Tag: District 9

  • A San Diego Refugee and Real Estate Professional Talk Politics

    By Megan Burks Mariam Ali recalls trying to rent an apartment when she arrived in San Diego 25 years ago after fleeing Somalia. She was receiving public housing assistance. “The white guy came and he was like, ‘Do you work?’ I said, ‘No, I’m not working. I receive government assistance.’ And he was like, ‘Oh,…

  • Council District 9 Candidates: No to Stadium, Yes to Sanctuary City

    The four candidates running to replace San Diego Councilwoman Marti Emerald met at a forum Wednesday night and agreed on most of issues, from not using public money on a football stadium to boosting homeless services to making San Diego a sanctuary city. The forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters, was at the…

  • Who’s the Establishment Candidate in San Diego Council District 9?

    By Megan Burks The neighborhoods that make up San Diego’s City Council District 9 have stark differences. Low-income residents in City Heights and Southcrest share their council member with upper-middle class residents in Kensington and the College Area. The four Democrats running in the June 7 election to represent those communities aren’t as distinctive, yet…

  • Could All-Latino Slate Motivate Higher Voter Turnout in City Heights?

    By Claire Trageser For years, one wealthy and mostly white San Diego neighborhood has effectively decided who represents an entire City Council district — a district that’s 50 percent Latino. The Kensington neighborhood wields the power in District 9 because the residents there vote. In the last general election, Kensington’s turnout was 30 percentage points…

  • San Diego’s ‘Latino Empowerment District’ Could Get Its First Latino Rep

    By Megan Burks In 2011, San Diego redrew its City Council districts and carved out a so-called “Latino Empowerment District.” The new line around City Heights, Kensington, the College Area and parts of southeastern San Diego netted a slight Latino majority. But the next year, the district’s whiter, more affluent voters came out in force,…