The two main challengers in San Diego’s mayoral race took part in a Saturday night forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters, using the platform to bash Mayor Kevin Faulconer for not attending.
Democrat Ed Harris, a former city councilman and city lifeguard union leader, accused Faulconer, a Republican, of failing to take seriously the city’s $1.7 billion infrastructure deficit.
"Kevin promised to fix it, it’s one of the No. 1 issues for citizens, and he’s covering streets with a thin layer of asphalt and ignoring the real problems," Harris said.
Former state Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña, a Democrat turned independent, said the mayor had put his PR operations ahead of governing the city.
"I won’t ignore people when they come and say there’s a problem and say, ‘Well we can’t deal with that now because I’m waiting until the election is over,’” Saldaña said.
The two barely disagreed on any policy issues, but Saldaña did highlight her experience in elected office over Harris' nine months on the City Council — the result of an appointment after Faulconer was elected mayor and vacated his council seat in 2014.
Harris said he was not a politician but had accomplished a lot during his brief time on the council. He also highlighted his service in the military and as a lifeguard.
The mayor declined to participate in the forum, but his campaign manager told KPBS on Saturday he is taking part in two more televised debates on May 24 and June 3. Faulconer, Harris and Saldaña held their first televised debate on Univision earlier this month.
The mayoral election coincides with the California presidential primary election on June 7. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters face each other in a November runoff.
