This post originally appeared in the Dec. 22 Morning Report. Subscribe here.
David Alvarez, the former San Diego City Councilman and mayoral candidate, announced in a video he was going to run for Assembly. That, itself, isn’t all that surprising. (Though he told us in a recent San Diego 101 podcast that he had no plans to run.)
What makes it interesting is that the district is currently represented by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, who, you may have heard, is kind of a big deal. Actually, it’s a new district. Gonzalez represents Assembly District 80, which had covered much of South Bay and her home in City Heights.
The new Assembly District 80 will be fully in South Bay: It covers Chula Vista, National City and stretches into Barrio Logan. It doesn’t include Gonzalez’s home. This happened to a lot of legislators. They got “double bunked” with other sitting legislators. In this case, Assemblywoman Akilah Weber and Gonzalez are now living in the same district.
But there are others: As we were all processing the implications of all this, former San Diego City Council President Georgette Gómez announced that she would like to run for the seat if and when Gonzalez is out.
Recently, I called my Assemblywoman @Lorenasgonzalez to respectfully ask her for her endorsement to replace her whenever she is no longer representing #AD80. I’d be honored to one day continue her legacy in this district when she is done.
— Georgette Gómez (@SDGeorgette) December 22, 2021
Gómez and Alvarez have worked together and been close allies and friends in the past. So are they now headed for an epic contest? Well there are others who may want to run for that seat, including National City Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis or Imperial Beach City Councilwoman Paloma Aguirre. But for now it is …
… All up to Gonzalez: She has been battling breast cancer and related complications and has been clear that’s her priority for now.
But the powerful California Labor Federation recently voted to endorse her to take over as its executive if and when its current leader, Art Pulaski, the secretary-treasurer, steps down. He has no plans to, though, so … yeah we don’t really understand this one.
As far as we know, she is running for re-election and hasn’t said otherwise. But she could run against Weber for the new 79th Assembly District or she could move into the new 80th in South Bay. Or, if she took the job with the Labor Federation, she would have to leave the Assembly.