On a night when a “Blue Wave” was dominating election coverage, gaining Democrats huge wins in federal, state and local political offices, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria found himself facing ouster in a race he wasn’t even running.
Critics of the second-term Democrat mayor initiated the process to recall the career politician on Election Day 2026.
Why begin the recall process now, with two years left in Gloria’s term?
“The real question is why not now?” said Geneviéve Jones-Wright, a 2024 mayoral candidate and one of five signatories on the recall.
“Speaking on behalf of everyday San Diegans, we’ve all suffered long enough under his failed leadership. We must act,” Jones-Wright, an attorney and community activist, said via email.
She passed along this statement: “Our decision to formally initiate the process to recall Mayor Todd Gloria was not made lightly. At some point, accountability has to rest with the person elected to lead the city – and as Todd has famously said, the buck stops with him.
“Todd is not a bystander to the decisions that have made San Diego less affordable, increased the burden on residents, and left too many people dissatisfied with basic city services and the direction of our city…
“We believe San Diegans deserve a mayor who is responsive, accountable and focused on making this a city where everyday people can afford to live and thrive…City government should not work better for people with political currency than it does for everyone else.”
Mayor Gloria’s communications staff did not respond to an email request for comment from The San Diego Sun.
A number of unpopular decisions have emanated from the mayor’s office during his second term. He has overseen big budget deficits in 2025 and ‘26. His decision to charge for parking in Balboa Park was met with a huge adverse reaction. He walked the proposal back and then rescinded it. Parking fees in downtown San Diego that were quadrupled are still a point of contention.
In Gloria’s 2026 budget, he proposed zeroing out funding for the arts. After an outcry from the arts community, and some financial support from the Prebys Foundation, the funding was put back in the budget.
The mayor also took heat for initially closing down public bathrooms at city beaches at the height of tourism season. This was also cited as a budget-cutting measure. The bathrooms were re-opened after complaints from many residents and visitors.
Residents of East Village have beseeched the mayor for years to help combat open drug use in their community. And communication between the mayor’s office and business leaders in the Gaslamp Quarter are nearly nonexistent.
Most recently, a story surfaced about Gloria’s chief of staff Paola Avila getting preferential treatment from the mayor for an alleged love interest who was facing disciplinary action.
On November 6, the city and the Padres will be in court to face charges that they colluded to allow loud concerts to violate city noise codes at Gallagher Square.
Veteran San Diego political pundit Carl Luna said Gloria was a victim of the anti-incumbent undertow of the Blue Wave.
He’s not a fan of recalls.
“That’s why we have elections,” said Luna, professor emeritus at Mesa College and visiting professor at University of San Diego. “Recalls could render elections meaningless. I worry it will become weaponized as a political strategy.”
Luna does believe Gloria’s career has been weakened and isn’t sure if he’d survive a recall or win another political race. If Gloria avoids a recall he would termed-out and unable to run for mayor again.
There had been speculation Gloria might run for Congress next, but Luna said that option now seems unlikely.
There are unconfirmed whispers that Gloria might seek an appointment in the administration of just-elected California Governor Xavier Becerra.
Gloria’s office did not respond to an email query about that possibility.
The last San Diego Mayor to face a recall was Bob Filner. The recall campaign began in the summer of 2013 and Filner resigned amid sexual harassment allegations in August of that year.
Angry about short-term vacation rentals and zoning proposals on building height limits, organizers filed a notice of intent to recall District 2 San Diego City Councilmember Jen Campbell in February 2021. Opponents did not collect enough signatures to call for a recall election.
In Gloria’s case, he’s eligible to be recalled because he has been in office longer than six months and there are more than six months left in his current mayoral term.
To qualify a recall election, petitioners must get signatures from at least 15% of citywide registered voters. That’s more than 120,000 signatures. Petition sheets can be circulated 21 days after the recall notice is filed. Petitioners get 120 days to acquire the required signatures. SDSun
