After Filner, acting San Diego mayor puts his own mark on office

SAN DIEGO -- In his resignation speech, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner quoted the late Sen. Edward Kennedy: “The cause endures. The hope still lives.”

Filner’s resignation under a cloud of sexual harassment allegations is set to become effective at 5 p.m. Friday. But the Kennedy legacy will continue in the mayor’s office at City Hall.

One of the first things that City Council President Todd Gloria will do when he moves into the mayoral office is put up pictures of his political heroes: John and Robert Kennedy and Harry Truman.

The pictures have been on the wall in Gloria’s council office at City Hall. After he becomes acting mayor at 5:01 p.m., the pictures will be put in a place of honor in his new office.

The City Charter calls for the council president to assume the duties of the mayor when an unexpected vacancy occurs. No swearing-in ceremony is required.

Filner’s name and pictures have already been removed from the waiting room outside the mayoral suite.

Gloria, like Filner, a Democrat, will spend his first weekend as acting mayor in what could be called San Diego style: attending the U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge on the Broadway Pier, a Padres game where labor unions will be honored, and then touring beach areas with the lifeguard chief.

On Tuesday he plans to meet with directors of city departments and participate in an event with the local Red Cross.

He said he has already been briefed “about several issues that have languished on Mayor Filner’s desk.”

Gloria, 35, is a history and political science graduate of the University of San Diego and a former member of the San Diego Housing Commission and former chairman of the San Diego LGBT Community Center.

He is mulling a run for mayor in the Nov. 19 special election. A decision is expected within days.

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tony.perry@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATsandiego