One thing that sets the two candidates running to represent San Diego's sixth city council district apart is their professional backgrounds. Each touted their experience at a forum Wednesday evening as a key to their success if elected to City Hall.
In addition to touching on hot-button issues ranging from medical marijuana to infrastructure, Republican Chris Cate and Democrat Carol Kim each told a packed auditorium at Mira Mesa High School that their careers make them the best fit for the gig.
MORE: Check out this collection of live tweets from the event
Why This Race Matters To Non-District 6 Residents
The views of candidates in San Diego’s only city council race might not seem important to you unless you live in the district, but whomever those voters choose could have a big impact on the entire city.
That’s because of the current veto-proof majority, which means Democrats have enough votes to override the mayor’s veto. San Diegans saw that in action this summer, when the council’s six Democrats voted to overturn Republican Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s objection to increasing the minimum wage.
The race between Republican Chris Cate and Democrat Carol Kim will determine if the council keeps that majority.
Cate, vice president of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association, said he’s the guy for the job because of his role as a taxpayer advocate and his business experience.
“I’m the only businessperson in this race who’s actually started and operated my own small business," he said in his closing remarks. "I know what it takes every single day to balance a budget, to make payroll and bring jobs to our city."
Kim, a former teacher who now works at an education nonprofit, said her work evaluating grant-funded programs makes her the right pick.
“I’m going to make sure there’s a system that allows us to see and track how our monies are really spent, whether or not we’re receiving the services that we’re paying for and if they’re not going well, if they’re going sideways, then lets figure that out," she said in her final statement.
At the event hosted by the San Diego Police Officers Association and the Mira Mesa Town Council, Cate and Kim shared their viewpoints on at least a dozen issues facing both the district and the city.
Both of the candidates stressed the importance of recruiting and retaining police officers, exploring ride-sharing programs to address gridlock in the area and establishing an office liaison for the community's small business owners. Cate and Kim also supported the use of medical marijuana, but said dispensaries operating illegally in the city should be shut down.
Mira Mesa is home to 47 percent of voters in District 6, which also represents the communities of Rancho Penasquitos, Miramar, Kearny Mesa and Clairemont.
Cate and Kim were the top two vote-getters out of the five candidates in the June primary. Cate received 47 percent of the vote. Kim collected 32 percent of the vote. The general election is Nov. 4.
