San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith will be seeking another term in office in 2012, according to a report on conservative website San Diego Rostra.
Goldsmith’s decision simplifies what could have been another wide-ranging race next year. It’s unlikely any other major Republican candidates will try to take on Goldsmith. Already one potential Democratic candidate, former Ethics Commission Chairman Gil Cabrera, has indicated he’s out.
By deciding to run again, Goldsmith has changed his mind about only serving one term. Here’s what he told me about running for a second term in May:
It certainly would be a change of mind. There’s nothing wrong with that if there’s a good reason. I’ll make the decision and let people know within the next 2-3 weeks. If I change my mind, I’ll explain why. If I don’t change my mind, I’ll explain why not. … I don’t believe I’ve ever flat out stated that I will not run for re-election. I’ve always left some ‘wiggle room’ on that as I wasn’t certain.
Goldsmith’s decision also gives me another occasion to link to our 2008 profile during the campaign when Goldsmith defeated incumbent City Attorney Mike Aguirre:
A look into Goldsmith’s three decades in the legal world revealed an accomplished and respected business lawyer, a hard-working legislator possibly best known for a bill to legalize owning pet ferrets, and a well-organized and fair judge who was not without his critics within the legal community.
It’s a long and storied career, one with a few twists, some bumps in the road and a couple of mishaps and embarrassments along the way. And it’s a career in which Goldsmith has tasted the public limelight and has tried his hand at making, implementing and applying the law.
Please contact Liam Dillon directly at liam.dillon@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5663 and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/dillonliam.