Changing of the Guard: New City Council Roles

image
Author: Blake Bunch
Published: 03 Dec, 2012
Updated: 17 Oct, 2022
1 min read

Congressman Bob Filner will be sworn as San Diego's thirty-fifth mayor today - Monday, December 3 at a ceremony held at the Balboa Park Club at 10am. Not only will Filner be the only elected official sworn in, as council president Tony Young will be stepping down, fulfilling his new role with Red Cross. Filner will be the thirty-fifth mayor to serve the city of San Diego.

The event should prove to be interesting, as city attorney Jan Goldsmith and council members for districts 1,3,5,7,and 9 are up for reelection.  Filner won a close election - one which was rife with personal political attack ads and overall animosity, and looks to give power in the city "back to the neighborhoods," and not to downtown special interest. During the election cycle, Filner garnered much more support from public service officials than his opponent, city council member Carl DeMaio.

Mayor Jerry Sanders served as San Diego's first mayor under the strong mayor system. Filner will now be the second. Sanders will be taking a post as CEO of the chamber of commerce, so the city will still see him serving the public. Council members who are also up for reelection are Todd Gloria, Sherri Lightner, and Marti Emerald. Regarding the role of city council president, speculation will conclude that Kevin Faulconer and Todd Gloria are up for the position. It is highly likely that Gloria will be sworn in this afternoon as the new council president.

To watch the ceremony live click here. Regardless of who is elected today, San Diego City Council will form its direction for the next few years.

Former mayor Jerry Sanders thanking San Diegans for their support. "There are two great days in a mayor's tenure. When he takes office and when he resigns," joked Sanders.

Latest articles

Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read
A man filling out his election ballot.
Oregon Activist Sues over Closed Primaries: 'I Shouldn't Have to Join a Party to Have a Voice'
A new lawsuit filed in Oregon challenges the constitutionality of the state’s closed primary system, which denies the state’s largest registered voting bloc – independent voters – access to taxpayer-funded primary elections. The suit alleges Oregon is denying the voters equal voting rights...
01 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Supreme Court building.
Supreme Court Sides with Federal Corrections Officers in Lawsuit Over Prison Incident
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 30 that federal prison officers and officials cannot be sued by an inmate who accused them of excessive force during a 2021 incident, delivering a victory for federal corrections personnel concerned about rising legal exposure for doing their jobs....
01 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read