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What is Politifest?
Politifest is an annual public affairs summit produced by Voice of San Diego. Launched in 2011, Politifest focuses on issues affecting San Diego communities. During election years, the event focuses on candidates and ballot measures. In non-election years, it focuses on the most important topics that drive public policy and community conversation.
Politifest features a robust schedule of debates, panels and one-on-one interviews with experts, and provides a platform for residents to raise their voices, ask tough questions and delve into important issues. It’s a crash course in politics and policy. Here, you can learn how local government works.
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Pick Your Future
This year’s summit — which will take place virtually during the week of Sept. 29 through Oct. 3 — will examine races, ballot measures and major public issues through a future-facing lens: How will this year’s election affect our future? What are the implications for work, education, our communities?
Schedule of Events
Tuesday, Sept. 29 • 5:00 – 5:25 p.m.Welcome to Politifest 2020: Pick Your Future Presented by Scott Lewis, VOSD CEO & Editor in Chief Spanish translation available San Diego residents are dealing with multiple crises. There’s a public health crisis, an ongoing economic catastrophe and our institutions are struggling to maintain trust. It is a difficult time for an election and yet it is the most important time for one. We must pick our future. |
Tuesday, Sept. 29 • 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.California Ballot Measure Crash Course Moderated by Sara Libby, VOSD Managing Editor & Jesse Marx, VOSD Associate Editor Spanish translation available Get an overview of each measure on the statewide ballot, from rideshare drivers to affirmative action. Understand what each measure would do, who’s lining up for and against each one and gain confidence before you fill out your ballot. |
Wednesday, Sept. 30 • 5:00 – 5:55 p.m.Debate: San Diego City Council District 1 Moderated by John Carroll, KPBS Reporter After four years, Barbara Bry is leaving this job representing La Jolla, Carmel Valley, University City and Del Mar Mesa in the San Diego City Council. The two candidates to replace her are both Democrats but have very different approaches. They’ll debate and discuss the future. Panelists:
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Wednesday, Sept. 30 • 5:00 – 5:55 p.m.Debate: San Diego City Council District 3 Moderated by Lisa Halverstadt, VOSD Reporter This open Council seat representing the urban core of the city has been a steppingstone for many big political careers. Two Democrats hope to take it but they have different leadership styles and approaches to deal with the city’s biggest problems, which are often exaggerated downtown and uptown. We’ll press them on homelessness, growth and housing. Panelists:
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Wednesday, Sept. 30 • 5:00 – 5:55 p.m.Debate: San Diego City Council District 5 Moderated by Scott Lewis, VOSD CEO and Editor in Chief This seat representing Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Peñasquitos and Scripps Ranch has long been the most conservative district in San Diego and has not had a competitive race for City Council in decades. Now, though, the Republican and Democrat who made it to the runoff have both raised enough money to compete and have vastly different views on policy and the way forward. Come hear them and compare their visions. Panelists:
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Wednesday, Sept. 30 • 5:00 – 5:55 p.m.Debate: San Diego City Council District 7 Moderated by Claire Trageser, KPBS Reporter This seat representing Tierrasanta, Del Cerro, Grantville, Mission Valley and other neighborhoods has gone back and forth from Republican to Democratic hands. This race would have a major impact on the makeup of the City Council depending on which way it goes. The Republican, an owner of a local chain of restaurants, would have a much different approach than the Democrat, a lawyer in the city attorney’s office. Come check out the difference. Panelists:
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Wednesday, Sept. 30 • 5:00 – 5:55 p.m.A Conversation with Candidate Sean Elo-Rivera Moderated by Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS Reporter Spanish translation available Join us for a conversation with Sean Elo-Rivera, candidate for San Diego City Council District 9, which covers City Heights, College Area, Kensington, Mt. Hope, Southcrest and more. The district is currently represented by Georgette Gómez. Panelists:
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Wednesday, Sept. 30 • 6:00 – 6:55 p.m.Debate: Chula Vista City Council, Districts 3 and 4 Moderated by Gustavo Solis, San Diego Union-Tribune Reporter Spanish translation available Hear from the candidates about their vision for the future of Chula Vista. Panelists:
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Wednesday, Sept. 30 • 6:00 – 6:55 p.m.The Height of Coastal Anxieties: Taller Buildings in Midway? (Measure E) Led by Andrew Bowen, KPBS Reporter City voters will decide whether to rescind the coastal height limit in the Midway community to make way for redevelopment, marking the most significant reform of the law since voters first approved it in 1972. Panelists will discuss whether the proposed change is good for the Midway neighborhood and the city as a whole. Panelists:
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Wednesday, Sept. 30 • 6:00 – 6:55 p.m.Affordable Housing: Are Higher Property Taxes the Answer? (Measure A) Led by Lisa Halverstadt, VOSD Reporter San Diego, like most cities in California, needs more affordable housing. How can we meet this need? This panel will explore whether a property tax increase to fund subsidized housing is the right approach. Panelists:
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Thursday, Oct. 1 • 5:00 – 5:55 p.m.County Supervisor Race District 2 Moderated by Danny Freeman, NBC 7 Reporter Panelists:
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Thursday, Oct. 1 • 5:00 – 5:55 p.m.The COVID Outlook: The Politics and Science of Reopening Led by Will Huntsberry, VOSD Reporter Many local politicians, like Mayor Richard Bailey of Coronado, have pushed for a faster reopening than the governor allowed. Others like Supervisor Nathan Fletcher have pushed for a slower reopening. The voice of scientists has often been lost in the political clamor. Panelists:
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Thursday, Oct. 1 • 6:00 – 6:55 p.m.What Would Democrats Do with Control of the County? Moderated by Scott Lewis, VOSD CEO and Editor in Chief Panelists:
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Thursday, Oct. 1 • 6:00 – 6:55 p.m.53rd Congressional District Race Moderated by MacKenzie Elmer, VOSD Reporter Panelists:
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Thursday, Oct. 1 • 6:00 – 6:55 p.m.50th Congressional District Race Moderated by Jack Cronin, KOGO Host The two candidates in the 50th Congressional District discuss local and national issues. Panelists:
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Thursday, Oct. 1 • 6:00 – 6:55 p.m.Oceanside Development: North River Farms Led by Kayla Jimenez, VOSD Reporter Oceanside voters will decide the fate of North River Farms, a 585-home, agriculture-themed, mixed-use development proposed for the city’s rural Morro Hills region. Oceanside City Council decided to place the measure on the ballot after a hard-fought effort by residents to collect enough signatures for a referendum on the controversial project. The project is one of several controversial housing projects to go to the ballot in recent years in San Diego county’s backcountry. Panelists:
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Thursday, Oct. 1 • 6:00 – 6:55 p.m.Every 30 Seconds: Young Latino Voters and the 2020 Election Moderated by Max Rivlin-Nadler, KPBS Reporter Spanish translation available Young Latinos are the fastest growing demographic of eligible voters in the U.S. Democrats have been trying to mobilize them for decades, but their numbers still remain low. With this year’s presidential election hinging on issues including border enforcement and DACA, will this be the year young Latino voters finally turn out? Or will they tune out once again? Panelists:
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Friday, Oct. 2 • 5:00 – 5:55 p.m.Mayoral Race, City of San Diego Moderated by Scott Lewis, VOSD CEO and Editor in Chief Spanish translation available Hear from the candidates about their vision for the future of San Diego. Panelists:
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Friday, Oct. 2 • 5:00 – 5:55 p.m.Mayoral Race, Oceanside (Part One) Moderated by Kayla Jimenez, VOSD Reporter Hear from the candidates about their vision for the future of Oceanside. Note: This panel is split into two parts to allow sufficient time for all the candidates. The second half of this panel is at 6:00 p.m. directly after part one. Panelists:
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Friday, Oct. 2 • 5:00 – 5:55 p.m.Mayoral Race, Encinitas Moderated by Caitlin Steinberg, The Coast News Reporter Hear from the candidates about their vision for the future of Encinitas. Panelists:
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Friday, Oct. 2 • 5:00 – 5:55 p.m.San Diego School Board Races Moderated by Will Huntsberry, VOSD Education Reporter Hear the candidates’ positions about school operations, with a focus on school reopeningduring COVID. Is there a safe way to do this? Should younger and more vulnerable students be able to attend? How would you ensure quality online teaching? Panelists:
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Friday, Oct. 2 • 6:00 – 6:55 p.m.Mayoral Race, Oceanside (Part Two) Moderated by Kayla Jimenez, VOSD Reporter Hear from the candidates about their vision for the future of Oceanside. Note: This panel is split into two parts to allow sufficient time for all the candidates. The first half of this panel is at 5:00 p.m. and concludes right before after part two. Panelists:
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Friday, Oct. 2 • 6:00 – 6:55 p.m.Community Conversation: The Role of Town Councils in Local Politics Panelists:
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Friday, Oct. 2 • 6:00 – 6:55 p.m.Community Conversation: A Just Recovery from COVID-19 in the San Diego Region Panelists:
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Friday, Oct. 2 • 6:00 – 6:55 p.m.Community Conversation: SANDAG’s a Bold New Vision Panelists:
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Saturday, Oct. 3 • 10:00 – 10:55 a.m.Proposition 22: How It Could Affect the Future of Work Led by Lauren Hepler, CalMatters Economy Reporter Proposition 22, defining employees and contractors, has already broken a record for the most expensive ballot measure in California history. The stakes involved are equally historic in this labor vs tech showdown. At a time of increasing inequality, are workers helped by gig jobs that allow them flexibility and autonomy? Or are workers hurt by low-paying jobs that have little security or benefits? California’s decision on this measure will be a bellwether for the future of work throughout the US. Panelists:
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Saturday, Oct. 3 • 10:00 – 10:55 a.m.Redistricting: What it means for our community Led by Maya Srikrishnan, VOSD Reporter Spanish translation available In 2021, cities will redraw their political boundaries. What are the implications for the San Diego region and future elections? Panelists:
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Saturday, Oct. 3 • 10:00 – 10:55 a.m.Community Conversation: Policies to reduce the role, presence and budget of local police |
Saturday, Oct. 3 • 10:00 – 10:55 a.m.Community Conversation: Citizen Scholars — Students and Activism Panelists:
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Saturday, Oct. 3 • 11:00 – 11:55 a.m.A Conversation About Police Reform Led by Alain Stephens, The Trace Reporter Spanish translation available What should the future of policing look like? What reforms are actually achievable? Panelists:
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Saturday, Oct. 3 • 11:00 – 11:55 a.m.Local Activism: Gen Z Takes the Lead Led by Kayla Jimenez, VOSD Reporter Many of the young people who organized police brutality protests said they were motivated not just by the injustice of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis but by their communities’ long histories of silence on racial justice issues. Now,they’re taking to social media and the streets to call for an end to racial injustice, defunding of local police departments, changes in local school curriculum and handling of racism at their schools and more. Hear directly from some of these young organizers. Panelists:
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Saturday, Oct. 3 • 11:00 – 11:55 a.m.Community Conversation: Black Brown Relations — We Should Work Together As we face the most important election in the history of our lives, the Black/ Brown relationship is more important than ever. Join three expert voices and leading activists in this discussion. As others try and divide, this group stresses unity. Panelists:
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Saturday, Oct. 3 • 11:00 – 12:30 p.m.Community Conversation: Prop. 15 — What You Should Know |
Saturday, Oct. 3 • 12:00 – 12:55 p.m.Inside the 10th and 11th Floors Led by Scott Lewis, VOSD CEO & Editor in Chief A discussion about the issues the city of San Diego will face and how divisions will break down in a mostly Democratic city. A conversation with the pros who run mayoral and council offices. Panelists:
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Saturday, Oct. 3 • 12:00 – 12:55 p.m.Community Conversation: Community Power and Police Accountability Hosted by Mid-City CAN The campaign for an independent commission on police practices is a step in the right direction to hold law enforcement accountable. Our communities now have the chance to create a trusted and transparent process that is independent from the City and will hold SDPD accountable. Panelists:
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Saturday, Oct. 3 • 12:00 – 12:55 p.m.Community Conversation: The Long Term Impact of COVID on Homelessness Hosted by Father Joe’s Villages Father Joe’s Villages will bring together a panel of nonprofit service providers from across San Diego, while ensuring diversity of services offered are represented. Experts in topics like food, homelessness, healthcare, employment provider will discuss how COVID-19 impacted their communities. They’ll discuss the change they saw in their donor base and how the road to economic recovery is looking in terms of returning to planned service offerings. Panelists:
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Saturday, Oct. 3 • 12:00 – 12:55 p.m.Community Conversation: Equitable Access to the Outdoors Hosted by The San Diego Foundation This panel will discuss issues of equitable access to parks and safe outdoor spaces. It will present research conducted by The Nonprofit Institute at the University of San Diego, an update to The San Diego Foundation’s Parks for Everyone report, and discuss strategies to address inequities in our communities. Panelists:
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Saturday, Oct. 3 • 12:00 – 12:55 p.m.Community Conversation: The Future of CA Property Taxes and Prop 15 |
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Ready to watch?
Click here to see the sessions.
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Community Conversations
Politifest has always featured our community.
We are offering the opportunity for community members to host their own conversations during this summit. Proposed topics reflect this year’s theme, Pick Your Future, and tie to the upcoming elections and ballot measures in November.
Community Conversations are sponsored by The San Diego Foundation.
Questions about Politifest?
General Inquiry
Julianne Markow: julianne.markow@voiceofsandiego.org | (619) 550-5664
Sponsorships & Partnerships
Ashley Rodriguez: ashley.rodriguez@voiceofsandiego.org | (619) 550-5670