With Todd Gloria, Sherri Lightner and Marti Emerald claiming victory in the City Council race, the result of the recent election leaves Republicans in short supply at City Hall.

The outcome of the San Diego City Council race means Mayor Jerry Sanders will face a veto-proof Democratic council majority, the Union-Tribune reported on Nov. 7. The 6-2 Democratic majority divide could affect Sanders’ reform agenda of contracting out city jobs and reducing employee pensions.

Sanders endorsed Republicans April Boling and Phil Thalheimer over Democrats Marti Emerald and Sherri Lightner. He reached across party lines to endorse Todd Gloria over Stephen Whitburn, who is also a Democrat.

Gloria is the only councilmember who Sanders endorsed in the November election who won.

Sanders, however, downplayed the losses and a spokesperson for the mayor said it is too early to tell any issues the new council and the mayor will not agree on.

“The City Council is a nonpartisan office and the mayor will work with them to find common ground,” said Darren Pudgil, Sanders’ communications director.

“The mayor has shown over the years that he is able to work with anyone,” he said, noting that is too early to tell any issues the new council and the mayor will not agree on. “Obviously we have some challenges before us with regard to our budget deficit, [but] we’re hopeful the new councilmembers will work with the mayor to make sure that we address these challenges responsibly,” he said.

The Democratic majority is not totally new to the City Council. There were six Democratic council members from late 2002 until mid-2005, but there also were three Republicans on the council because the mayor sat as a member before 2006.

That meant Republicans required just two Democratic votes to form a coalition on issues. With the new council majority, they’ll need at least three.

District 5 Councilmember-elect Carl DeMaio, who won his seat in the June election and is the lone Republican being sworn in next month, said he doesn’t really see any issues in terms of party.

“I see it in terms of, are you supported by the terms of special interest or are you really going to put the public interest first,” DeMaio said, noting labor unions basically won with their candidates being elected to the council.

“I think the main concern that people should have is, given the severity of the city’s financial problems the question becomes: Will these council members stand up to the very special interests that put them into office? The labor union’s influence on City Council, particularly at a time when we need to find ways to cut the operating costs of the city, is the issue you will see defined in the next four years,” DeMaio said. “When you talk about other issues I don’t think you’re going to see a split.”

DeMaio said his work on open government with Democrat District 6 Councilmember Donna Frye is an example of how party labels are not as important as disposition.

“If you’re going to do your best on each issue you’re confronted with, without regard to special interest view, then we will find some interesting alliances that will probably transcend party label,” he said.

Frye, however, refused to comment on questions regarding the Democrat majority on the council.

District 3 Councilmember-elect Todd Gloria, who came under fire during the election for accepting donations from special interest groups, said he does anticipate there will be some issues regarding the Democratic-heavy City Council.

“Although the council is a nonpartisan seat, I do not believe it’s true there is a Democratic way to put up a stop sign and a Republican way to fill a pothole, so with that in mind we’re going to have to work in terms of what is the best way to serve the city,” Gloria said, noting that in order to get any response from the city, the council will have to work together on issues they may otherwise disagree on along party lines. “I do, however, know it is good to be serving as part of the majority, and as such it will definitely be beneficial for the residents in District 3 who I am serving.”

Emerald who won the District 5 seat and Lightner who won District 1 did not return calls for this story.

Meanwhile, at last week’s City Council meeting, the current City Council decided not to choose a new president until the four newly elected members are seated on Dec. 8.

Scott Peters served as San Diego’s first council president under the strong mayor form of government which began in 2006.

Peters tried to get a vote at the Nov. 18 meeting on who should succeed him, before the newly elected council members are sworn in.

“I will tell you that I personally had hoped that there would be a consensus among the council members who would be seated by now so that I could start someone in this chair ahead of time, and I realize that this consensus did not emerge,” Peters said.

It is not clear who the new council will pick to be its president.