Endorsed Candidates and Ballot Measures
California Primary March 3, 2020
California Primary March 3, 2020
Mission Bay High School students at the Global Climate Walkout.
Thank you to all our members who attended meetings, learned more about this cycle's line-up of Democratic candidates, and participated in discussions with club members and candidates.
Additional thanks to all the candidates who sought our endorsement, and who made time to research and fill out our questionnaire. We know it was no small task. To those who earned our endorsement, we offer our congratulations, along with a reminder that we're watching, and we're counting on YOU.
These candidates received 60 percent of membership support in their endorsement contests, and have earned the endorsement of San Diego County Democrats for Environmental Action unless otherwise noted. Not every race in the county was considered.
Learn more about our club's ranked-choice ballot process.
Additional thanks to all the candidates who sought our endorsement, and who made time to research and fill out our questionnaire. We know it was no small task. To those who earned our endorsement, we offer our congratulations, along with a reminder that we're watching, and we're counting on YOU.
These candidates received 60 percent of membership support in their endorsement contests, and have earned the endorsement of San Diego County Democrats for Environmental Action unless otherwise noted. Not every race in the county was considered.
Learn more about our club's ranked-choice ballot process.
Candidates
U.S. House of Representatives, CA-49: Mike Levin (incumbent)
California State Senate, SD-39: Toni Atkins (incumbent)
California State Assembly, AD-78: Chris Ward
California State Assembly, AD-80: Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher (incumbent)
San Diego County Board of Supervisors, District 1: Rafael Castellanos
San Diego County Board of Supervisors, District 2: Kenya Taylor
San Diego County Board of Supervisors, District 3: Terra Lawson-Remer
Chula Vista City Council, District 3: Steve Padilla (incumbent)
San Diego Mayor: Barbara Bry, Todd Gloria, Tasha Williamson (all rated qualified)
San Diego City Council, District 1: Joe LaCava
San Diego City Council, District 3: Stephen Whitburn
San Diego City Council, District 5: Marni von Wilpert
San Diego City Council, District 7: Raul Campillo
Countywide Ballot Measures
U.S. House of Representatives, CA-49: Mike Levin (incumbent)
California State Senate, SD-39: Toni Atkins (incumbent)
California State Assembly, AD-78: Chris Ward
California State Assembly, AD-80: Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher (incumbent)
San Diego County Board of Supervisors, District 1: Rafael Castellanos
San Diego County Board of Supervisors, District 2: Kenya Taylor
San Diego County Board of Supervisors, District 3: Terra Lawson-Remer
Chula Vista City Council, District 3: Steve Padilla (incumbent)
San Diego Mayor: Barbara Bry, Todd Gloria, Tasha Williamson (all rated qualified)
San Diego City Council, District 1: Joe LaCava
San Diego City Council, District 3: Stephen Whitburn
San Diego City Council, District 5: Marni von Wilpert
San Diego City Council, District 7: Raul Campillo
Countywide Ballot Measures
Vote YES on Measure A
For years, environmentalists have fought General Plan Amendments (GPAs) at the San Diego County Board of Supervisors that would encourage sprawl development, like Lilac Hills in 2016 and Newland Sierra in 2020. Measure A, also known as the Save Our San Diego Countryside (SOS) initiative, takes that power and democratizes it. Measure A will force developers to steer clear of rural areas where there's a lack of jobs and transit, build within the parameters of our county's general plan, and focus on building the affordable housing our region needs within our urban footprint near job centers, transit, and infrastructure.
Measure A will still allow for GPAs in the unincorporated county where there are greater volumes of available jobs and transit, like Ramona or Alpine, while encouraging the Building Industry Association (BIA) and its developer allies to work within the parameters of our county's general plan. If they try to circumvent the general plan to push luxury, sprawl development in the fire-prone areas of our backcountry, they'll no longer be able to simply buy off the Board of Supervisors, as they have for decades. Instead, they'll have to answer to voters. Measure A is a critical "insurance plan" to ensure the board works with the general plan, instead of in defiance of it. Developers, in fact, tried to pressure County Supervisor Jim Desmond (D-5) to change Measure A's ballot language to favor the "no" side at the 11th hour. Read Cody's Fact vs. Fiction piece on Measure A. Vote YES on Measure A.
For years, environmentalists have fought General Plan Amendments (GPAs) at the San Diego County Board of Supervisors that would encourage sprawl development, like Lilac Hills in 2016 and Newland Sierra in 2020. Measure A, also known as the Save Our San Diego Countryside (SOS) initiative, takes that power and democratizes it. Measure A will force developers to steer clear of rural areas where there's a lack of jobs and transit, build within the parameters of our county's general plan, and focus on building the affordable housing our region needs within our urban footprint near job centers, transit, and infrastructure.
Measure A will still allow for GPAs in the unincorporated county where there are greater volumes of available jobs and transit, like Ramona or Alpine, while encouraging the Building Industry Association (BIA) and its developer allies to work within the parameters of our county's general plan. If they try to circumvent the general plan to push luxury, sprawl development in the fire-prone areas of our backcountry, they'll no longer be able to simply buy off the Board of Supervisors, as they have for decades. Instead, they'll have to answer to voters. Measure A is a critical "insurance plan" to ensure the board works with the general plan, instead of in defiance of it. Developers, in fact, tried to pressure County Supervisor Jim Desmond (D-5) to change Measure A's ballot language to favor the "no" side at the 11th hour. Read Cody's Fact vs. Fiction piece on Measure A. Vote YES on Measure A.
Vote No on Measure B
The backers of the disingenuous sprawl development known as Newland Sierra, located in one of the most fire-prone areas of our backcountry and within a functioning wildlife corridor, are trying to portray Measure B as a "better choice" with National Forest-like imagery and upfront promises of open space. Do not be fooled. Newland Sierra is one of San Diego's more notorious "zombie" projects. In fact, the current Newland Sierra proposal was the Merriam Mountains proposal of several years ago. Both still involve blasting the tops off nearby mountains, located just west of I-15 at Deer Springs Rd. in Twin Oaks Valley.
Among the fantasies being peddled by Measure B backers is that houses will begin at $300,000 (!). That was a statistic presented with a straight face to the San Diego Democratic Party Central Committee, and it was nearly laughed out of the room. Newland Sierra features plenty of luxury homes, but not a single unit qualifies as affordable, and many of the homes will require at least a six-figure income to afford. Executives with Newland have given thousands of dollars to politicos and area P.R. firms to sell Newland Sierra to voters and cloud the facts, but being far from job centers, transit and infrstructure, the project (which will take 20 years to build as they cultivate a city the size of Del Mar) will add thousands of cars to I-15 every day. Not that it would help, but they're not even going to widen the freeway. Enough of the zombie projects. Vote NO on Measure B.
The backers of the disingenuous sprawl development known as Newland Sierra, located in one of the most fire-prone areas of our backcountry and within a functioning wildlife corridor, are trying to portray Measure B as a "better choice" with National Forest-like imagery and upfront promises of open space. Do not be fooled. Newland Sierra is one of San Diego's more notorious "zombie" projects. In fact, the current Newland Sierra proposal was the Merriam Mountains proposal of several years ago. Both still involve blasting the tops off nearby mountains, located just west of I-15 at Deer Springs Rd. in Twin Oaks Valley.
Among the fantasies being peddled by Measure B backers is that houses will begin at $300,000 (!). That was a statistic presented with a straight face to the San Diego Democratic Party Central Committee, and it was nearly laughed out of the room. Newland Sierra features plenty of luxury homes, but not a single unit qualifies as affordable, and many of the homes will require at least a six-figure income to afford. Executives with Newland have given thousands of dollars to politicos and area P.R. firms to sell Newland Sierra to voters and cloud the facts, but being far from job centers, transit and infrstructure, the project (which will take 20 years to build as they cultivate a city the size of Del Mar) will add thousands of cars to I-15 every day. Not that it would help, but they're not even going to widen the freeway. Enough of the zombie projects. Vote NO on Measure B.
