It’s a new day San Diego

When I woke up this morning, I think San Diego elected its first Democratic mayor in 20 years. Not that I did not try to stay awake to hear the news live, but after spending the evening politicking, my pillow beckoned me.

As I left the U.S. Grant Hotel, City Councilman Carl DeMaio was giving a speech that essentially sounded like a concession speech to me. While he was leading in votes at the time, DeMaio knew what many of us knew, the votes from south of 8 had yet to be counted.

While there are Democrats and Republicans throughout the county, DeMaio should have been leading by high single digits when I decided to call it a night. I spoke with San Diego Democratic Party County Chair Jess Durfee and labor leader Lorena Gonzalez earlier at the Westin Gaslamp and there was the usual Democrat skepticism.

Democrats can’t be sure until we are sure. While we all rejoiced as Obama was re-elected, I had that nagging feeling that this could be a repeat of 2008 when I worked on the Obama campaign. I was ecstatic when Obama won, only to be devastated when Prop. 8 passed: joy and tears.

Going between the Westin Gaslamp and Golden Hall, I became more and more anxious. Anxious? Yes, I am one of those people who is really into politics, so I was anxious. Nothing a nice cocktail could not resolve, but anxious nonetheless. Still no word on new results from the mayoral race, it’s been more than two hours with no updates.

With a good political friend, I wandered aimlessly trying to find someone that could tell me Filner was going to win. Finally, a person from the Filner campaign came to comfort me. He simply said, “Filner is going to win.”

One of the things about being politically active is that comfort lasts only two minutes because you always run into someone who says, “Oh my God is Filner going down?” I’ll have another Absolut and soda. Hold the soda.

The Westin Gaslamp was so full of energy because Obama had won re-election, yet we were still waiting for the results from the mayoral race. It’s almost 11:30 and I am exhausted. I quietly walk to the valet to get my car as DeMaio begins his speech that I listen to on the radio in my car.

DeMaio is a smart guy, but the demographics in San Diego were not working for him. While the mayoral race is non-partisan, most people knew that DeMaio was a Republican. The Republicans that dislike LGBT people, have weird views about a woman’s reproductive rights, and also have draconian immigration views.

DeMaio did not join the rest of the City Council repudiating the Arizona “show me you papers” law. It was simply a way to express support for the San Diego immigrant community but DeMaio decided, for whatever reason, that he did not need to make that gesture.

Demographics. Why would DeMaio want to make Latinos upset? He has a brilliant political mind, you need Latinos in this city to win, right?

As I write this I really don’t know who will be mayor. KUSI has called it for Filner but every other local station is waiting till we get the absentee and provisional ballots counted in the next few hours. I thought I knew who won; I guess I turned on the wrong channel.

Those pesky provisional and absentee ballots; will they break Republican or Democrat? Why am I still talking about this? I mean we already know who the president will be, but I am still agonizing over the mayoral race.

All politics is local. It is a cliché, but oh so true. Filner, Filner! Positive energy. I think he may win, but who votes by mail or absentee? My husband for one, but he’s a Democrat. Why am I so worried that the Republican guard may have voted absentee? The reality is of the 475,000 absentee ballots, how many will count in the mayor’s race?

Well it’s over and it is Mayor Filner! The broadcast TV stations have called it. Is that the sound of the LGBT political elite realigning? Those who did not step forward with forceful support of Filner, well, not such a good idea. Trust me there will be more on this later.

Those who were threatened that you would not be invited to City Hall during a DeMaio administration, have a party. Of course, you might need to rent out the convention center, given your numbers.

It’s a new day San Diego!