Election losses by two incumbents on Tuesday will move the San Diego City Council farther to the left and could allow Democrats and labor leaders to pursue a more ambitious agenda on homelessness, affordable housing and other issues.
The city will continue to have a divided government with a Republican mayor and a Democratic majority on the council, but Republican Lorie Zapf’s loss to Democrat Dr. Jennifer Campbell boosted the Democratic majority from 5-4 to 6-3.
That supermajority will allow Democrats to override vetoes by Mayor Kevin Faulconer on contentious issues, giving Democrats more power to set priorities and pursue policies and projects that might not be popular with Faulconer.
“You'll see the Democrats be willing to set a more ambitious agenda because they now have the ability to drive that debate," Keith Maddox, leader of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, said by phone on Wednesday.
Further diminishing Faulconer’s power was civil rights lawyer Monica Montgomery defeating Council President Myrtle Cole, the mayor’s closest ally among council Democrats in recent years.
While both women are Democrats, Montgomery ran against Cole from the left and is perceived as significantly more liberal on many issues.
Council positions in San Diego are officially non-partisan, but votes are often along party lines, especially on contentious issues.
Some Republicans and business leaders say they’re concerned having a supermajority could make council Democrats less business-friendly and prompt them to focus more on policies like a recently approved polystyrene ban.
"I hope we don't get sidetracked on issues that don't make a big difference to the city, because the city's got problems right now," Jerry Sanders, chief executive of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, said by phone on Wednesday.
"The Democrats having a supermajority means that we need to find ways to work more closely together," said Sanders, a close ally of Faulconer and a former San Diego mayor. "It's obviously not the result we wanted. I think an evenly divided council is probably a good thing because it forces people to work together, but I still think there are ways we can work together."
Councilwoman Barbara Bry, D-La Jolla, said by phone on Wednesday that talk of the Democratic supermajority has been overblown.
"I'm always about getting things done and I think my colleagues are the same,” she said. "We don't always vote along party lines. My goal is that we all work together regardless of party. We've done that successfully many times."
Bry, however, said that she welcomes having six Democratic votes instead of five on the council. She said the additional vote will make Faulconer more hesitant to use his line-item veto on the city budget, especially in partisan ways.
Bry also balked at descriptions of Democrats as unfriendly or unsympathetic to business.
"I always use the business lens when making a decision," said Bry, a longtime technology entrepreneur. "Some economists told us raising the city’s minimum wage would put thousands of people out of work, and look at what we have today -- the lowest unemployment rate we've ever had in San Diego."
She contends the city’s recent ban on polystyrene, which is more popularly known as Styrofoam, was handled fairly and equitably by giving waivers and grace periods to many restaurants and other businesses.
Bry said the ban was the right move, despite opposition from the chamber and the California Restaurant Association.
"At the end of the day, the little pieces of foam get into the fish and that's not good for anybody," she said. "I count on my colleagues to make rational and practical decisions, regardless of party."
Maddox, the labor leader, said Democrats and labor leaders support local business because they know a thriving economy is necessary for high-paying jobs with solid security.
Maddox, however, said it’s important that the city not be too generous with businesses at the expense of communities and ordinary residents.
“We don’t oppose a business-friendly agenda, it just needs to be a fair shake,” he said. “I wouldn't say it's going to be anti-business. I just think workers and the community will have a much bigger say."
Councilman Chris Cate of Mira Mesa, a Republican who won re-election on Tuesday night over Democrat Tommy Hough, said he’s concerned the supermajority will make the council more partisan.
Cate said he’d like to see Democrats reach out to council Republicans on issues, not ram a hard-line agenda through without consensus just because they have enough votes to do that.
"Do they want to be partisan in how they approach the different issues at City Hall, or do they want to have a more open-door policy where they work with all of their colleagues?" Cate said in a Tuesday night interview. "Only time will tell what kind of approach they want to take."
Campbell, the Democrat who defeated Zapf, said she expects the supermajority to change Faulconer’s approach.
"The mayor will need to be working with us in concert," said Campbell, who lives in the Bay Ho section of Clairemont. "We will all need to work together and be collegial and get our problems solved."
In an email on Wednesday afternoon, a spokesman for Faulconer said the mayor is optimistic about partnering with the new council.
“The mayor has a long and successful track record of building partnerships across party lines and he will work with the new council members to find areas of common ground,” said the spokesman, Matt Awbrey. “At the end of the day we serve the same constituents. It’s not in the best interest of council members to have an adversarial relationship, because that stands in the way of getting things done that are important to San Diegans and our communities.”
The power shift at City Hall could help Faulconer start governing in new, more effective ways, said Vince Vasquez, a local political consultant.
"This seems like an opportunity for the mayor to pivot," Vasquez said by phone on Wednesday. "I think there was a strong dependence on his relationship with the council president to get things done, so maybe he will find a different approach."
Vasquez noted that the two years with Cole serving as council president have been marked by turmoil and more partisanship than under previous council presidents Sherri Lightner and Todd Gloria.
"Time and time again we saw controversies erupt,” Vasquez said. “It didn't seem to be a smooth working relationship, so I see this as an opportunity to try something different."
Cole’s departure means there will be a new council president, with Bry, Councilman Chris Ward of University Heights and Councilwoman Georgette Gomez of City Heights the leading candidates, as the senior Democrats on the council.
"I think it's a great opportunity and I would be honored if my colleagues vote for me," said Bry, who has held the council’s No. 2 job since last December. "At the end of the day, it's up to them."
A factor in whether Bry gets the pivotal post could be the expectation she will battle fellow Democrats Gloria and Congressman Scott Peters to replace Faulconer as mayor in 2020.
The council president post would be considered helpful to Bry, so any of her council colleagues who support Gloria or Peters for mayor could be reluctant to appoint her.
Tuesday night’s losses by Zapf and Cole are the first time any incumbent has lost a San Diego council race since 1992.
A spokeswoman for Cole didn’t respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
Zapf said by email on Wednesday that she wishes Campbell the best in her new position and that she has enjoyed her time at City Hall.
“Representing the beach and bay communities has been a privilege and I am deeply grateful to voters for investing their trust in me,” she said.
“While I am deeply disappointed with the outcome, I have overcome bigger challenges in my life,” she said. “I intend to continue working on the important issues that matter to the residents of San Diego's neighborhoods.”
In the fourth council runoff on Tuesday, Vivian Moreno defeated fellow Democrat Antonio Martinez. Moreno will replace Councilman David Alvarez, who couldn’t run for re-election because of term limits.