Struiksma Quits San Diego Mayor’s Race

In a surprise announcement, acting Mayor Ed Struiksma dropped out of the San Diego mayor’s race Thursday night, hours after the district attorney’s office decided to launch a full-scale investigation into Struiksma’s travel expenses on a city-paid trip to the East Coast in 1984.

“It is not fair to the people of this city that we be in a period of limbo while I await the conclusion of this investigation,” Struiksma said at a hastily called 9:30 p.m. press conference at his political consultant’s office in downtown San Diego.

“Our city--and city government in particular--has been through much turmoil these last two years,” said Struiksma, referring to the political scandal involving former mayor Roger Hedgecock, who was convicted Oct. 9 on 13 felony counts involving campaign-law violations.

“On Jan. 2 I announced my intention to run for mayor. I would still like to be your elected mayor . . . but 1986 is not the year,” Struiksma said. “After talking with my wife and family, I have decided to withdraw my candidacy for mayor.”

Struiksma said his decision to drop out of the hotly contested mayoral election set for Feb. 25 was based on the decision by the district attorney’s office to pursue a full investigation on his expense report. Struiksma said he was interviewed Wednesday by a San Diego County District Attorney’s investigator.

Late Thursday afternoon, Dist. Atty. Edwin Miller met with several members of his legal and investigative staff, who had been reviewing the case for the past week. It was decided at the meeting that an investigation was warranted, according to Steve Casey, chief spokesman for the district attorney’s office.

“There are some questions we need answers to . . . and the only way to get them is through an investigation where we’ll be looking at more documents and talking to more people,” Casey said.

Although he wouldn’t elaborate, Casey said the focus of the investigation will involve more than a $65 dinner in New York for which Struiksma billed the city but which a city redevelopment official, who was at the dinner, claims he paid.

Struiksma has blamed the dispute on his loss of more than $600 in receipts during the trip in October, 1984.

The expense report he filed with the city contained “reconstructed” expenses that in some cases may be in error. Struiksma claims he did the expense report in that manner on the advice of the city auditor’s office.

City Auditor Ed Ryan says neither he nor anyone in his office gave Struiksma such advice. Both Ryan and City Atty. John Witt asked the district attorney’s office last week to review the matter.

Casey said that for the past week, the district attorney’s office has evaluated documents turned over by the auditor and city attorney and also interviewed a few people.

“I don’t mean to imply that there has been criminal conduct involved . . . but we have to answer some questions,” Casey said. “It’s not an appropriate time to go into that, but the nature of what we were doing has simply changed.”

Struiksma said he had no immediate plans to endorse any other candidate.

Councilman and mayoral candidate Bill Cleator said he believed Struiksma did “what he thinks is best for the city and I think that’s very commendable.”

“I was somewhat shocked. Well, I didn’t expect what happened, frankly,” he said. “When something happens and it comes out of the blue, it’s, I don’t know . . . I’m just at a loss for words right now.”

Asked what this could bode for his own campaign, Cleator added: “I don’t have the slightest idea.”

Maureen O’Connor, who along with Cleator and Struiksma were considered front-runners in the mayoral race, said she was shocked by Struiksma’s action.

“It’s too early to really know what this means, but my guess is that it probably helps Cleator more than it helps me,” O’Connor said, noting that both Cleator and Struiksma are Republicans and she’s a Democrat. “I expect to hear a lot of talk from the Republicans about coalescing behind Cleator.”

Democratic candidate Floyd Morrow, arguing that “geography might be more of a factor than party,” said he believes that he might pick up a sizable portion of Struiksma’s support because he represented the same council district as Struiksma for three terms.

“This can’t do anything but help me,” Morrow said. “I live in the 5th District, I work in it and I represented it on the council for 12 years. I think that the votes of a lot of people who might have been oriented toward their current council member will now quite naturally flow to the person who represented them before.”

Councilwoman Judy McCarty reacted emotionally to Struiksma’s decision.

“I honestly feel sick to my stomach,” she said. “It’s a little frightening that a mistake like that can cost you so much. I hope it’s not political. I’m assuming it’s not.

“I’m sure Ed is doing what’s best for the city and his family. I hope the district attorney doesn’t find criminal intent.”