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Edited on Mon Dec-06-04 01:20 AM by Nikki Stone 1
Dick Murphy (the incumbent Republican) ran against Ron Roberts (Republican, 3rd time candidate for mayor) in the general election. SD is very conservative, but many were unhappy with the incumbent and Murphy was reluctant to run again at first. However, Ron Roberts is scary prospect for many--not quite sure why, except that he is a general scumbag. So Murphy ran, but the recent financial scandals in SD weakened his candidacy.
In the last month or so of the race, Donna Frye, Democrat member of city council and wife of a very famous surfer, started a write-in candidacy. She got an amazing amount of support and, totally against all expectations, she either won the election or came in 2nd, depending on how the votes are counted. The California ballot had a place for a write in candidate in the SD mayoral race, but voters had to both write in Donna Frye's name (spelling it correctly) on a blank line and fill in the oval next to the line. Some voters did the first but not the second, creating a problem for vote counters. State law demands that the oval be filled in, but the League of Women Voters is arguing that the voter intent is clear for those voters who wrote in Frye's name, even if they didn't fill in the oval as well. (Ie, the oval is redundant).
The demonstration today probably concerned these votes which are clearly Frye's but which can be considered "spoiled" because of an unfilled oval. The demonstrators, who have been out a number of times since the election, feel that these Frye voters will be disenfranchised on a clerical technicality.
If Frye doesn't get those votes, the winner will be Dick Murphy, but this may not solve the problem. Ron Roberts is pissed as hell and feels he was done out of a victory. He is in court trying to get Frye's candidacy thrown out completely and invalidate the election itself. He wants a runoff between himself and Murphy, figuring he'll win it. Of course, he has lost 3 times before, so who knows.
As to the legality of Frye's candidacy: Frye and her people checked on the legality before she entered the race. CA state law does allow for write-ins. (Of course, no one expects them to win!) However, the SD City Charter may actually contradict state law since it seems to require that candidates in a general election be those who won in the primary election.
So, in essence, the San Diego mayoral race is a mess and a half.
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