California continues to diversify and add representation to politics.
The historic moments just keep on coming! Just this week, Justice Martin J. Jenkins was confirmed to the California Supreme Court, making him the first openly gay justice and only the third African American man to hold the position in the state’s history. Before that, L.A. County saw an all-women Board of Supervisors for the first time in 168 years.
And on December 10, San Diego County will swear in its new mayor, Todd Gloria. It will be the first time San Diego has elected a mayor who is a member of both the BIPOC (he is Native American, Filipino, and Latino) and LGBTQ communities, further adding to the welcome increase in diversity and representation in California politics this year.
There will be many tough issues for the Mayor-elect to tackle like homelessness, housing affordability, police reform, and a massive budget deficit, to name a few. However, there are high hopes for his success, as Gloria is said to have strong backing from the business community and organized labor, and he has previous experience on the City Council and State Assembly.
I want to thank @barbarabryd1 for her service to our City and I wish her and her family well. It's time to put the campaign behind us and come together as San Diegans to resolve the many challenges we face. Voters have embraced my vision of creating a City that works #ForAllofUs.
— Todd Gloria (@ToddGloria) November 9, 2020
Gloria ran against fellow democrat Barbara Bry, who conceded the election on Monday after seeing that Gloria’s lead would not be getting any smaller. In response to her concession, Gloria thanked Councilmember Bry for her service to the city and said it is time to come together as a community to face the challenges ahead.
“Voters have embraced my vision of creating a City that works for all of us,” he said. “It’s now time to turn that vision into reality. I am honored to be the next Mayor of San Diego.”
[Featured image: Todd Gloria]