Reader Carolyn asked, “What if Marti (Emerald) doesn’t run (in the 7th District Council race against April Boling)?”
Marti has been testing the waters by showing up in the 7th District at a variety of public meetings on city issues. All the signals point to her running. However, if she ends up deciding that the cut in pay, long hours, increased public scrutiny, and actually getting her hands dirty fighting to get things accomplished isn’t worth it, I wouldn’t blame her. I advise people who have decided to run for office but I’m not foolish enough to ever do so myself.
Unfortunately, if Marti doesn’t run, April Boling wins in a landslide. It would be extremely difficult to put together the money (I’d say around $1 million over the next eight months) necessary to win against Boling, who’s been campaigning for several years.
Johnnie Perkins, a Republican who worked as a staffer at City Hall, as government relations director for the San Diego City Fire Fighters Association, and now with a local waste management company, and was thinking of running, but party leaders made it clear that April was their choice, so he isn’t running.
No one I’m aware of has the ability to raise that kind of money in that timeframe. If there’s a millionaire like Steve Francis who is willing to fund his/her own campaign, please give me a call.
— CHRIS CROTTY