Roberts Backs Golding in Race

San Diego City Councilman Ron Roberts, who placed third in the San Diego mayoral primary behind county Supervisor Susan Golding and business professor Peter Navarro, endorsed Golding Monday, saying Navarro is peddling “economic nonsense.”

Roberts said Golding is “without a doubt the best hope we have” for dealing with issues of jobs and crime, and said he would campaign actively for her. Golding said she welcomed the help. “When a former opponent of yours in a campaign endorses you, it obviously lends strength and credibility to your own campaign,” Golding said.

But Navarro, a political long shot who won the primary three weeks ago, downplayed Roberts’ endorsement. “It’s no big deal,” said Navarro, founder of the managed-growth group Prevent Los Angelization Now! “This is like dog bites man. Ron endorses Susan. No big deal.”

In the June 2 primary election, Navarro, a UC Irvine professor who campaigned on themes of reform and controlled growth, won with 38% of the vote.

Golding, a two-term county supervisor who led in the polls from beginning to end, finished with 31% of the vote in a contest to choose a successor to retiring San Diego Mayor Maureen O’Connor.

Roberts, with 16%, and three others trailed far behind.

Because none of the candidates received more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters in the primary, Golding and Navarro, were forced into a runoff this November.

Though that election is still months away, Roberts said Monday he wanted to fall in now behind Golding.