The San Diego Free Press and OB Rag are pleased to present our 2018 Primary Election Progressive Voter Guide. As usual, we tried not to let perfect be the enemy of good in our decision making. This year we’re breaking it into parts to make it more digestible.
We endorsed (or didn’t) contests where editors and contributors had some working knowledge of the contests. Generally speaking, we didn’t endorse in non-competitive races with a Democratic incumbent (who you should probably vote for). Candidates with low fundraising totals or no campaign organization were not included.
Endorsements or lack thereof reflect a majority opinion of the Editorial Board, which includes: Brent Beltrán, Anna Daniels, Frank Gormlie, Patty Jones, Rich Kacmar, Annie Lane, and Doug Porter. It should be noted there were many non-unanimous decisions.
Democratic Candidates are Blue * Republican Candidates are Red
Many candidates names are linked to their websites.
An asterisk (*) next to a name indicates an incumbent.
Judicial Office #37– Victor Torres
Assessor/Recorder/Clerk – Matt Strabone
Sheriff – Dave Myers
District Attorney – Geneviéve Jones-Wright
Board of Supervisors District 4 – Omar Passons
Board of Supervisors District 5 – Michelle Gomez
Community College Board – Maria Nieto Senour, Craig Milgrim, Rafael Perez
SD County Board of Education – Alicia Munoz, Rick Shea
Really! Most races (45 out of 47) this year are uncontested. Normally it’is considered a career ender for a practicing lawyer to run against an incumbent judge. Right-wing extremists trying to get (or already on) on the bench is the exception. And we have two of those exceptions in this election.
No Endorsement, just a warning.
Herbert Exarhos* Was on County DA’s blackball list for “sentencing irregularities.” (This was a good thing)
Vicki Rothman | Twitter | Attorney – Don’t Vote for Vicki Rothman. Once worked for the law firm of Judge Gary Kreep , hangs out politically with the far right crowd.
A unique contest. Democrats, Republicans, and the legal community all want the incumbent replaced by another, any other person.
Gary Kreep* Incumbent. Right-wing kook. Elected by mistake in 2012. This Ballotpedia page explains all his censures by various entities. This City Beat article explains the rest (It’s amazing!) Don’t vote for Gary Kreep.
Your choices to replace him are:
Matt Brower Facebook | Twitter | Deputy District Attorney – Endorsed by local Democratic Party and virtually every law enforcement support group in the region.
Steve Miller | Retired Federal Prosecutor
Tim Nader | Facebook |Deputy Attorney General- Endorsed by Tom Homann LGBTQ Law Association, San Diego Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and 16 local Democratic elected officials.
▲Victor Torres ▲ | Facebook | Lawyer – Endorsed by San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association, MABPA (Mexican-American Business & Professional Association), San Diego Chapter, National Latino Peace Officers Association, Democratic Freedom Caucus, California Chapter, San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council. Looks to be the most progressive candidate in this contest. Has proven his value to the community.
Most contests will be decided on June 5. There is a real opportunity this year to change the direction of a government entity that’s mostly been indifferent, slate, white and Republican for decades. An SDFP Overview – These Elections Are the Ones to Watch
One of the most influential positions in government you never heard of. A change here would be like taking out the garbage. The Republican incumbent is Ernest Dronenburg . There is only one challenger in this contest and it will be decided on June 5.
▲ Matt Strabone ▲
Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements | Issues Page | SDFP Profile
Analysis: Ethics attorney Matt Strabone actually knows something about this position, like the fact that 150,000 homeowners in San Diego County not getting the property tax exemption they should be getting and paying extra money on property tax every year. He has the kind of smart thinking and values we need going into the future.
Chief law enforcement officer for all County unincorporated areas. plus 9 cities. The seven seven detention facilities, with an average daily population of approximately 5,300 inmates have an embarrassing track record on inmate deaths. There there’s the matter of the Deputies who keep getting busted for sexual harassment. And how about the $24,033,149.36 via 108 personal injury and damage settlements paid from your taxes during the reign of incumbent Republican Bill Gore ?
There is a better person for this job.
▲ Dave Myers ▲
Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements | Issues Page | SDFP Profile
Analysis: Sheriff’s Department Commander Dave Myers has put everything on the line in running for this position as a reform candidate. As an openly Gay man in a macho culture, the challenges he’s faced have been substantial. As a subordinate who dared to challenge his boss, he’s been subjected to unending personal and professional attacks by the incumbent. He’ll help put the “Justice” back into our criminal justice system.
The County DA has the power to impact the lives of people, their families, and entire communities. If someone is accused of committing a crime, it is not the police but the DA who decides if criminal charges are filed and the severity of those charges. Their power includes deciding who is incarcerated, will be routed into a diversion program to help rebuild their lives, or have charges dismissed. The appointed Republican Candidate is Summer Stephan
▲ Geneviéve Jones-Wright ▲
Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements | Issues Page | SDFP Profile
Analysis: Public defender Geneviéve Jones-Wright is the real deal, part of a national movement for criminal justice reform. We can no longer tolerate a DA whose idea of service to the citizenry are public relations programs. Equal Justice for All needs to be the norm in San Diego County.
Note: We did not endorse candidates who sought and/or received the blessings of the San Diego Working Families Council (WFC). The argument about endorsements from this breakaway group reflecting the interests of its affiliated union’s members doesn’t hold water when you take into account the departure of the Service Employees Internation Union Local 221, which represents County of San Diego employees, from the Council. Their choice for a County Supervisor candidate was not respected, which leads us to conclude the WFC is really just a one-man (Mickey Kasparian) show.
Central and western portions of the county, most of the City of San Diego. Democrats have the upper hand in voter registration. Incumbent Ron Roberts is termed-out. Chances are good the top two vote-getters will face off in November. The Republican Candidate is Bonnie Dumanis. Please don’t vote for her.
Other candidates are:
Nathan Fletcher
Facebook Page | Twitter | Endorsements | Issues Page | SDFP Profile
Analysis: Former Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher is the Democratic party’s favorite. His approach to making a change at this level is to build coalitions with interest groups and activists to bring pressure to bear. He has the political chops to get things done and has paid his dues. And we’re convinced his ideological transformation is real.
Ken Malbrough
Facebook | Twitter | Issues Page
Analysis: Retired Deputy Fire Chief from the City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, has grassroots support in the Black community. Seems like a thoughtful person.
▲ Omar Passons ▲
Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements | Issues Page | SDFP Profile
Analysis: Attorney and community planning activist Omar Passons has been vanquishing his name id problem with a solid canvassing campaign. His campaign blog has the most detailed descriptions of his ideas of any candidate. We believe he deserves the opportunity to realize his thoughtful vision.
Lori Saldaña
Facebook | Twitter | Issues | SDFP Profile
Analysis: Former Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña had a good track record as a progressive in the legislature. She’s burned a lot of bridges with the Democratic establishment (not necessarily a bad thing). Her ability to build the kinds of political coalitions needed to bring even incremental change over the next few years, given the animus we sense coming from her camp toward potential future allies is, however, a legitimate question. Finally, her association with a Mickey Kasparian-led group is a deal-breaker for us.
North County Communities. The GOP has a sizable voter registration advantage in the district, with 38% of the electorate. Democrats have 30.4%, while another 25.9% do not belong to a political party. Incumbent Bill Horn is termed-out. Chances are good the top two vote-getters will face off in November.
Jacqueline Arsivaud
Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements | Issues Page
Analysis : Community activist Jacqueline Arsivaud comes with a recognized an expertise with on land conservation, smart growth, and fire politics. Has made it clear she won’t be a tool for big developers.
▲ Michelle Gomez ▲
Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements | Issues Page
Analysis: Legislative Analyst Michelle Gomez has lined up major labor and party support in a contest devoid of Democratic candidates until recently. She could benefit from increased turnout in the 49th Congressional District election. Let’s end the hoarding and start serving the needs of the people of North County.
San Diego County Board of Education
San Diego Community College Board
San Diego Unified School Board – No SDFP Endorsements
District B: Kevin Beiser*
District C: Michael McQuary*, Eric Korevaar
Thursday-City of San Diego
Friday-Statewide Offices & Legislative Seats
Monday-Federal Offices, plus Ballot Measures
Tuesday: Voter Guide Crib Sheet (All Contests)
Doug Porter was active in the early days of the alternative press in San Diego, contributing to the OB Liberator, the print version of the OB Rag, the San Diego Door, and the San Diego Street Journal. He went on to have a 35-year career in the Hospitality business and decided to go back into raising hell when he retired. He won numerous awards for his columns from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Doug is a cancer survivor (sans vocal chords) and lives in North Park.
I have seen this phrase a few times before, he “has paid his dues”, trying to explain away Nathan Fletcher’s horrible voting record. It does beg the question: what were the dues Fletcher has paid that wipe clean his 4 years in Sacramento voting against every decent and progressive bill that came before him? Did he also pay his dues for campaigning for Bush/Cheney and helping to usher in a war in Iraq that we are still paying for? There is also the question of Fletcher’s 93% rating with the NRA. If, like me, you were wondering why 93%, why not 100%. When I looked into Fletcher’s voting record, I discovered he did not show up to vote 24 times and one of these times was for AB1527, a bill the gun lobby wished he had voted against. The most important responsibility of a California assembly member is to vote on the bills being presented and Nathan Fletcher failed to vote 24 times. While I would not consider it paying his dues, his failure to vote was certainly better than voting in the wrong direction. So the most charitable thing you can say about Nathan Fletcher’s record is that his mean-spirited votes were tempered by his unreliability. But that is a long way from having paid his dues.
Regarding: Herbert Exarhos* Was on County DA’s blackball list for “sentencing irregularities.” (This was a good thing) Please explain why you said that it was a good thing.
Some of the info about Exarhos states “Prosecutors were seeking a six-year prison term for the defendant, 19-year-old Sarah Baillie, who had pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge. Exarhos handed down a three-year term that was criticized outside of court by one of the prosecutors on the case, Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth Rodriguez, who is the daughter of Assistant District Attorney Jessie Rodriguez.”
I was referring to the past DA’s practice of refusing to try cases in front of judges they felt weren’t cooperative enough with the prosecution. In the larger sense, this speaks to the DA’s office using the metric of the number of convictions/sentences as opposed to the metric of quality in serving the interests of justice.
The bottom line is that if a judge continues to get challenged, he/she should be transferred to another department to prevent a backlog in the courts. The courts have had other judges who were challenged because their demeanor on the bench in family law was so horrible, the presiding judge moved those bench officers to other departments. Exarhos stated in an interview that the challenges lasted over 6 months. This was a disservice to the people with him sitting in an empty courtroom for months. No reporter has had the guts to ask him why he wasn’t moved, nor did they ask the presiding judge. I am running so we stop wasting valuable court resources and the people’s time. The bench is not a legislative arm, so if people want to change the laws, they need to go those who make the laws. I have no interest in protecting or promoting a political view from the bench. You can look on the court calendar to see each judge’s daily caseload and see for yourself who is working and who is not. Hope this helps.
Vicki Rothman
I don’t know enough about the case to comment. So I won’t. Again, I was referring generally to the repugnant policy of our former DA.
Vicki Rothman has no business on the bench. A judge should always hear BOTH sides of the story. She is quick to react based on emotion! DONT vote for Vicki Rothman!
Vote for Vicki Rothman!!
Judge of the Superior Court Office-No.28 She is quick. maybe that’s why she was able to be a wife, a mom, go to law school, pass the bar the 1st time, become an attorney and mediated family law cases where she learned skills to see both sides of a case. All that… and volunteered her legal services to young woman who were victims of assults and domestic abuse. After reading about her career as an attorney, it does sound like she had it out for those who commit violent crimes, domestic violence or abused children. That is a quick judgement call I’ll put my vote behind.
I did some research on both candidates for Judge of the Superior Court #28. It appears that Vicki Rothman is republican and she worked in association with Gary Kreep (a republican judge in office 37 that both Repubs and Dems are trying to get rid of!) who has supported kooky Right Wing policies including birtherism. It appears that Herbert Exharos is Democrat and is MUCH more progressive than Rothman. Don’t be tricked- read up on these candidates at multiple sites and make sure the sources are credible!
No tricks here! My comment in regards to Vicki Rothman chronicles the achievements of a woman I find remarkable. She is a candidate in a nonpartisan election to be chosen by the people. Non partisan elections are not for the purpose of narrowing the candidates to one from each party. As a private citizen who has fulfilled my civil service in the courtroom twice as a juror and then supported family members through a long TOUGH trial it gives me a sick feeling to think a judge could be more committed to furthering a political party’s agenda than his or her commitment to a fair and impartial judicial system. So better to let that one go and continue to keep the faith that our current and future superior court judges here in SD seek truth and justice for all through constitutional law. I think it is “trickery” to prompt others to vote down a partyline for a superior court judge. Or hint at a no vote for a woman who has achieved so much because she appears Republican. That lacks progress for all women. After reading or researching Superior Court Judge Herbert Exarhos I thanked him for his service to our country and his service to the community. 30 years plus in the courtroom and endorsed by people who make our county of San Diego world turn in a better way. However, he is 75, never been challenged and may decide to retire before this 6 year term is over. Then, there is no vote by the people. After reading about Vicky Rothman I thank her for her service to the community through her work as a civil and family law attorney and her work with mediation. However, her volunteerism to assist those who are victims of violence and abuse really speaks volumes. I also appreciate during interviews her explanation of how the things work to become a superior court judge. After reading the interview I’ve learned there is no vote by the people if a judge retires. Many are appointed by a governor who shares the same political view. There shouldn’t be weight added to scale of justice by either party. Also, just her approach to this election process as a private citizen I find insightful. She doesn’t have years of experience in superior court to gain the endorsement of the movers and shakers of SD or everyday us but certainly deserves a serious consideration beyond the divide of party preference. Lindin Brooks
Exarhos was endorsed by the Republican party. Look at their official website. Look at the court calendar to see how the family law calendars are jam packed and his calendar is practically empty, day after day. I am not running on a political platform, as every person needs to be treated exactly the same by a judge, no matter what party they belong to, or none perhaps. We need term limits on the bench, Exarhos has been there almost 40 years and does not see any problems in the courts. All is good in the kingdom when you are the king.
looking for guidance on superintendent of public education and Grossmont/Cuyamaca CC board trustee area 5
SDFP Columnist Jim Miller says “Grossmont-Cuyamaca District Board races, vote for Linda Cartwright, Debbie Justeson, and Brad Monroe.”
and Tony Thurmond over Marshall Tuck in the State education contest
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Please be more specific about how to unsubscribe. there are 2 links in the email and I don’t see “unsubscribe” in either.
JB, there is no email to resend.
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