With less than four weeks left in the race, San Diego City Council candidates Stephen Whitburn and Todd Gloria announced the latest endorsements for their campaigns to fill the District 3 City Council seat being vacated by Councilmember Toni Atkins.

Whitburn picked up the endorsement of Latina civil rights activists Dolores Huerta and Gracia Molina de Pick on Oct. 7.

Huerta, who is a co-founder with Cesar Chavez of the United Farm Workers (UFW), and de Pick, who is a longtime feminist and San Diego resident, said they are supporting Whitburn because he is a proven fighter for stronger neighborhoods, better schools and increased job opportunities for Mid-City residents.

“Stephen Whitburn will fight for our community and work for stronger neighborhoods for our families,” said Huerta, a civil rights and human rights leader since the mid-1950s, who co-founded the Community Service Organization in Sacramento. In the 1960s, she directed the UFW’s successful grape boycott. In 2008, she served as a national leader of the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign and spoke at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

A former journalist, Whitburn’s experience spans back more than 25 years as a journalist with several years of government reporting. He is currently a community educator for the American Red Cross Blood Services and is an elected member of the North Park Planning Committee.

“I have known Stephen for years, and he is honest, smart, and will be a voice for the people,” said de Pick, who has been an educator, feminist, mentor of students and community activist for women’s equality, indigenous communities, labor and immigrants rights for more than 60 years. “I appreciate the fact that Stephen is bilingual and understands our issues. We’ll be proud of him on the City Council.”

The candidate, who is the only candidate endorsed by the Democratic Party, is also the only candidate for San Diego City Council District 3 who is fully conversant in Spanish.

“I am incredibly honored and humbled to have the support of these extraordinary women,” Whitburn said. “Dolores Huerta and Gracia Molina de Pick have led the way on issues of economic justice and worker and immigrant rights for decades,”

Meanwhile, Gloria announced that he has obtained the endorsement of former California State Senate President Pro Tempore Jim Mills, author of the Mills Act, signifying Gloria’s work in protecting historic structures.

“Todd has consistently advocated for strengthening the Mills Act and preserving the character of our great neighborhoods,” the former State Senator said. “He is the right man for the job, and he understands what needs to be done both to preserve the history of District 3 and to launch San Diego into a bold new future.”

The Mills Act Property Tax Abatement Program has become a crucial piece of historic neighborhood preservation and improvement throughout California, especially in District 3. The law allows homeowners of historically designated homes the opportunity to save on property taxes in order to improve and beautify their property and the neighborhood around them. In June 2008, Gloria addressed the San Diego City Council to share his support for maintaining the integrity of the Mills Act, the administration of which is currently being reviewed by the City.

“As a third generation San Diegan, I intimately understand that the architecture and community spirit of our older, urban neighborhoods create the unique community character that is the envy of the rest of our city,” Gloria said welcoming Mills’ endorsement.

Gloria, who was recently endorsed by Atkins, came in first in the June primary election with 41 percent of the vote. Whitburn, who got 29 percent of the vote in the June primary, has the endorsement of District 6 Councilmember Donna Frye. He also picked up the endorsements of former District 3 candidates John Hartley and Paul Broadway after the June primary.