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Mayor Faulconer Defends Record In Spanish-Language Debate

San Diego's three main candidates for mayor speak during a debate broadcast on Univision, April 12, 2016. From left: Ed Harris, Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Lori Saldaña.
Univsion
San Diego's three main candidates for mayor speak during a debate broadcast on Univision, April 12, 2016. From left: Ed Harris, Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Lori Saldaña.

Mayor Faulconer Defends Record In Spanish-Language Debate
The first mayoral debate of the election season took place on Univision on Tuesday night, with the three main candidates arguing over infrastructure, cross-border relations and the Chargers.

The three main candidates for San Diego mayor debated Tuesday night on Univision, the first of three scheduled debates before the June 7 election.

The candidates were given 45 seconds to answer a number of questions on infrastructure, the Chargers and the city's relationship with Tijuana. Answers in English were translated simultaneously into Spanish.

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Mayor Kevin Faulconer, a Republican, defended his record on infrastructure, saying he has expanded library hours and repaired city streets. Democratic opponent Ed Harris, the head of the city lifeguards union and a former city councilman, accused Faulconer of lacking a serious plan to address the city's infrastructure deficit.

Former Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña, a Democrat-turned-independent, was the only candidate to answer many of the questions in Spanish, though she stumbled in the language. She said San Diego's biggest infrastructure problem is the lack of affordable housing.

The second debate is scheduled for May 24 on KUSI, in partnership with The San Diego Union-Tribune. The third is scheduled for June 3 on NBC7, with its partner Voice of San Diego, an online news website.

The 2024 primary election is March 5. Find in-depth reporting on each race to help you understand what's on your ballot.