Five Mayoral Candidates Qualify for Primary Ballot

Five candidates have qualified to run for mayor of San Diego, City Clerk Charles Abdelnour said Wednesday.

A check of nominating petitions by the registrar of voters office showed that financier Tom Carter, County Supervisor Susan Golding, growth-management advocate Peter Navarro, San Diego City Councilman Ron Roberts and accountant Bill Thomas collected enough valid signatures to be listed on the June 2 primary ballot.

Candidates Loch David Crane, David Smallwood Jr. and Jim Turner failed to collect the 300 signatures of registered voters required to run for the office being vacated by Mayor Maureen O’Connor.

Crane, Smallwood and Turner have the right to check for errors in the validating process and could go to court to reverse their disqualifications, Joyce Lane, elections analyst in the city clerk’s office, said.

In 1987, a Superior Court Judge ruled that then-candidate Wes Pratt’s name should be placed on the ballot in the race for the City Council’s 4th District seat, despite Pratt’s failure to gather the 200 valid signatures required. Pratt went on to win the contest and served a single term.

Crane said he planned to file an appeal. Turner said he would run as a write-in candidate. Smallwood could not be reached for comment.

In the race for city attorney, incumbent John Witt and former City Councilman Bruce Henderson both qualified for the ballot.