2020 San Diego City Attorney election
The 2020 San Diego City Attorney election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The primary election was held on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.
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| Elections in California |
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Municipal elections in California are officially non-partisan, although most members do identify a party preference. A two-round system was used for the election, starting with a primary in March followed by a runoff in November between the top-two candidates. Incumbent City Attorney Mara Elliott advanced from the primary election to face private sector attorney Cory Briggs in the general election.
Campaign
The incumbent City Attorney Mara Elliott stood for reelection to a second term. She was challenged for the position by two private sector attorneys: Cory Briggs and Pete Mesich.[1]
In the March primary, Elliott received about two-thirds of the vote to advance to the general election against Briggs, the closest runner up.[2]
Polling
Primary Election
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[lower-alpha 1] |
Margin of error |
Mara Elliott |
Cory Briggs |
Pete Mesich |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA/KGTV-TV/San Diego Union-Tribune | February 6–8, 2020 | 527 (LV) | ± 5.3% | 28% | 15% | 9% | 47% |
| SurveyUSA/KGTV-TV/San Diego Union-Tribune | January 16–19, 2020 | 518 (LV) | ± 5.2% | 28% | 18% | 6% | 48% |
General Election
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[lower-alpha 1] |
Margin of error |
Mara Elliott |
Cory Briggs |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA/KGTV-TV/San Diego Union-Tribune | October 1–5, 2020 | 547 (LV) | ± 5.3% | 28% | 22% | 50% |
| SurveyUSA/KGTV-TV/San Diego Union-Tribune | August 28–31, 2020 | 517 (LV) | ± 5.3% | 30% | 20% | 50% |
Results
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Nonpartisan | Mara W. Elliott | 208,767 | 67.9% | |
| Nonpartisan | Cory Briggs | 71,672 | 23.3% | |
| Nonpartisan | Pete Mesich | 47,072 | 8.9% | |
| Total votes | 307,662 | 100% | ||
| General election | ||||
| Nonpartisan | Mara W. Elliott | 375,060 | 66.6% | |
| Nonpartisan | Cory Briggs | 187,791 | 33.4% | |
| Total votes | 562,851 | 100% | ||
Notes
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
References
- Garrick, David (February 1, 2020). "Election challengers attack San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott's record". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
- Hong, Joe (March 4, 2020). "Incumbent Elliott, Briggs To Fight For San Diego City Attorney In November". KPBS Public Media. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
- "Election History - City Attorney, City of San Diego" (PDF). San Diego City Clerk. Retrieved April 12, 2020.