San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria speaks to City Council President Dr. Jen Campbell who vaccinated union workers in San Diego during the pandemic. Photo by Chris Stone
San Diego City Council incumbents Jen Campbell, Monica Montgomery-Steppe and Vivian Moreno all led in early returns Tuesday.
Monica Montgomery-Steppe and Vivian Moreno held commanding leads, at 71% and 63% respectively. Campbell’s lead was narrow, at 32% to Republican political newcomer Linda Lukas’ 24% and former Assemblymember Lori Saldana’s 19%.
“While there remain many votes still to be counted, it appears that voters will have a very clear choice in November between a Democrat who puts public health first and tackles homeless as the public health crisis it is and a Republican,” said Campbell.
In the race for the open seat in District 6, former radio personality Tommy Hough and nonprofit executive Kent Lee were in a virtual tie at 38% each and headed for a runoff in November.
The race for Campbell’s seat drew numerous challengers because of opposition to the councilmember’s support for redeveloping the Midway District and finding a compromise on short-term rental rules.
“It’s clear from our strong first place finish that voters want a councilmember who builds consensus to move all of San Diego forward, just as I did in forging the landmark compromise to deliver common-sense regulations on short term vacation rentals,” said Campbell.
Campbell survived a recall effort in 2021, led by residents opposed to her push to regulate short-term vacation rentals.