Jan Goldsmith is vying with incumbent Mike Aguirre for the city attorney’s job. Goldsmith won the Republican Party's backing before the June Primary, but now he is winning city labor endorsements. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.
The San Diego Firefighters' Association backed democratic Council President Scott Peters before the Primary, and campaigned with him riding in a fire truck But with Peters knocked out of the running, the Firefighter Union’s new President, Frank De Clercq, says he’ll get a fire truck to campaign for Jan Goldsmith.
De Clercq : If he wants to go for a ride, I’ll take him.
The Firefighters are sure of one thing… they want Aguirre out. De Clercq says the city’s labor unions have collectively spent about $3 million to fight Aguirre’s legal efforts to roll back pension benefits.
De Clercq: We’re not going to let anyone take away what is a right and a vested benefit.
This is not the first time the Firefighters union has backed a Republican candidate – for example, they supported Kevin Falconer for city council.
De Clercq: The majority of our members are registered Republicans.
Candidate Jan Goldsmith has also won the support of the city’s Police Officers' Association, and the President of the City Attorney’s union, Andrew Jones.
San Diego’s other labor unions have not yet decided what to do. The blue collar workers will meet with Goldsmith this week, the white collar workers have a meeting scheduled with him next week.
Goldsmith says if Aguirre’s legal effort to roll back pensions fails, he would not pursue it. However, Goldsmith continues to maintain the pension benefit increases were granted illegally, making the labor unions’ choice a tricky one. Alison St John, KPBS news.
