# 2013–2014 San Diego mayoral special election

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vte :
The 2013–2014 San Diego mayoral special election was a special election to elect the mayor of San Diego. The election was made necessary by the resignation of Bob Filner on August 30, 2013. The winner stood to serve out the balance of Filner's term, which ended in 2016.
The election was nonpartisan, in accordance with the California Constitution, and candidates appeared on the ballot with no party affiliation, although most chose to state a political party affiliation. A primary election was held on November 19, 2013. Since no candidate received a majority of the vote in the first round, a runoff election was held between the top two vote-getters on February 11, 2014. In the runoff, Kevin Faulconer defeated David Alvarez.

## Filner's resignation

In July 2013, Filner was accused of sexual harassment by multiple women. Despite continuing pressure to resign, he remained in office until he and the city reached a mediated agreement in August 2013, under which he agreed to resign and the city of San Diego agreed to help pay his legal fees. According to the city charter, Todd Gloria, the president of the San Diego City Council, served as interim mayor until a new mayor was sworn into office.

## Candidates
### Declared

* Mike Aguirre, former San Diego city attorney
* David Alvarez, San Diego city councilman
* Hud Collins, lawyer
* Bruce Coons, executive director of Save Our Heritage Organisation
* Harry Dirks, business administrator and realtor
* Kevin Faulconer, San Diego city councilman
* Nathan Fletcher, former state assemblyman and mayoral candidate in 2012
* Michael Kemmer, student
* Sina "Simon" Moghadam, businessman and engineer
* Tobiah Pettus, construction superintendent and mayoral candidate in 2012
* Lincoln Pickard, retired contractor and gun rights advocate

### Declined

* Toni Atkins, Majority Leader of the California State Assembly and former Acting Mayor
* Ruben Barrales, former aide to George W. Bush, former CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
* Carl DeMaio, former San Diego City Councilman and mayoral candidate in 2012 (running for Congress)
* Bonnie Dumanis, San Diego County District Attorney and mayoral candidate in 2012
* Donna Frye, former San Diego city councilwoman and mayoral candidate in 2004 and 2005
* Todd Gloria, interim mayor of San Diego and president of San Diego City Council
* Jan Goldsmith, San Diego City Attorney
* Lorena Gonzalez, state assemblywoman
* William Gore, San Diego County Sheriff
* Christine Kehoe, former state senator
* Ron Roberts, San Diego County Supervisor and mayoral candidate in 1992, 2000, and 2004
* Matt Romney, investor and son of Mitt Romney
* Lori Saldaña, former state assemblywoman

## Special election

In the special election held November 19, 2013, Kevin Faulconer received 43.6 percent of the vote and David Alvarez received 25.6 percent. The two of them advanced to a runoff election on February 11, 2014. Nathan Fletcher narrowly missed the runoff with 24.3 percent of the vote, just as he had when he previously run in the 2012 mayoral election. Mike Aguirre placed a distant fourth with 4.4 percent. The other eight candidates each received less than 1 percent of the vote each.

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mike Aguirre | David Alvarez | Kevin Faulconer | Nathan Fletcher | Other | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | November 11–14, 2013 | 510 | ±4.4% | 7% | 22% | 40% | 24% | 4% | 3% |
| SurveyUSA | October 28–31, 2013 | 550 | ±4.3% | 7% | 17% | 41% | 28% | 3% | 4% |
| SurveyUSA | October 7–10, 2013 | 513 | ±4.4% | 8% | 20% | 28% | 32% | 4% | 8% |
| SurveyUSA | September 19–23, 2013 | 527 | ±4.4% | 9% | 17% | 22% | 30% | 6% | 15% |
* ↑ Bruce Coons 2%, Other 4%

### Results

Although local elections are officially non-partisan per the California constitution, major candidates typically publicly align themselves with political parties. Therefore, political preference of candidates is indicated in the table below where it is known.
2013–2014 San Diego mayoral special election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Kevin Faulconer | 101,953 | 42.1% |
| | Democratic | David Alvarez | 65,740 | 27.1% |
| | Democratic | Nathan Fletcher | 58,355 | 24.1% |
| | Democratic | Mike Aguirre | 10,783 | 4.5% |
| | Republican | Lincoln Pickard | 1,144 | 0.5% |
| | Democratic | Bruce Coons | 1,012 | 0.4% |
| | Nonpartisan | Sina "Simon" Moghadam | 748 | 0.3% |
| | Nonpartisan | Hud Collins | 647 | 0.3% |
| | Nonpartisan | Michael Kemmer | 612 | 0.3% |
| | Nonpartisan | Harry Dirks | 434 | 0.2% |
| | Nonpartisan | Tobiah Pettus | 344 | 0.1% |
| | Nonpartisan | Farrah Pirahanchi (write-in) | 5 | 0.0% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 242,828 | 100% |

## Special run-off election

On February 11, 2014, Kevin Faulconer received 52.9 percent majority in the run-off vote and was elected mayor of San Diego.

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Kevin Faulconer | David Alvarez | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | February 3–6, 2014 | 639 | ± 4% | 47% | 46% | 7% |
| SurveyUSA | January 20–23, 2014 | 646 | ± 3.9% | 49% | 44% | 7% |
| Public Policy Polling | January 13–14, 2014 | 526 | ± 4.3% | 45% | 46% | 9% |
| SurveyUSA | January 4–9, 2014 | 800 | ± 4.3% | 53% | 37% | 10% |
| SurveyUSA | December 2–5, 2013 | 515 | ± 4.4% | 47% | 46% | 7% |
| SurveyUSA | November 11–14, 2013 | 510 | ± 4.4% | 51% | 38% | 11% |
| SurveyUSA | October 28–31, 2013 | 550 | ± 4.3% | 52% | 36% | 12% |
| SurveyUSA | October 7–10, 2013 | 513 | ± 4.4% | 44% | 35% | 21% |
| SurveyUSA | September 19–23, 2013 | 527 | ± 4.4% | 38% | 35% | 26% |
With Aguirre
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mike Aguirre | David Alvarez | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | November 11–14, 2013 | 510 | ± 4.4% | 29% | 46% | 25% |
| SurveyUSA | October 28–31, 2013 | 550 | ± 4.3% | 31% | 43% | 26% |
| SurveyUSA | October 7–10, 2013 | 513 | ± 4.4% | 23% | 46% | 31% |
| SurveyUSA | September 19–23, 2013 | 527 | ± 4.4% | 32% | 40% | 28% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mike Aguirre | Kevin Faulconer | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | November 11–14, 2013 | 510 | ± 4.4% | 28% | 55% | 16% |
| SurveyUSA | October 28–31, 2013 | 550 | ± 4.3% | 25% | 59% | 16% |
| SurveyUSA | October 7–10, 2013 | 513 | ± 4.4% | 27% | 53% | 20% |
| SurveyUSA | September 19–23, 2013 | 527 | ± 4.4% | 35% | 42% | 23% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Mike Aguirre | Nathan Fletcher | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | November 11–14, 2013 | 510 | ± 4.4% | 30% | 46% | 24% |
| SurveyUSA | October 28–31, 2013 | 550 | ± 4.3% | 27% | 54% | 19% |
| SurveyUSA | October 7–10, 2013 | 513 | ± 4.4% | 25% | 54% | 20% |
| SurveyUSA | September 19–23, 201 | 527 | ± 4.4% | 23% | 53% | 24% |
With DeMaio
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Carl DeMaio | Nathan Fletcher | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | July 16–18, 2013 | 564 | ± 4.2% | 41% | 42% | 16% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Carl DeMaio | Donna Frye | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | July 16–18, 2013 | 564 | ± 4.2% | 51% | 33% | 16% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Carl DeMaio | Todd Gloria | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | July 16–18, 2013 | 564 | ± 4.2% | 50% | 29% | 21% |
With Fletcher
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | David Alvarez | Nathan Fletcher | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | November 11–14, 2013 | 510 | ± 4.4% | 38% | 42% | 20% |
| SurveyUSA | October 28–31, 2013 | 550 | ± 4.3% | 31% | 51% | 18% |
| SurveyUSA | October 7–10, 2013 | 513 | ± 4.4% | 29% | 49% | 22% |
| SurveyUSA | September 19–23, 2013 | 527 | ± 4.4% | 24% | 52% | 24% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Kevin Faulconer | Nathan Fletcher | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | November 11–14, 2013 | 510 | ± 4.4% | 47% | 38% | 14% |
| SurveyUSA | October 28–31, 2013 | 550 | ± 4.3% | 46% | 41% | 12% |
| SurveyUSA | October 7–10, 2013 | 513 | ± 4.4% | 36% | 46% | 17% |
| SurveyUSA | September 19–23, 2013 | 527 | ± 4.4% | 30% | 44% | 26% |
| SurveyUSA | July 16–18, 2013 | 564 | ± 4.2% | 24% | 50% | 26% |
With Frye
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Kevin Faulconer | Donna Frye | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | July 16–18, 2013 | 564 | ± 4.2% | 40% | 37% | 23% |
With Gloria
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Kevin Faulconer | Todd Gloria | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | July 16–18, 2013 | 564 | ± 4.2% | 36% | 30% | 34% |
With Goldsmith
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Nathan Fletcher | Jan Goldsmith | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | July 16–18, 2013 | 564 | ± 4.2% | 47% | 28% | 25% |

### Results

2013–14 San Diego mayoral special election runoff :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Kevin Faulconer | 153,491 | 52.9% |
| | Democratic | David Alvarez | 136,701 | 47.1% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 290,192 | 100% |