The Morning Report
Get the news and information you need to take on the day.
This week, ballots for the June primary election will be landing in mailboxes across San Diego County.
Not sure what will be on the ballot or who to vote for? You’re in luck.
The Voice of San Diego team put together a handy guide breaking down major local races including the county sheriff’s race and Chula Vista’s big decision about its next mayor. We’ve also got details on major legislative races such as the 80th Assembly District battle between former City Councilmembers (and at least onetime allies) David Alvarez and Georgette Gómez.
Looking for deeper dives? We’ve got your back. Stay tuned throughout the week for more coverage on June primary battles.
Read our 2022 election guide here.
Dem Party Chair Goes on Leave Following a Sexual Misconduct Allegation
Will Rodriguez-Kennedy, the chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party, has agreed to take a leave of absence from the party following a sexual misconduct allegation.
In the latest Politics Report, Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts write that we don’t know details about the allegations, but in a Facebook post, Rodriguez-Kennedy implied that it was a claim of sexual harassment or sexual assault.
Rodriguez-Kennedy in 2019 won $150,000 in a settlement of his lawsuit against Eric Bauman, the former state party chair, against whom he alleged sexual misconduct. The party paid a total of $380,000 to settle the lawsuit against Bauman.
More Politics: Lewis and Keatts also looked at how local candidates compare in the money race. They have fundraising totals for candidates in the Chula Vista mayoral race, the sheriff’s race and the San Diego City Council battles. (As a reminder, we prefer cash-on-hand, minus debt as our second data point on these charts. Even if a candidate loans themselves money, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll spend it.) Lewis and Keatts break down some of the races we are following with some rad charts.
Read the latest Politics Report here. The weekly newsletter is available to Voice members. Support our work here.
Over on the podcast: our hosts broke down a few of the ballot measures that are coming together for the November 2022 election. We also got hold of some sobering stats last week showing that the number of unsheltered people downtown spiked by 70 percent since last year’s count. That kicked off a discussion about the city’s proposal to fund a conservatorship unit.
In Other News
Dozens of lowriders made their way down Highland Avenue in National City on Friday. The triumphant low and slow ride comes decades after the city enacted an anti-cruising ban in 1992. (Union-Tribune)
The Union-Tribune also reports that the former tribal chairman of the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians has been charged with theft and accused of embezzling nearly $400,000 from the North County tribe. The funds allegedly stolen were allocated to the tribe as part of federal program benefits. (Union-Tribune)
Officials celebrated the opening of UC San Diego’s downtown office, Park & Market, which will serve as a hub for innovation and home to the university’s Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies and other organizations. KPBS reported the four-story building will also be home to the Black Chamber of Commerce and the Digital Cinema Lab.
The Morning Report was written by Lisa Halverstadt, Jesse Marx and Andrea Lopez-Villafaña.