It’s been a long, wild election season but the public grandstanding is nearing an end.
Recall Kamala Harris participated in the cold-open sketch on Saturday Night Live. Donald Trump dressed up like a sanitation worker to do a press op from a garbage truck with his name stamped on it.
These last-minute stunts aim to get voters’ attention. The Presidential candidates would seem to have nothing on San Diego mayoral challenger Larry Turner, however, who skydived from a plane on Sunday, November 3, 2024.
Turner, currently a downtown San Diego police officer, is an independent, first-time candidate running against Democratic incumbent San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria in a solidly blue city.
Currently a community relations officer with SDPD, Turner retired from the U.S. Marine Corps as a Lt. Colonel after 23 years of service. He parachuted numerous times as a Marine, and says he earned his gold wings for completing all manner of jumps–from planes, helicopters, at night and in full combat gear.
Before this weekend, the last time he made a jump was 25 years ago. Turner says the armed services jumps weren’t nearly as high as this tandem leap from 11,000 feet over Brown Field, near the Mexican border in Otay Mesa.
“In the military, the plan was to make low drops as fast as possible – so there was less of a chance of getting shot while you were falling,” he says.
Turner says the opportunity came up when he learned a skydive team was doing a jump in connection with San Diego Fleet Week. He says they told him there was room for one more jumper.
One demo team professional from Skydive Innovations made the jump carrying one of the largest U.S. flags used by skydivers all over the country.
It’s unclear if Turner’s leap of faith will move voters. Seven weeks ago, polling showed Gloria led Turner by just 37% to 33%. Since then, undecided voters seem to have been falling more in line behind Gloria.
Turner was asked which is tougher: running for mayor or jumping out of a plane?
“Running for mayor is easy,” Turner says. “But you’re never prepared for the creepy stuff you run into on the campaign trail involving special interests.” SDSun
