In November 2005, Jerry Sanders was on the record supporting domestic partnerships and civil unions as alternatives to same-sex marriage.

“He lacks the courage of his convictions and is unwilling to stand up for what he believes,” the Gay & Lesbian Times wrote that year in an editorial endorsing Donna Frye for mayor. What we knew at the time was what a number of people didn’t – that Sanders’ daughter, Lisa, was an out lesbian.

Sanders’ separate-but-equal perspective on same-sex marriage didn’t sit well with us. It wasn’t the lone reason we didn’t endorse Sanders, but it certainly weighed in.

How the times have changed.

In 2007, Sanders reversed his position on same-sex marriage, and signed the amicus brief to support marriage equality in re: Marriage Cases before the California Supreme Court.

What we saw in Sanders when he pledged support for same-sex marriage is what we had hoped to see all along – strength of conviction. In the wake of the Sunroad fiasco, and facing a wealthy opponent in a difficult re-election campaign, it would have been politically expedient for Sanders, a Republican, to veto the amicus brief. Instead, he delivered an emotional declaration of support to San Diego’s gay and lesbian couples.

It is not for that reason alone we proudly endorse Jerry Sanders for mayor. The mayor has also made incredible strides at fiscal reform, which has restored San Diego’s credit rating. He has streamlined city operations, eliminating nearly 795 positions, which will save the city upwards of $65 million per year. He’s invested in infrastructure and repair, and has supported pay increases for public safety officers. Crime is down four percent, and the city’s police department is on track to be fully staffed by 2009.

The city is in better shape now than when Sanders was first elected, and is certainly in better shape than it would be if led by Steve Francis. Francis’ television ads attacking the mayor are, at times, blatantly false, and he has tried to marginalize Sanders as a middle-of-the-road mayor. Francis, however, has waffled on a number of issues and is entirely unqualified for the job. He has said same-sex marriage is destructive to the family unit and criticized the mayor’s about face on the issue. In our conversation with Francis last week, he went on the record saying he does not support same-sex marriage – but said it doesn’t mean he won’t support it in the future. How that differs from Sanders’ progress on the issue is beyond us.

Jerry Sanders is the clear choice on June 3.

And while we certainly don’t want to make Sanders’ life hell, he knows who we are endorsing for city attorney. We agree to disagree on how effective our candidate will be, if elected.

Michael Aguirre may be may be a divisive political figure and he may overreach his boundaries at times. But Aguirre is also a tenacious leader in a delicate situation. He’s tasked with representing the best interest of the citizens of San Diego and providing the San Diego City Council with impartial legal counsel.

His job is tricky, and there’s often a conflict between what is in the council’s best interest and what is in the city’s best interest. Most importantly, Aguirre acts in the city’s best interest.

Constituents Aguirre has supported for decades aren’t always thrilled with his litigation. In particular, Aguirre lost the support of labor for his attempts to reform city employee pensions. Aguirre’s lawsuits targeting the city employee pensions have garnered a tremendous amount of attention, most notably, kudos from The Wall Street Journal.

Make no mistake: Aguirre is a pro-labor candidate. His job, however, is to protect the city’s best interest and act according to the law – regardless whether it will risk his re-election.

Likewise, Aguirre has been attacked in our community for his role in shutting down the 2200 Club. Aguirre, who has supported and played an integral role in furthering our civil rights movement for more than 30 years, was simply doing his job. Before the club closed, Aguirre was a vocal opponent of extending the Boy Scouts of America’s lease in Balboa Park. In the time since the club closed, he’s taken a leadership role in San Diego’s support of same-sex marriage. His role in having the club closed was indicative of his commitment to following the law – not of his solid commitment to our community.

Pat Washington, president of the San Diego Democratic Women’s Club, said it best: “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.”

Aguirre’s primary challenge now is proving to voters he is still the candidate he was in 2004: a candidate fully committed to following the letter of the law, to Democratic principles, and to serving the public’s interest. He will need to build bridges with the mayor and the City Council. He must develop a healthy working relationship with public officers because that, too, is in the public’s best interest.

Aguirre isn’t a city attorney who, in every case, will protect the mayor, or the City Council, or the city employees, or labor unions, or our community – he is a city attorney, however, who will protect the law and act in the city’s best interest, and that’s the kind of watchdog San Diego needs.

We proudly endorse Michael Aguirre in the city attorney’s race.