Another prominent San Diegan has made an endorsement in the mayor’s race, and this one crosses party lines.
Qualcomm founder and Democrat Irwin Jacobs has endorsed Republican City Councilman Carl DeMaio for San Diego mayor. Jacobs said he did not attend DeMaio’s news conference announcing the endorsement because his time is limited. Reached by phone, Jacobs explained his choice of DeMaio over a fellow Democrat, Congressman Bob Filner.
"Well I met with both candidates a few times. I’ve also listened to a few of the debates," he said. "And I think Carl has a more constructive and better understanding of the problems of the city and ways to deal with them."
Jacobs said he won’t actively campaign for DeMaio because of his limited time. This was the second big endorsement for the councilman this week. Mayor Jerry Sanders endorsed DeMaio on Tuesday. DeMaio said he’s honored to have Jacobs’ support.
"I hope that it brings more people into the campaign," DeMaio said. "And I hope that it continues to, as mayor, allow me to reach across party labels, reach across different points of view to bring people together."
DeMaio said he’s pledging to fill his administration with Democrats and Republicans if elected.
Filner also announced several endorsements today from women, including state Senator Christine Kehoe, former state Senator Dede Alpert and Assemblywoman Toni Atkins.
