Every year, I ask readers to send in the mailers they get. Campaigns collect a tremendous amount of data about their races and constituents. They don’t normally share that information with us but mailers reveal what they have learned people care about.
Here’s a sampling as voting has been underway for a week. (Remember if you don’t like the mailers as much as I do, if you vote, the mailers will stop coming … mostly.)
The 48th: It’s All About Costs
Let’s start with the big race for the 48th Congressional District between Democrat Marni von Wilpert and Republican Jim Desmond. This is an air war with punches and counterpunches to the punches dominating commercial breaks during sporting events.
Von Wilpert is way more willing to talk about her party and President Donald Trump than Desmond is as the surge nationally points to a tough year for the incumbent party. Desmond has hit her back on costs too and her support of fees and taxes as a City Councilmember in San Diego.
And right back at her:
And here’s a different angle. Supporters of von Wilpert citing Trump.
And another representative hit on von Wilpert:
The State Senate Race
Now, in the race for the open state Senate seat, former San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott faces Kristie Bruce-Layne.
Here’s an anti-Bruce-Layne take from the unions that represent state workers.
Bruce-Lane fired back calling Elliott a socialist. This was a text message:
San Diego City Council District 2
This is essentially a message battle about who it is worse to support: President Donald Trump or San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria.
Here’s the case that it’s Trump, from the Labor Council.
That looks like a communicable disease.
Here’s the case from Bailey, that it’s worse to be with Gloria. This was an instagram ad with a video repeatedly highlighting the alliance between Gloria and Crosby:
Now here’s a really interesting one. This is an independent expenditure, funded by Steven Richter, advertising Bailey from a liberal perspective.
I don’t think even Bailey would consider himself the climate change guy but also: Note how there are sources for some of the claims but not for the one that he’s “opposed to Flock cameras.”
I can’t find anywhere where Bailey has said he’s “opposed to Flock cameras.” At best, I found a write-up from Times of San Diego where he advocates for better oversight of the program and dismisses its effectiveness.
“For him, it’s an issue of placing more guardrails around the technology. He proposed that the public database that logs ALPR searches should include license plate numbers, so residents can see if they are actively being surveilled. He also said he would like to see the city delete data after a week rather than a month.”
And here’s one featuring vacation rentals. We wrote about that contrast.
San Diego City Council District 4
In District 4, supporters of incumbent Councilmember Henry Foster have been relentlessly trumpeting his anti-flock, anti-surveillance message.
In an Instagram video, where Abraham is having major success with engagement, she called her supposed support of Flock a lie.
Here’s what we could find on that: Here’s a Union-Tribune story covering a candidate forum: “Abraham agreed that there are growing concerns about how cameras are used, but she said more analysis is needed to prove they are a bad idea.”
“‘Numbers don’t lie,’ she said. ‘We can present a case that it’s something that might not be needed in our community.'”
In an Instagram post, she said her stance is clear: “We all deserve to feel safe in our neighborhoods. Some neighbors have had their cars recovered because of these cameras. Others are worried about who can see their data and where it goes. Both are legitimate concerns. Our communities deserve accountability, transparency, and real solutions.
“My stance is clear and driven by data. Mistakes have been made. We need an independent audit of who has had access to the data. Your information should be protected and used appropriately every single time.”
City Council District 8
The San Diego Police Officers Association is going hard for Gerardo Ramirez over Antonio Martinez. Very interesting that it’s very pro-cop and more cops.
If you have any feedback or ideas for the Politics Report, send them to scott.lewis@voiceofsandiego.org or will.huntsberry@voiceofsandiego.org.