Seeks Greater Federal, State Aid : Supervisor Williams to Run for 2nd Term

Leon Williams will seek a second term on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, he announced Monday.

Williams, a 63-year-old Democrat, was elected to the 4th District seat on the board in 1982 after serving 13 years on the San Diego City Council. Thus far, he is running unopposed.

In opening his campaign with a news conference at the County Administration Center, Williams claimed credit for improvements in county government during his first term.

“When I first started on the board, there was internal squabbling, morale of county employees was low and the county’s public image was tarnished,” Williams said. “Today, the Board of Supervisors is a more unified body and much less prone to factionalism than it was in the past. There is a willingness on the part of the majority of the board to find solutions, rather than find someone to blame for the county’s problems.”

Williams said his district, as the most urban of the five supervisorial districts, “has the most critical social problems associated with city life. Juvenile delinquency, crime, drug abuse, the poor and special problems of the aged and the homeless are just a few of the major social issues I’ve had to face.”

District 4, which lies entirely within the City of San Diego, encompasses downtown, Southeast San Diego, Encanto, Skyline, Mission Hills, Old Town, Loma Portal, Linda Vista, Serra Mesa, Hillcrest, North Park, Golden Hill, Normal Heights, University Heights, Kensington and Mission Valley.

Williams said his district has been seriously affected by shortages as federal and state funds to the county have been slashed.

“In the next few years, with efforts to balance the federal budget, we will be facing a very severe test of our ability to continue providing necessary county services,” Williams said. “To help meet this challenge, I plan to continue to push for changes in state and federal laws which deny San Diego its fair share of tax dollars.”

If no serious challenger surfaces, Williams could be reelected in June by receiving more than 50% of the primary vote. If no candidate in the primary wins a majority, the top two finishers would face off in a November runoff.

Supervisor Paul Eckert, a Republican who also is running for reelection this year, has publicly urged the conservative political forces in the county to mount a challenge to Williams. Williams said Eckert’s efforts to defeat him “won’t hurt me one bit.”

“I’m not at all sorry that he did that,” Williams said of Eckert’s statement that he would back a challenger to the District 4 incumbent. “I feel it stresses the differences between Mr. Eckert and myself.”