President Donald Trump was not on the ballot, but he and other national issues loomed large in the minds of many voters I spoke with in Pacific Beach and Clairemont Tuesday.
Dave Russell said he voted John Cox for California governor because the choice was simple.
“I just wanted to get a Republican on the ballot,” he said.
Pat Shaler said she’s more concerned about what is happening in her neighborhood. Shaler was discouraged from supporting incumbent City Councilwoman Lori Zapf after she heard about the 2019 World Beach Games taking place in Mission Beach.
“After Labor Day, the beach belongs to the residents,” Shaler said. “Lori Zapf promoted this, and that lost my vote for her.”
Shaler said she chose Bryan Pease instead.
Another Pacific Beach resident, Brian Kelley, said the race for district attorney interested him the most.
Kelley voted for the interim district attorney, Summer Stephan, because he thinks she will continue to keep crime low and support local law enforcement. Plus, Kelley said the large amount of outside funding for Genevieve Jones-Wright did not sit well with him.
“That sort of turned me off when I heard she has received $1.5 million,” he said.
Just a couple miles north in Clairemont, I spoke with a retired firefighter who also voted for Stephan.
“Jones-Wright is very, very soft (on crime) and the crime rate is going to go up,” said Bruce Fearon. “Summer Stephan’s got a proven track record. You need a strong prosecutor.”
For Mary Lanahan, the nationwide conversation on race helped her pick Fayaz Nawabi for San Diego City Council District 6.
“I like the idea that San Diego is multicultural,” Lanahan said. “The idea of having someone of a different background is perfect for us.”
Nawabi dropped out of the race before Election Day.