The San Diego Democratic Club voted Thursday to endorse City Council President Scott Peters for city attorney. In a runoff vote versus incumbent Michael Aguirre, Peters secured more than 60 percent of the club’s support to win the endorsement.

Of the 61 votes cast, Peters won 39, Aguirre won seven and 15 members voted for no endorsement.

In an initial vote, Peters, Aguirre and candidate Amy Lepine failed to secure the club’s nod. Out of 82 votes, Peters won 42, Aguirre won 17, Lepine won 6, and 12 club members cast votes for no endorsement.

Peters, who announced in March he would run for city attorney, was voted the first San Diego City Council president under the new strong mayor form of government.

Peters, along with council colleagues, was cited in the Kroll report for “negligence” and “reckless, wrongful mismanagement” of the city’s pension system, which has become a key talking point in this election.

He has voted to support same-sex marriage, needle exchange and medical marijuana, causes that are important to GLBT voters and the SDDC, a GLBT organization.

Peters, however, voted in 2004 to extend the Boy Scouts of America’s lease in Balboa Park despite the organization’s anti-gay stance. Thursday, Peters said his vote was a mistake.

“I understand when I’ve made a mistake,” Peters said. “That was a mistake. I have since learned it was a mistake. And I know that I broke [Councilmember] Toni Atkins’ heart … but I’ve worked hard to regain her support.”

“[Peters] doesn’t have a perfect record,” said Atkins, who represents District 3 and who endorses Peters for city attorney. “But it is a solidly Democratic record, and he’s been tremendously supportive.”

The Democratic candidates, Peters, Aguirre and Lepine, sat for an hour-long question and answer with members of the SDDC and attendees. Questions ranged from the city’s pension crisis, to a proposal for a public park at Navy Broadway, to the role of the city attorney as an activist versus a facilitator to the City Council. It seemed a primary concern among attendees is Aguirre’s attempt to reform city employee benefits, which has lost Aguirre the support of labor unions.

The San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, which represents 119 local unions, voted in February to endorse Peters.

The labor contingent was large and loud Thursday. They demonstrated outside the SDDC meeting holding signs saying “Aguirre is anti-worker” and “Aguirre is no Democrat.”

“He’s a lousy attorney, and his cause certainly isn’t a righteous cause,” said a retired city engineer who held a sign that read “Aguirre is anti-worker.” “Before he was elected, I attended a retiree luncheon that he spoke at and he promised to protect our pension and he turns right around and tries to take it away … I don’t think City Hall is perfect, but all he’s done is destroy, destroy, destroy – he hasn’t done anything constructive.”

Ed Lehman, a member of the American Federation of State County Municipal Employees Local 127, said his labor union endorsed Aguirre in 2004.

“We were wrong,” he said. “He isn’t pro labor. Anyone who disagrees with him he calls corrupt. And he’s wasting taxpayers’ dollars.”

While most celebrated Peters win Thursday, others expressed support for Aguirre, and disgust with the outcome.

“What is this club thinking endorsing Scott Peters?” said one member, who asked not to be named. Another, a retired city employee who also asked not to be named, could lose his pension if Aguirre’s lawsuits pan out, and supports the incumbent nonetheless. “Why’d I have to live to see this?” he said. He said Peters will favor developers, not neighborhoods, and do little to remedy the city’s financial crisis.

Others deterred from criticizing Peters, saying Aguirre is a more consistent candidate.

“One of the things that must happen in the political process is we must monitor Democrats as closely as we monitor Republicans … at the end of the day, there are no surprises with Mike Aguirre,” said Pat Washington, president of the San Diego Democratic Women’s Club. “On human rights issues, on women’s issues, on immigration reform, I don’t have to sit in the room with Mike and stare him down to know he’s going to do the right thing. No matter who’s in the room, he’s going to vote with his conscience, he’s going to vote with principle, he’s going to vote based on morality, and he’s going to do what’s right for the greater good.”