Get past noise, there’s a real choice in S.D. mayor’s race

Before they began running for mayor, Barbara Bry and Todd Gloria were largely respected and well liked by a lot of same kinds of people, albeit to varying degrees: Democrats, progressives, moderates, environmentalists, labor groups, business establishment and even many Republicans.

You'd hardly know that by the campaigns the two Democrats and their surrogates have waged. Though not unique to this election, ubiquitous negative messages have dominated the race.

Yet, their self-stated qualities of leadership, experience and political perspective, and their personal backgrounds — the things that built their premayoral bid reputations — have been overshadowed for much of the campaign.

Whoever wins likely will benefit from the standing they had before, though some bruised feelings may result in awkwardness in what were once cordial relations.

There are substantial differences between City Council member Bry and Assembly member Gloria on important issues beyond what's discussed in the negative ads, some of which paint Bry as an acolyte of President Donald Trump and Gloria as the kingpin in the disastrous city real estate deal for the 101 Ash St. building.

Hyped as those accusations may be, there are legitimate questions in both areas.

Bry is no supporter of the president, but why did she vote against a council resolution in opposition to Trump potentially sending federal law enforcement officers — as he had done elsewhere — to intervene in San Diego social justice protests?

How much of a role did Gloria play when he was on the council in the leasepurchase deal that was driven by Mayor Kevin Faulconer?

As for the resolution, Bry has said she supports the essence of it, but dismissed it as a symbolic gesture. This came as her campaign was eying support from Republican voters to compete with Gloria's institutional Democratic backing.

Regarding 101 Ash St., Gloria at the time praised the deal as beneficial for the city, but has since said Faulconer's staff was not forthcoming with details — which, in retrospect, has become clear.

However, a lot of the problems resulted from the city's subsequent effort to renovate the building to house more employees, which disturbed asbestos. After Gloria was elected to the Assembly and Bry