Photo: Thom Senzee
San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer has endorsed Anthony Bernal, who is running to replace his boss, District 3 Councilman Todd Gloria. Gloria, the only member of the LGBT community currently serving on the council, will be termed out of office at the end of his current term. Bernal, who is straight, is a senior field deputy in Gloria’s office.
“I’ve known Anthony for a number of years,” Faulconer said during a press conference outside of City Hall. “I’ve seen first-hand the work that he does with community members, the work that he does with city council members. For the past seven years, Anthony Bernal has worked alongside Councilmember Todd Gloria to solve problems. Anthony’s a problem-solver, helping residents to fill potholes and assisting small businesses get permits. Anthony Bernal has done it.”
Should Bernal prevail over his opponent, Chris Ward—chief of staff to State Sen. Marty Block—his win would create the first San Diego City Council without a single gay man or lesbian member in many years. There has never been an openly bisexual or transgender member of the city’s legislative body.
“I will represent all of the constituents of District 3 regardless of orientation, gender, race or any other status,” Bernal said. “That includes, families, individuals and small businesses.”
San Diego LGBT Weekly asked the mayor if his decision to endorse the non-LGBT candidate was a betrayal of a community whose votes may have helped put him over the top during his election campaign to replace disgraced former mayor, Bob Filner.
“I’m a strong advocate of the LGBT community, as is Anthony,” said Faulconer.
Nevertheless, City Commissioner Nicole Murray Ramirez, a longtime LGBT-equality activist who was named “mayor of Hillcrest” by none other than Councilman Gloria during his tenure as interim mayor, says Faulconer’s endorsement of Bernal is a net negative for San Diego’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.
“I conveyed my disappointment to the mayor for endorsing Anthony Bernal,” Ramirez said during a phone interview from Fresno, where he is helping organize Latino voters. “And as a Latino, I’d like to point out a vast majority of my fellow Latino community members, leaders, activists and organizations have endorsed Chris Ward.”
Indeed, Ward appears to have been endorsed by more organizations focused on advocating for Latino community members than his opponent. However, Bernal, who is Latino, has been endorsed by the San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
According to Ramirez, the mayor’s endorsement of a non-gay candidate over a gay one to fill a historically LGBT council seat doesn’t jeopardize Faulconer’s standing as an ally of the LGBT community.
“The mayor expressed his longtime working relationship with Anthony,” Ramirez said. “We agreed to disagree.”
Photo: Thom Senzee
Minutes after Bernal’s press conference with Mayor Faulconer, Chris Ward held a press conference of his own under an oversized LGBT Freedom Flag in San Diego’s historically LGBT Hillcrest neighborhood under which the region’s Pride festival kicks off each year. LGBT Weekly was also at that press conference.
“I’m asking voters as they look at the records and the totality of the circumstances to look at who is supporting me and who is supporting my opponent,” Ward said.
“I’m really proud of the endorsements of people like Sen. Christine Kehoe, City Councilman David Alvarez and Donna Frye and the Sierra Club and many of our hard-working men and women of the City of San Diego. My opponents track record and [endorsements] list is really limited to the Building Industry Association, the Restaurant Association, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and now Mayor Kevin Faulconer.”
Ward reiterated his supporters’ assertions that Bernal has all but sold out to developers and San Diego’s conservative political establishment.
Bernal rejects that accusation and says he will be a council member for all of District 3 if he’s elected.
The 2016 primary will occur June 7. Absentee voting has already begun.
