San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria is running for re-election and while he has a challenger in independent Larry Turner, a police officer and Marine veteran, the race is not expected to be competitive. He also is the only registered NPP (independent) running for a major office.

In the City of San Diego, NPPs outnumber Republican voters – 24% to 22% – with Democratic registered voters accounting for 47% of the vote. Turner likely is aware of this and that might be why he boasts that he is a “lifelong independent” on his campaign website. 

Even so, Gloria’s popularity is expected to help him cruise to victory on Election Day.

Political insiders say if Gloria was facing a high-profile challenger his re-election would not be guaranteed largely because so many San Diegans are not pleased with city leadership and how it has dealt with homelessness and housing. 

“For Mayor Todd Gloria, the primary election results are anything but a confirmation of voters’ faith in him,” the San Diego Union-Tribune editorial board wrote in March. 

“In barely winning half the vote against well-meaning opponents with little mastery of basic issues, the former City Council president and Assembly member showed he would have been in real political peril had he gone against a high-profile Democrat.”

Turner: The Veteran Marine

Turner has rightly focused his grassroots campaign directly on homelessness, tapping into the biggest issue in San Diego – an issue that very often feels like it has confounded and overwhelmed Gloria and his team since taking office four years ago.

Turner says he was dismayed by the disarray he saw on San Diego's streets when he returned from a career in the Marine Corps, Axios reported in August. “Some neighborhoods just looked like third-world countries," he told Axios. "The humanitarian crisis was just off the charts."

Turner spends a lot of his time on the campaign trail talking about the issue, which routinely polls near the top of resident concerns and dominates City Hall, Axios noted. He also lists affordable housing, infrastructure, immigration, and cleaning up bad city real estate deals as his top priorities.

“I will be an independent voice that represents the citizens of San Diego, not a political party or soft-on-crime ideology,” Turner says on his campaign website. 

“I’m here to deliver solutions only, to save the lives of our homeless struggling to survive (and our businesses alike), to return safety and dignity to our streets. San Diego can be a progressive, affordable, AND safe city–I promise to deliver just that.”

Turner has endorsed the San Diego More Choice Initiative. 

Gloria: The Incumbent Mayor

“To deal with the city’s fiscal issues while also seeking much more progress on housing, homelessness and other major issues is going to require experience-informed leadership. This is why The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board supports the re-election of Mayor Todd Gloria,” the newspaper wrote in February. 

“We have been critical of the Democratic mayor on several fronts since he took office in December 2020. But it needs to be said that it is an extremely difficult time to be a mayor in urban California — and compared with the chaos seen in cities such as San Francisco and Oakland, San Diego looks good.”

Gloria is the son of a gardener and hotel maid, inspired by his parents to leave things better than he found them. The popular politician is a third-generation San Diegan of Filipino, Dutch, Puerto Rican, and Native American descent. 

He lives in Little Italy with his partner, Adam, and their dog, Diego. He served two terms on the San Diego City Council (2008-2016). He also served in the California State Assembly from 2016 to 2020.

As Mayor, Gloria says he repaired over 939 miles of roads; opened or upgraded 20 parks; and developed new fire stations, improved libraries, and repaired sidewalks throughout San Diego.

He is endorsed by labor groups, business groups, high-profile elected leaders, and the San Diego County Democratic Party.

“Todd is committed to tackling San Diego's most pressing issues- public safety, homelessness, housing and infrastructure,” his campaign website says. 

“Over the past three years, his administration has successfully placed more than 3,600 people experiencing homelessness into permanent housing and more than doubled shelter options. From new fire stations to improved libraries and repaired sidewalks, the evidence of Todd’s commitment to the people of San Diego can be found right in your own neighborhood.”

What’s at Stake?

The opportunity to serve as mayor of the 8th largest city in the country is noteworthy, but given the state of play in San Diego and California, the job is not as desirable as it once was. Even so, Gloria is seeking a second 4-year term that he is expected to win. 

Gloria is a progressive Democrat with a strong base of support. He will need to maintain that support while appealing to some NPPs and Republicans on Election Day.