San Diego County Supervisors District 3: Dump the Trumpster
The most critical race for San Diego in the general election is to determine who will represent District 3 on the County Board of Supervisors. Although many of us don’t live in D3, the actions of the Supervisors impact the present and future for every single person living in the region.
The public health consequences of COVID-19, massive wildfires enabled by global warming, and looming economic disintegration are all things the County has a big say in, thanks to its role as a conduit for state and federal monies and its leadership in regional decision making.
Should incumbent Kristin Gaspar retain her seat, policies that have failed to meet current and future challenges will remain in place. No matter what the rest of the county thinks, the outlook held by the Trump administration will dominate decision making.
The consequences of continuing to do things the way they’ve been done for the past three decades are immense. Cash flow will replace public health concerns over the pandemic. Local solutions as part of meeting the challenge of climate change will get kicked down the road, despite numerous court decisions telling the county that it’s plans are not acceptable. Families facing an uncertain start to the school year, struggling for child care, and fearful of their financial future.
Should challenger Terra Lawson Remer prevail, a powerful arm of government will be working in harmony with state and (hopefully) federal efforts to meet these challenges.
The name on the ballot may say “Kristin Gaspar,” but the reality is that she’s a Trojan Horse for Trumpian problem-solving.
We know alot about what she really thinks thanks to her failed run in 2018 for the 49th Congressional district seat. Hoping for a presidential boost --which wasn’t coming-- Gaspar went all in on the flight or fight fantasies promoted by the administration through its border policies.
She sat next to racist presidential advisor Stephen Miller at a Presidential round table; promoted a story about a “horrible” murder allegedly committed by an undocumented person, and even appeared on the Tucker Carlson (White Power Hour) show on Fox News.
Knowing that Gaspar’s past actions on both national and local issues are out-of-sync with voter sentiment (Hilary Clinton carried D3 by nearly 20% in 2016), her campaign team is appealing to the local GOP base with the imagined threat of George Soros being puppetmaster for Lawson-Remer.
Now that Democrats in general are being called scary names by the Trump campaign, a recent fund raising letter from consultant Jason Roe picked up on that scheme:
“Since the Primary, Lawson-Remer has raised more than $300,000 from radical leftists from around the country…”
In keeping with the Republican party’s approach to voter suppression, Gaspar did her best to prevent the County Registrar of Voters from adding four satellite offices needed to handle a potential influx of voters registering to vote or changing their party affiliation at the last minute in the 2020 election. With COVID-19 now being a concern for many, this could have been a double whammy affecting voter turnout.
The people at the bottom of the County’s hierarchy, namely the employees and their union (SEIU), are channeling years of frustration at the tasks they were asked to perform into support for the Democratic candidate. They know how to make a difference, see the challenges ahead, and want leadership willing to give them the tools needed to do their jobs.
(Or, as they say in RepubliSpeak, Lawson-Remer has the support of “union bosses.”)
I have a small role of this story in that her parents and I were all active in what was then-called New Left politics. Larry Remer and I were co-editors of the San Diego Door, a successful alternative newspaper in the early 1970s that dared to include the local power structure in our critique of politics. We’ve gone our separate ways (but remain friends) over the years. I include this bit of information in everything I write concerning the family, because some people seem to think it’s a scandal that I have friends.
From personal observation -- we met at a conference a few years ago-- I can tell readers that Terra Lawson-Remer is both brilliant and determined. If you want somebody at the County level that will not only do the right thing, but will tell truth to power, she’s it. Think of her as a (Representative) Katie Porter with surfing chops.
I’ve written hundreds of articles about electoral contests over the past decade; never have I been so enthusiastic about supporting a candidate. Check out the candidates’ websites and social media below and see for yourself.
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Kristin Gaspar
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements
Bio: San Diego native, she and husband, Dr. Paul Gaspar, jointly own a physical therapy business with seven offices. Served President of the Encinitas Rotary Club.
Education: Attended school grades K-12 in the Encinitas and San Dieguito Union High School Districts, graduated from Arizona State University; Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism.
Relevant experience: Served on the Encinitas City Council; first elected Mayor in that city.
A significant accomplishment: The youngest woman ever elected to the Board of Supervisors
Politics in a nutshell: Trump Republican
$$$$
Aggregate Fundraising Numbers for Kristin Gaspar: $503,100.66
Including $25,000 loan
PAC Support: Deputy Sheriffs' Association of San Diego County PAC $9,416.00
A sampling of links concerning Kristin Gaspar:
Editorial: Feeding San Diego feeds the hungry while Kristin Gaspar feeds her ego
Column: Tensions heighten among San Diego supervisors over COVID-19 response
US Senate Candidate Speaks Out Against County Supervisors Siding With Trump Administration
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Terra Lawson-Remer
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Endorsements
Bio: Third generation San Diegan. Worked as an intern for Juan Vargas when he was on the San Diego City Council. Has worked with the World Bank, New York Civil Liberties Union and Amnesty International on social justice and environmental issues. Founder and managing partner of Catalyst: a research, strategy, and legal firm specializing in social and environmental justice initiatives.
Education: Graduated from Yale, earned a full scholarship to law and graduate school, receiving PhD and law degrees from NYU. Research fellowships from Stanford and Harvard.
Relevant experience: Work with the U.S. Department of the Treasury in the Obama Administration, assistant professor at The New School for Social Research, and scholar at the United Nations World Institute for Development Economics Research.
A significant accomplishment: In 2018, led a grassroots effort organizing thousands of volunteers to oust then-Congressman Darrell Issa, flipping the 49th Congressional District from red to blue.
Politics in a nutshell: Progressive
$$$$
Aggregate Fundraising Numbers for Terra-Lawson Remer: $633,417.20
(Including $40,000 in loans)
PAC Support: Build Bridges, Not Walls Opposing Republican Kristin Gaspar for Supervisor 2020 sponsored by labor organizations $242,000.00
A sampling of links concerning Terra Lawson-Remer
One Race Could Make or Break Plans to Overhaul the Region's Transportation System
County's Largest Union Backs Terra Lawson-Remer Against Kristin Gaspar
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Up Next: City of San Diego Ballot Measures
Special thanks to The Ballot Book for financial donations research.
Voter Guide – You’ve Voted for President, what’s next?
I’ll be writing about many ballot measures and candidates between now and the end of September. That work will be condensed into a handy-dandy voter guide just in time for your mail-in ballots to arrive. I’m the guy who coordinated San Diego Free Press’s Voter Guides over the past decade, so this won’t be my first effort. Stay tuned.
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