For at least a decade, the San Diego Board of Supervisors has been an exclusive club – Republican registration "required" for membership. The process of appointing mid-term vacancies rather than electing them has given appointed Republicans enormous electoral advantages in majority Democrat districts. Thus there is much speculation and interest in the fact that Supervisor Ron Roberts has
interviewed for the executive position at the Centre City Development Corporation. Roberts’ seat includes much of the heart of the City of San Diego, including most of the African American, Filipino, gay, and working class white neighborhoods. Registration stands at 119,000 Democrat, 76,000 Republican, 61,000 DTS, and 14,000 other. Widespread rumor has Democrat Acting-Mayor Tony Atkins (essentially the Mayor after the resignation of Republican Mayor Dick Murphy until the new Mayor is elected in the November Special Election) exploring the possibility of appointment or election to the seat if Roberts resigns to accept the CCDC position. Atkins, a lesbian who inherited the largely gay seat formerly held by now State Senator Christine Kehoe, represents the 3rd Council District, entirely within the Roberts seat. Conventional wisdom is (1) the Supervisors are not interested in bringing any new blood onto the Board who carries baggage from the disastrous San Diego City Council; and (2) the appointee will be Republican. However if Atkins is not appointed, what with the rise of the public employee unions at the county level, look for her to challenge the appointee in 2008 when the new appointee would first be up for election and Atkins would be termed out of the San Diego City Council. Like we needed another reason to vote for Proposition 75…
