New San Diego mayor on disgraced Filner: 'We were better than that'

New San Diego mayor on disgraced Filner: ‘We were better than that’

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Bob Filner enters the San Diego City Council chambers to announce his resignation as mayor in the wake of a wave of sexual-harassment allegations. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

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Todd Gloria, who became acting mayor of San Diego after Bob Filner resigned, garnered praise from opposing factions, in part because he decided not to run for mayor. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Mayoral candidate David Alvarez chats with a supporter after a debate with rival Kevin Faulconer at the San Diego Air and Space Museum. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

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Republican Kevin Faulconer, left, waves to passing cars while campaigning on the day before San Diego’s mayoral election, which he went on to win. (Lenny Ignelzi / Associated Press)

By Tony Perry

Feb. 12, 2014 5:56 AM PT

SAN DIEGO -- On the heels of the election victory making him the city’s next mayor, Republican Councilman Kevin Faulconer on Tuesday night allowed himself a not-so-veiled reference to the now-passed era of disgraced ex-Mayor Bob Filner.

Filner resigned Aug. 31 after months of a chaotic management style at City Hall followed by multiple accusations of sexual harassment, setting the stage for Faulconer’s victory over Democratic Councilman David Alvarez, 54.5% to 45.5%, according to unofficial results tallied by the county registrar of voters.

“This city has gone through a lot in the last year, but we knew that as San Diegans we were better than that,” Faulconer told supporters.

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Filner, 71, was the city’s first Democratic mayor in two decades. He is now serving a 90-day home-confinement sentence after pleading guilty to three charges of mistreating women.

Faulconer is to be sworn in March 3 to serve the final 33 months of Filner‘s term.

Alvarez, 33, said Tuesday night he called Faulconer to offer his congratulations and say that he looks forward to working with the new mayor. If elected, Alvarez would have been the youngest and first Latino mayor in modern San Diego history.

Faulconer, a former public relations executive before entering politics, promised that he and Alvarez will work together “to move our city forward.”

tony.perry@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATsandiego