Golding Decides Not to Run for Mayor

Ending months of speculation about her political future, San Diego County Supervisor Susan Golding announced on Monday that she will seek reelection this year rather than oppose San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Connor.

Barring any unexpected last-minute entries into the mayoral race before this Thursday’s filing deadline, Golding’s announcement appears to remove the only potentially serious obstacle that stood between O’Connor and her own bid for reelection.

Although former San Diego City Councilman Floyd Morrow and more than a dozen other minor candidates have taken out nominating petitions in the mayoral race, Golding’s non-candidacy makes O’Connor a heavy favorite to win reelection by surpassing 50% of the vote in the June primary, thereby avoiding a November runoff.

Remain on County Level

Speaking at a news conference held on the waterfront across from the downtown County Administration Center, Golding said that she opted to remain at the county rather than seek the city’s top elective post primarily because of her belief that her current office affords her “as much opportunity for regional leadership” as the mayor.

“In considering the prospect of being mayor, what was appealing to me was the opportunity for leadership of a great city,” Golding said. “In truth, I am already in a position to provide that leadership, for 85% of my district is within the city limits of the City of San Diego.” In addition, Golding is scheduled to become chairman of the Board of Supervisors--a leadership position rotated annually among the board members--next year.

Although numerous recent polls have shown O’Connor with a large lead over Golding and other potential mayoral rivals, the 42-year-old supervisor, now in the final year of her first four-year term, insisted that the prospect of an uphill campaign did not dissuade her from running. To date, Golding faces no opposition in her supervisorial reelection campaign.

“My history in campaigns speaks for itself,” said Golding, a former San Diego City councilwoman who defeated lawyer Lynn Schenk in a bitter 1984 supervisorial race. “I have never shied away either from a risk or a tough race. I knew from the beginning that it would be a tough race. . . . I expect a tough race for something that’s worthwhile.”

Noting that local Republican campaign consultants advised her that a race against Democrat O’Connor was winnable, Golding added: “If I had not felt that the race was winnable, I would not have spent any of the time or effort I did spend in examining the race.”

Guessing Game Over

Since late last year, the question of whether Golding would challenge O’Connor or simply seek reelection provided the favorite guessing game in San Diego political circles. With name recognition perhaps second only to O’Connor among local elected officeholders and proven fund-raising ability supplemented by personal wealth, Golding was widely viewed as the only potentially serious barrier between O’Connor and a reelection that otherwise could be a virtual fait accompli .

Golding herself acknowledged in recent weeks that, if she were O’Connor’s only major opponent in June, the mayor would have been a prohibitive favorite.

However, Morrow’s preliminary moves last month toward another mayoral candidacy--he finished third, with 19% of the vote, behind O’Connor and then-City Councilman Bill Cleator in the special 1986 race necessitated by Roger Hedgecock’s forced resignation--encouraged Golding’s partisans, who viewed a three-way race as her best chance of success. With Morrow in the race, Golding supporters said, O’Connor would be less likely to surpass 50% in June, thereby possibly giving Golding five additional months to campaign against O’Connor before a November runoff.

But Golding contended that neither Morrow’s potential mayoral candidacy--nor his indications that he might remain on the sidelines if Golding ran against O’Connor--influenced her own decision.

“It did not play a role,” Golding said. “I had to make my own decision.”

Flanked by her family and about a dozen supporters, Golding repeatedly argued at Monday’s news conference that those and other political considerations had less impact on her decision than did her desire to complete unfinished projects at the county and to promote regional approaches to countywide problems.

Calling for better cooperation between the city and county issues on a wide range of regional issues ranging from traffic and growth-management to AIDS and earthquake preparedness, Golding warned that “petty jurisdictional squabbles” could hamper solutions to those and other problems.

“Regionalism is really the only way to solve the problems that are facing us today . . . whether we do it by structural reorganization or by strong cooperation,” Golding said. “There has never been a more important time in the history of our community for strong leadership from the only regional government we have--strong leadership from county government--(because) the major problems can’t be solved by one jurisdiction.”

Political turf battles between the city and county--as well as the potential campaign rivalry between herself and O’Connor--have sometimes inhibited such a regional approach, Golding conceded. But the supervisor added that the election of four new councilmen last fall, combined with her decision to stay out of the mayoral race, could enhance cooperation between the two major local governments.

Morrow, who could not be reached for comment Monday, has not yet returned his candidacy petitions for the mayoral contest to the city clerk’s office. But, with Golding out of the race, both O’Connor and her confident inner circle of advisers view the upcoming campaign as little more than a formality, regardless of Morrow’s ultimate decision.

“Floyd could double what he got last time and we’d still be OK,” O’Connor said last week.

Dick Dresner, O’Connor’s political consultant, was even more effusive in his confidence.

“Unless (Golding) changes her mind, I think the mayor’s got this one locked up,” Dresner said. “Morrow just isn’t a very big factor. This thing may end up being by acclamation.”