# Myrtle Cole

Myrtle Cole is an American politician who served as a member of the San Diego City Council from 2013 to 2018, representing District 4. A member of the Democratic Party, Cole was the first African American woman elected to the city council and served as council president from 2017 to 2018. In 2018, Cole lost a bid for re-election, becoming one of the first incumbent council members to lose re-election since 1992.

## San Diego City Council

Myrtle Cole was first elected to office in the 2013 special election to fill the District 4 seat of the city council vacated by Tony Young,. District 4 includes the neighborhoods of Alta Vista, Broadway Heights, Chollas View, Emerald Hills, Encanto, Greater Skyline Hills, Jamacha, Lincoln Park, Lomita Village, North Bay Terrace, Oak Park, O'Farrell, Paradise Hills, Redwood Village, Rolando Park, South Bay Terrace, Valencia Park, and Webster. She won re-election to a four-year term in the June 2014 primary election, drawing 57% of the primary votes. Her second term began in December 2014.
In December 2016, Cole ran against fellow Democrat David Alvarez for the position of council president. The council president is responsible for setting the council's agenda and making committee assignments and chairmanships. Cole was chosen by her colleagues on a 6–3 vote, securing the votes of all four Republicans on the City Council as well as Democrat Barbara Bry. Although both Cole and Alvarez were Democrats, Cole was seen as the more moderate of the two.
In the November 2018 election, Cole lost her reelection bid to civil rights attorney and former staffer Monica Montgomery. This marked the first time that an incumbent had failed to be reelected to the City Council since 1992.

## Controversy and other information

Myrtle Cole received some criticism during her time on the San Diego City Council. For example, in 2016, she said, during a council meeting discussion of racial profiling by police, "There is more black on black shootings in our nation than ever before...That's why when someone says, 'Do you think there is racial profiling?' Yeah, because blacks are shooting blacks." Critics argue that this is what resulted in decreased support in her role in 2018.
In 2018, she was asked to speak at the National University Southern California Commencement as a National University Alumna. In addition to being the keynote speaker, she also received an honorary doctorate.

## Electoral history

San Diego City Council District 4 election, 2014 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Myrtle Cole | 6,921 | 57.00 |
| | Democratic | Bruce Williams | 2,378 | 19.58 |
| | Nonpartisan | Blanca Lopez Brown | 1,832 | 15.09 |
| | Nonpartisan | Tony Villafranca | 1,011 | 8.33 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 12,142 | 100 |
San Diego City Council District 4 special election, 2013 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Myrtle Cole | 4,304 | 32.3 |
| | Democratic | Dwayne Crenshaw | 2,025 | 15.2 |
| | Democratic | Brian "Barry" Pollard | 1,548 | 11.6 |
| | Democratic | Ray Smith | 1,207 | 9.1 |
| | Democratic | Blanca Lopez Brown | 1,084 | 8.1 |
| | Republican | Sandy Spackman | 1,067 | 8.0 |
| | Democratic | Bruce Williams | 1,059 | 8.0 |
| | Democratic | Tony Villafranca | 621 | 4.7 |
| | Democratic | Monica Montgomery | 404 | 3.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 13,319 | 100 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Myrtle Cole | 6,612 | 54.1 |
| | Democratic | Dwayne Crenshaw | 5,603 | 45.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 12,215 | 100 |