More than nine months after Bob Filner was elected mayor by San Diegans, his resignation, effective Aug. 30, was announced Friday. Here’s a look back, in photos, at his tenure as mayor.
Bob Filner, addressing supporters on Election Night last November.
The mayor-elect at Trolley Barn Park in University Heights, after his victory over rival Carl DeMaio in November.
Filner posed on a desk on the fourth floor of City Hall in late November, in an appeal to do something more productive with the space. It should be bustling with workers, Filner told Sam Hodgson.
Filner shakes hands with City Attorney Jan Goldsmith at the city’s inauguration ceremony in December. The pair’s rocky relationship became a persistent theme of Filner’s tenure.
Filner talks to 7-year-old Yuval Hamond before lighting a menorah at Chabad Hebrew Academy in Scripps Ranch in December. Hamond told Filner “I’m the funniest kid in the school.” Filner replied “Well I’m the funniest mayor in the country.” Filner’s willingness to show up to local events like this one spawned the hashtag #FilnerEverywhere, chronicling the mayor’s constant movements.
Filner proudly introduced his staff members to members of the media at a press conference at City Hall in January, hailing the diversity of the group. Staffing problems soon became a hallmark of Filner’s tenure, though.
Filner and City Council President Todd Gloria discuss Project Homeless Connect in January. Filner’s used the bully pulpit of the mayor’s office to bring attention to homelessness issues.
During the mayor’s Saturday hours at City Hall in February, Kevin Swanson, center, shows Filner and staff member Al Alvarado an image that he says reminded him of a photo taken of the mayor.
Goldsmith steps away from his own lectern to let Filner to speak at an explosive February press conference at the city attorney’s office.
Filner and Tijuana Mayor Carlos Bustamante announce the opening of an office space for the city of San Diego in the Tijuana Economic Development Corp.’s office in Tijuana, Mexico in February. Filner’s efforts to strengthen ties with Tijuana made him front-page news. But his legacy advocating for the border might be crushed along with his mayorship.
Attorney Marco Gonzalez and former City Councilwoman Donna Frye call on Filner to resign at a press conference on July 11.
Filner leaves a conference room on July 26 with his chief of staff, Lee Burdick, after announcing he would enter therapy to deal with his treatment of women.
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