San Diego council president who took over for Bob Filner is ousted

San Diego Councilman Todd Gloria, a Democrat who won high marks as interim mayor after the 2013 resignation of Mayor Bob Filner, was ousted Wednesday as City Council president.

The council’s four Republicans joined with Democrat Sherri Lightner to reject Gloria’s bid for another term as president. Gloria and three other Democrats voted in his favor.

After the 5-4 vote ousting Gloria, the council voted 7-2 to name Lightner as president, a post that provides a higher profile than that of an individual council member. The president presides over council meetings and often appears beside the mayor at major announcements.

Lightner praised Gloria for bringing “stability and a calming presence to the city” after Filner resigned in a sexual harassment scandal.

Gloria led the council to pass several measures opposed by many Republicans: increasing the minimum wage, boosting a fee on developers to provide low-income housing, rezoning the blue-collar Barrio Logan neighborhood to separate housing from industrial uses, and endorsing a climate-action plan.

Gloria will remain on the council representing a district that includes downtown San Diego, Golden Hill and Hillcrest. He was seen by some Republicans as unwilling to implement a voter-approved initiative to outsource city jobs to private contractors.

Lightner, whose district includes La Jolla, University City and Carmel Valley, is seen as more moderate.

“Today’s decision was based on politics, not performance,” Gloria said after the vote. “While, of course, I am disappointed by the outcome, San Diegans know that I’ve never needed a title to accomplish important things for our city.”

As council president, Lightner promised to “work collaboratively with all my council colleagues.”

Mayor Kevin Faulconer, a Republican, said of Lightner, “We already have a great working relationship, and I look forward to working together.”

Gloria served as interim mayor from Filner’s resignation in August 2013 to March when Faulconer was sworn in as mayor after defeating Councilman David Alvarez, a Democrat.

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