On Tuesday, San Diego voters in City Council Districts 2 and 8 will cast their vote to replace former Councilmembers Michael Zucchet and Ralph Inzunza, who were convicted on federal corruption charges in July. (Zucchet has since been acquitted of seven of the nine charges.) This election could dramatically change the makeup of the council. Once a Democratic majority, if both Republican candidates get elected in their district, the council will have a Democrat/Republican split, with Mayor Sanders serving as the tie-breaker. This scenario puts issues like medical marijuana, clean-needle exchange, the Boy Scouts lease and funding for social service programs in jeopardy.

Emerging from November’s primary in District 2 is Democrat Lorena Gonzalez and Republican Kevin Faulconer. District two includes: La Jolla, Mt. Soledad, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Old Town, Midway, Mission Hills, North Bay, Uptown/Park West, Little Italy and downtown. Gonzalez, an environmental lawyer, has come out 100 percent on GLBT issues, including full marriage equality, and has been outspoken in her opposition to the Boy Scouts’ preferential land lease in Balboa Park. Gonzalez has campaigned on transparent and responsible budgeting, ending business and developer subsidies and doing away with outlandish pension benefits for elected officials. She supports pension caps and wants voters to have a say in future pension increases.

Supporting Gonzalez are: Congressmember Susan Davis, state Senator Christine Kehoe and Assemblymember Lori Saldaña. Community leaders Ben Dillingham, Bruce Abrams and Gloria Johnson are also supporting Gonzalez.

Faulconer has come out against many of our issues, including clean-needle exchange. And despite its direct conflict with the San Diego Human Dignity Ordinance, Faulconer supports keeping the scouts in Balboa Park.

The Nov. 8 primary election put Faulconer ahead of Gonzalez. However, with the district’s vote split among 17 candidates in the primary, Gonzalez could pull off a victory in Tuesday’s runoff. With such a large portion of GLBT voters residing in District 2, our participation could call the election – voter turnout is expected to be low, giving our numbers more power at the polls.

The Gay & Lesbian Times endorses Democrat Ben Hueso for City Council District 8, which includes Sherman Heights, Golden Hill, Logan Heights, Nestor, Otay Mesa, Palm City and San Ysidro.

Hueso, who will fill Ralph Inzunza’s vacant seat, is a local business owner and affordable housing advocate who has received the KSWB Community Service Award and been honored as an “Unsung Hero” by Channel 10. Categorized in a San Diego Union-Tribune editorial as “thoughtful and thoroughly committed to serving his district,” Hueso is considerably more tolerant than his Republican contender, San Diego Board of Education president Luis Acle.

Prior to the Nov. 8 primary, Hueso did not complete the San Diego Democratic Club’s questionnaire, which rates candidates based on whether or not they support legislation involving issues like abortion rights, same-sex marriage, medical marijuana and needle exchange. Hueso cited the importance of walking the precinct over appearing before our community, which cemented our endorsement for Hueso’s Democratic opponent in the primary, Remy Bermúdez, who scored 100 percent on the club’s questionnaire.

Hueso told the Gay & Lesbian Times this week that he is pro-choice, supports needle exchange and supports medical marijuana under a doctor’s supervision and through approved sources. He does not support the Boy Scout’s lease in Balboa Park, because he does not believe the city “should lease, rent or sell any assets at below-market rate, regardless of the user.” Hueso said he does not support same-sex marriage, “but I do support legal domestic partnership protections, partner insurance benefits, and other legal protections for all couples, regardless of gender.”

Hueso has received endorsements from the San Diego Democratic Party, the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, Assemblymember Juan Vargas and United Farm Workers of America, among others.

Inzunza, a Latino social progressive, was a vote in our favor on the City Council. We hope Hueso, if elected, will carry on that tradition.