San Diego City Councilmember Donna Frye has endorsed three candidates in the race for four City Council seats up for grabs in the June 3 election, but, for now at least, she said she plans to stay out of the city attorney sweepstakes.
Frye is backing Sherri Lightner in District 1, Stephen Whitburn in District 3 and Marti Emerald in District 7—all Democrats. She likely won’t make an endorsement in District 5, where Republican Carl DeMaio is expected to stroll breezily toward election. Frye holds common cause in some areas with DeMaio. While they disagree on issues such as outsourcing city jobs to the private sector (he’s for it; she ain’t), DeMaio is an ally to Frye when it comes to transparency in government. He also endeared himself to her recently when he publicly called for a scenario in which the mayor has nothing to do with selecting or overseeing a city auditor.
Frye will have more than earned the presidency of the City Council by the time 2009 rolls around (I didn’t ask her if she’ll seek it; Councilmember Tony Young wants it pretty badly). Having two years as president under her belt would only help her chances of being elected to the county Board of Supervisors, a position she’s recently expressed interest in. Supervisor Ron Roberts’ seat is up again in 2010, which, under term limits, will be Frye’s last year on the City Council.
If she can help get Lightner and Emerald elected, replacing termed out Scott Peters and Jim Madaffer, the City Council would have six Democrats and two Republicans (DeMaio and Kevin Faulconer), creating a scenario most conducive to her leadership. So far, Frye hasn’t shown the willingness to lead coalitions, preferring instead to go it alone, even when others (namely Toni Atkins) have wanted her to lead.
Frye’s decision to stay out of the city attorney race has to be seen as a blow to Mike Aguirre, who doesn’t have too many friends left in high places.
February 21, 2008 - 10:29 pm at 10:29 pm
What’s the deal? Even Donna’s had enough of Aguirre?
February 22, 2008 - 8:28 am at 8:28 am
Donna (I vote no) Frye votes no on city attorney, you would think that by now she would at least have a meaning full thought. may be she thinks we just don’t need a city attorney, after all we have D.A. apparently she HAS NOT had enough of the (cause I said so) Emperor of His Own Mind. Oops, who cares what she thinks.
February 24, 2008 - 11:14 am at 11:14 am
She may not endorse, and who cares? But I’m sure she knows who to vote for. So do I.
February 25, 2008 - 7:26 pm at 7:26 pm
I care who Donna Frye endorses; it means she is becoming one of the crooked all boys network. I never thought it would have happened to her; especially after the “swiftboating” done to the three democrats in 2002. They did not go after any republicans or women.
Mike Aguirre has been “swiftboated since taking office. After all, his goal is to expose the abuse. You do not think, the crooked republican’s would allow that.
Have any of you read Aguirre’s resume? He is the only one that has a clean record. An honest person in office has no chance of getting anything done, and we just let them.
“The squeaky wheel gets the oil” and when the whole barrel is rotten you can do nothing but ROT and it permeates everything.
March 17, 2008 - 9:07 am at 9:07 am
I hope that Donna Frye will continue to withhold her endorsement of Mike Aguirre. We need a city attorney who can conduct the people’s business without grandstanding.
March 18, 2008 - 3:23 am at 3:23 am
In San Diego, we have a real choice: if we don’t want crooks who will destroy the city, and we don’t want incompetents who will destroy the city, then we can vote for howling lunatics who will destroy the city.