressional District (Too Close to Call)
Peters (D) 50.17%
Bilbray (R)49.83%
53rd Congressional District
Davis (D) 60.42%
Popaditch (R) 39.58%
State Senate District 39
Block (D) 57.4%
Plescia (R) 42.6%
State Assembly District 71
Jones (R) 64%
Hurley (D) 36%
State Assembly District 75
Waldron (R) 63.6%
Herold (D) 36.4%
State Assembly District 76
Chavez (R) 57.38%
Hodges (R) 42.2%
State Assembly District 77
Maienschein (R) 61%
Hernandez (D) 39%
State Assembly District 78
Atkins (D) 61.7%
Denny (R) 38.3%
State Assembly District 79
Weber (D) 60.3%
England (R) 39.7%
State Assembly District 80
Hueso (D) 68%
Roach (R) 32%
Special Notice: To all those local Republicans that Tweeted last night about moving to Mexico–Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on your way out.
On This Day: In 1917 Russia’s Bolshevik Revolution took place. The provisional government of Alexander Kerensky was overthrown by forces led by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. In 1986 Willie Nelson made a guest appearance the series “Miami Vice” as a corrupt policeman. In 1991 Magic Johnson (NBA) announced that he had tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS, and that he was retiring from basketball.
Eat Fresh! Today’s Farmers’ Markets: Carlsbad (Roosevelt St. btw Grand Ave. & Carlsbad Village Dr.) 1 – 5 pm, Encinitas Station (Corner of E Street & Vulcan in parking lot B) 5 – 8 pm, Mission Hills (Falcon St. btw West Washington & Ft. Stockton) 3 – 7 pm, North San Diego at Sikes Adobe Farmstead (I-15 at Via Rancho Parkway. 12655 Sunset Dr., Escondido.) 11 am – 2 pm, Ocean Beach (4900 block of Newport Ave. btw Cable & Bacon Sts.) 4 – 8 pm, San Marcos – Cal State San Marcos (333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., Parking Lot B) 3 – 7 pm, Santee (10445 Mission Gorge Rd.abandoned school parking lot) 3 –7 pm, Temecula (40820 Winchester Rd. Promenade Mall, parking lot btw Macy’s & Penny’s)9 am – 1 pm
Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe to “The Starting Line” and get an email every time a new article in this series is posted!
I read the Daily Fishwrap(s) so you don’t have to… Catch “the Starting Line” Monday thru Friday right here at San Diego Free Press (dot) org. Send your hate mail and ideas to DougPorter@SanDiegoFreePress.Org Check us out on Facebook and Twitter
Doug Porter
Latest posts by Doug Porter (see all)
- Last Call. Last Column. - December 14, 2018
- Which Presidential Candidate Will You Support in 2020? - December 13, 2018
- Mounting the Assault on Big Gay and Other Drivel From SDSU’s Minimum Wage Scrooge - December 12, 2018
The defeat of Prop 37 was a big disappointment, but it is a testimony to the fact that Monsanto, Dupont ans Dow Chemical put millions into defeating Prop 37 while the Yes on 37 folks had a paltry sum to devote to TV ads. Every available TV ad slot was a No on 37 ad while hardly a Yes on 37 ad was to be seen. I kept asking myself, “Where are they?” Yes on 37 should have been a no brainer. Where were the ads saying the real backers of No 37 were the big chemical companies not the laughable “sponsors” of No on 37 that they put forth?
The negative ads didn’t seem to have that big an effect on a number of other races and issues, but the big money took 37 down to defeat. It boils down to the fact that, if you don’t have the resources to put into it, why even try going up against the likes of Monsanto which has virtually unlimited funds.
The next campaign on this issue has to be much better planned and funded.
Wow, whatever Doug Porter wants, Doug Porter wins. In scanning that long list of results at this moment I could find only three of your picks that were going down; most sadly, they were the labeled foods and death penalty props. All in all, a great day for us lefties and the more thoughtful among us. But Doug, Dave Roberts won’t be the first Demo Supervisor elected to the Board. Back in the roaring 70s, Jim Bates was there, and so was the South Bay’s Jim Bear.
I made a boo-boo. Thanks for catching that slip on the Supes. It’s fixed. Now I think I’ll go watch Star Trek (DS9) re-runs for a few days, lol.
Another oops… Forgot to say that Obama carried San Diego County with 51.23% of the vote.
Also forgot to note that Robert Amador CRUSHED Jim Miller in Miller’s never ending quest for a seat on the bench.
Superior Court Office 25 goes to Amador with 58.92% to Miller’s 41.08%. It’s a good day for jurisprudence!
look again, andy. it’s there. has been all along
Okay, so maybe I just needed to reiterate it. (See what I did there?)
And… another telling, shout-it-from-the=rooftops moment for justice and fair play: despite enjoying last-minute torrents of cash and endorsements from Mayor Sanders and the ever-mediocre DA, Bonnie Dumanis, and Dougchester of Harbor Drive, and Mr. Democrat, Irwin Jacobs, and even winning the heart of the US Attorney in town, busy Karlheinz DeMaio was losing to Bob Filner. This means, of course, San Diego has risen from its yahoo roots. Looks like a new order is rising. Can’t fool all of us all the time.
DeMaio has conceded to Filner. Yesssssssss!