Matt Romney, Mitt’s son, decides not to run for mayor of San Diego
SAN DIEGO -- Matt Romney, son of 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, said Friday that he would not be a candidate to succeed San Diego Mayor Bob Filner.
In an email to Los Angeles Times political reporter Maeve Reston, Romney said he had been asked “by some friends in the local R [Republican] party to consider running and not dismiss it out of hand.
“Out of respect for them, I agreed not to rule it out until today after allowing for some discussions. It’s now safe to say that I will not run for mayor.”
Romney, 41, is senior vice president for capital markets at Excel Trust Inc. His residence is outside the city limits, but he could have moved; his parents own a home in La Jolla.
When Romney’s name was listed by a pollster among potential candidates, it created a slight buzz within media and political circles.
Filner, a Democrat, is set to resign at 5 p.m. Friday under a cloud of sexual harassment allegations.
Republican leaders are hoping to rally around a single candidate in the Nov. 19 special election in hopes of overcoming a voter registration disadvantage. Democrats comprise 40% of registered voters within the city; voters who decline to state a party comprise 27%; and Republicans are 26%.
“Our fine city needs a good mayor and I hope that the election allows us to unite around a principled leader,” Romney said in his email.
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Twitter: @LATsandiego
tony.perry@latimes.com
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