In a recent online survey of Gay & Lesbian Times readers, Todd Gloria was the overwhelmingly favorite gay candidate for the upcoming District 3 City Council race. The GLT asked respondents, if the 2008 election were to take place today, would they vote for Gloria or for opposing openly gay candidate Stephen Whitburn? Gloria clocked in at 68 percent to Whitburn’s 32.

According to our poll, Gloria is the clear frontrunner. However, this poll is in no way scientific and so might not be an accurate sampling of the GLBT community.

An interesting side note: 10 times our average number of respondents participated in this poll, indicating that either both camps turned out a large number of voters or the race is beginning to heat up – or both.

Gay & Lesbian Times columnist Nicole Murray-Ramirez recently argued that we, as a community, need to get behind one gay candidate or risk splitting the gay vote and losing the seat to a straight Democrat. Murray-Ramirez has endorsed Gloria.

While we agree that the gay community should ultimately back one gay candidate, we would like to remind everyone that there is still plenty of time before the primary in June ’08, and we have yet to hear from either of these candidates on many of the issues affecting District 3 and the city of San Diego.

Also, with the official filling deadline not until March 3, 2008, additional candidates could enter the fray at any time to shake things up.

California Western School of Law professor Robert DeKoven wrote in the GLT last week that we need a candidate with extensive legal, financial and/or business experience to help navigate us out of the city’s current financial crisis – someone who is fully capable and qualified to be a member of the board of directors of a multi-billon dollar municipal corporation, and we agree.

Center board member and CFO of Evan’s Hotels, Robert Gleason, was being courted, but so far not a peep has been heard from his corner. Ted Weathers, David Watson and Andrew Poat all have been mentioned, but would any willingly climb aboard what has to feel like a sinking ship? Not likely.

Gloria and Whitburn are worthy candidates. Gloria knows this district better than anybody and has already lined up key endorsements that will pay off come campaign season. Whitburn’s resume is also quite impressive and his army of San Diego Democratic Club volunteers willing to knock on doors and man the phones will no doubt come in handy. And ,who knows, another gay candidate might just throw his or her hat into the ring.

Let’s let them duke it out for a few rounds before calling this fight.

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