LOS ANGELES — Republican City Councilman Kevin Faulconer was elected San Diego mayor in a Tuesday night run-off election replacing disgraced former mayor Bob Filner.
Democrat Kevin Alvarez, 33, who had hoped to be the city's first Latino mayor, conceded defeat with Faulconer leading by 54.5% to Alvarez' 45.4%, according to vote totals from the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.
Faulconer and Alvarez, both councilmen, came out the frontrunners in the primary election held in November after Filner was forced to resign under pressure following a sexual harassment scandal.
Faulconer was endorsed by former San Diego Mayor Jerry Saunders, now president of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce. Alvarez received endorsements from Gov. Jerry Brown and President Barack Obama.
Faulconer was first elected to city council in Jan 2006 in an election to replace former Councilman Michael Zucchet, then acting mayor, who resigned after he was convicted on a charge of conspiracy, five counts of wire fraud and three counts of extortion. A judge later overturned the charges against Zucchet citing a lack of evidence.
On the council, Faulconer is chair of the Audit Committee, which was charged with clearing out an audit backlog and restoring the city's credit rating. He is vice chair of the Rules and Economic Development Committee and is a member of the Budget and Finance Committee.
Faulconer will take office the first week of March.
Filner, 71, resigned Aug. 30 after 20 women came forward this summer with allegations of sexual harassment. The Democrat had won election as mayor after serving 10 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, but was only nine months into his four-year term when the scandal broke.
He pleaded guilty to one count of felony false imprisonment and two counts of misdemeanor battery Oct. 15 in San Diego County Superior Court. Under the plea agreement, he surrendered his mayoral pension, will be confined to his home for three months, and serve three years of probation. He also is prohibited from seeking or holding public office.
San Diego Council President Todd Gloria has been serving as interim mayor since Filner's resignation on Aug. 30.
