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Scott Peters has next mayor race sewn up – or not
Could Toni Atkins continue gay legacy?
State campaign disclosure filings show that Scott Peters has become a big backer of Toni Atkins’s bid for governor, coming up with a hefty $12,500 on December 31.
Scott and Todd’s show
With Democrat Todd Gloria safely ensconced in his second (and last) term as mayor of San Diego, speculation is already turning to who will come after his term ends four years hence. At the top of the list, per a January 8 San Diego Union-Tribune dispatch, is House Democrat and Big Pharma champion Scott Peters of La Jolla. “San Diegans are counting on him to continue to solve the region’s biggest challenges from Washington,” Peters aide MaryAnne Pintar was quoted as saying. “He is completely dedicated to making San Diego a better place to live and work, so, yes, he is seriously considering a run for mayor in 2028.” Noted the account: “
Scott Peters: mayoral material?
Peters would be considered hard to challenge from the right because of his reputation as a moderate Democrat, which has helped him get repeatedly endorsed for Congress by the relatively conservative U.S. Chamber of Commerce.” The super-rich Peters, whose wife is heir to a mega-million dollar Midwest manufacturing fortune, has also been known for spreading campaign cash around to other establishment Democrats likely to be of assistance in case of a mayoral race. At the top of the list is termed-out state Senate Democrat Toni Atkins, who has set her sights on running for governor next year.
The U-T story mentions Atkins as a possible mayoral candidate, adding, “Atkins has announced she will be part of a crowded field running for governor in 2026, but it’s not clear what her plans would be if she doesn’t win that race.” Whether by coincidence or not, state campaign disclosure filings show that Peters has become a big backer of Atkins’s bid for governor, coming up with a hefty $12,500 on December 31.
His wife Lynn Gorguze, listed as President and CEO of Cameron Holdings, gave the same. The same day, Mel Katz, a wealthy Del Mar-based Peters backer who headed up Gloria’s failed Measure E city sales tax campaign, and his wife Linda each gave $5000 to Atkins. Subsidized housing guru James Silverwood of Affirmed Housing, a longtime Atkins backer, also kicked in $5000 the same day.
The close ties between Peters and the nation’s pharmaceutical business were called out two years ago by the HuffPost in a November 30, 2022, dispatch. “President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act ultimately included provisions enabling Medicare to negotiate lower prices, but the objections of Peters and a handful of other Democrats resulted in concessions to the pharmaceutical industry that made the final bill weaker. Among other things, Medicare is now required to negotiate a smaller number of drugs on an annual basis than it would have under Democrats’ original proposal.” Added the story: “Peters, who received more campaign cash from pharmaceutical industry PACs in 2022 than any other Democrat in Congress, insists that his pressure helped turn the House’s drug pricing bill into something that would pass the Senate.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), in particular, held up the bill on the grounds that it risked curbing innovation in the industry.” An unnamed Democratic House aide “closely involved in the prescription drug legislation” was quoted as saying, “It’s like the bank robber who wants credit for the successful release of the hostages. It insults members’ intelligence.” The intramural criticism, per the item, was jeopardizing an attempt by Peters to get elected chairman of the moderate New Democrat Coalition, described as a “business-friendly bloc.” Shortly afterwards, Peters lost out to Annie Kuster from New Hampshire. Kuster left Congress last year and was replaced as caucus chair by Illinois Democrat Brad Schneider in November.
Movie show
Ex-San Diego Republican mayor Kevin Faulconer’s campaign funding operation folded its tent on the last day of 2024, providing a neat summary of just how expensive his ill-starred campaign for county supervisor against incumbent Democrat Terra Lawson-Remer had grown.
Kevin Faulconer: raised money, dashed hopes.
A so-called independent expenditure committee calling itself the Homeless Crisis Response Committee Supporting Kevin Faulconer for Supervisor 2004 raised $1,197,600 and spent $1,235,465.02 during the year, per a December 31 disclosure filing. Big donors included Mission Valley developer Thomas Sudbury ($50,000), the Sycuan Citizens for Good Government PAC ($125,000), the Lincoln Club of San Diego County ($30,000), the Building Industry Association of San Diego County PAC ($255,000), and Kansas City-based infrastructure behemoth HNTB Corporation ($10,000). Besides spending heavily on heavily on a flurry of hit pieces against Faulconer’s opponent, the committee gave $6000 to the Campanile Foundation, a charity controlled by San Diego State University. The disclosure provided no details other than to tag the expenditure as a “civic donation.” Also supporting the pro-Faulconer effort against Lawson-Remer was a group calling itself Neighborhood Action Council in opposition to Terra Lawson-Remer for Supervisor 2024 sponsored by The Lincoln Club Business League, which raised a total of $454,175 during the year...Among other noteworthy campaign expenditures of the GOP-leaning Lincoln Club this past fall was the $25,000 it donated to a nonprofit called The Foundation for Independent Voter Education, chaired by ex-state Senate Democrat Steve Peace. The foundation’s website says it has “partnered with independent film-maker Joe McGovern to produce The Other Side: A Liberal Democrat Explores Conservative America. In times of extreme partisanship, Joe demonstrates the value of talking to one another, as opposed to talking against one another. And he does it in a way that is lighthearted, engaging, and informative.” The Lincoln Club also kicked in $25,000 to the county Republican Party.
— Matt Potter
The Reader offers $25 for news tips published in this column. Call our voice mail at 619-235-3000, ext. 440, or sandiegoreader.com/staff/matt-potter/contact/.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Scott Peters has next mayor race sewn up – or not
Could Toni Atkins continue gay legacy?
Scott Peters has next mayor race sewn up – or not
Could Toni Atkins continue gay legacy?
State campaign disclosure filings show that Scott Peters has become a big backer of Toni Atkins’s bid for governor, coming up with a hefty $12,500 on December 31.
Scott and Todd’s show
With Democrat Todd Gloria safely ensconced in his second (and last) term as mayor of San Diego, speculation is already turning to who will come after his term ends four years hence. At the top of the list, per a January 8 San Diego Union-Tribune dispatch, is House Democrat and Big Pharma champion Scott Peters of La Jolla. “San Diegans are counting on him to continue to solve the region’s biggest challenges from Washington,” Peters aide MaryAnne Pintar was quoted as saying. “He is completely dedicated to making San Diego a better place to live and work, so, yes, he is seriously considering a run for mayor in 2028.” Noted the account: “
Scott Peters: mayoral material?
Peters would be considered hard to challenge from the right because of his reputation as a moderate Democrat, which has helped him get repeatedly endorsed for Congress by the relatively conservative U.S. Chamber of Commerce.” The super-rich Peters, whose wife is heir to a mega-million dollar Midwest manufacturing fortune, has also been known for spreading campaign cash around to other establishment Democrats likely to be of assistance in case of a mayoral race. At the top of the list is termed-out state Senate Democrat Toni Atkins, who has set her sights on running for governor next year.
The U-T story mentions Atkins as a possible mayoral candidate, adding, “Atkins has announced she will be part of a crowded field running for governor in 2026, but it’s not clear what her plans would be if she doesn’t win that race.” Whether by coincidence or not, state campaign disclosure filings show that Peters has become a big backer of Atkins’s bid for governor, coming up with a hefty $12,500 on December 31.
His wife Lynn Gorguze, listed as President and CEO of Cameron Holdings, gave the same. The same day, Mel Katz, a wealthy Del Mar-based Peters backer who headed up Gloria’s failed Measure E city sales tax campaign, and his wife Linda each gave $5000 to Atkins. Subsidized housing guru James Silverwood of Affirmed Housing, a longtime Atkins backer, also kicked in $5000 the same day.
The close ties between Peters and the nation’s pharmaceutical business were called out two years ago by the HuffPost in a November 30, 2022, dispatch. “President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act ultimately included provisions enabling Medicare to negotiate lower prices, but the objections of Peters and a handful of other Democrats resulted in concessions to the pharmaceutical industry that made the final bill weaker. Among other things, Medicare is now required to negotiate a smaller number of drugs on an annual basis than it would have under Democrats’ original proposal.” Added the story: “Peters, who received more campaign cash from pharmaceutical industry PACs in 2022 than any other Democrat in Congress, insists that his pressure helped turn the House’s drug pricing bill into something that would pass the Senate.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), in particular, held up the bill on the grounds that it risked curbing innovation in the industry.” An unnamed Democratic House aide “closely involved in the prescription drug legislation” was quoted as saying, “It’s like the bank robber who wants credit for the successful release of the hostages. It insults members’ intelligence.” The intramural criticism, per the item, was jeopardizing an attempt by Peters to get elected chairman of the moderate New Democrat Coalition, described as a “business-friendly bloc.” Shortly afterwards, Peters lost out to Annie Kuster from New Hampshire. Kuster left Congress last year and was replaced as caucus chair by Illinois Democrat Brad Schneider in November.
Movie show
Ex-San Diego Republican mayor Kevin Faulconer’s campaign funding operation folded its tent on the last day of 2024, providing a neat summary of just how expensive his ill-starred campaign for county supervisor against incumbent Democrat Terra Lawson-Remer had grown.
Kevin Faulconer: raised money, dashed hopes.
A so-called independent expenditure committee calling itself the Homeless Crisis Response Committee Supporting Kevin Faulconer for Supervisor 2004 raised $1,197,600 and spent $1,235,465.02 during the year, per a December 31 disclosure filing. Big donors included Mission Valley developer Thomas Sudbury ($50,000), the Sycuan Citizens for Good Government PAC ($125,000), the Lincoln Club of San Diego County ($30,000), the Building Industry Association of San Diego County PAC ($255,000), and Kansas City-based infrastructure behemoth HNTB Corporation ($10,000). Besides spending heavily on heavily on a flurry of hit pieces against Faulconer’s opponent, the committee gave $6000 to the Campanile Foundation, a charity controlled by San Diego State University. The disclosure provided no details other than to tag the expenditure as a “civic donation.” Also supporting the pro-Faulconer effort against Lawson-Remer was a group calling itself Neighborhood Action Council in opposition to Terra Lawson-Remer for Supervisor 2024 sponsored by The Lincoln Club Business League, which raised a total of $454,175 during the year...Among other noteworthy campaign expenditures of the GOP-leaning Lincoln Club this past fall was the $25,000 it donated to a nonprofit called The Foundation for Independent Voter Education, chaired by ex-state Senate Democrat Steve Peace. The foundation’s website says it has “partnered with independent film-maker Joe McGovern to produce The Other Side: A Liberal Democrat Explores Conservative America. In times of extreme partisanship, Joe demonstrates the value of talking to one another, as opposed to talking against one another. And he does it in a way that is lighthearted, engaging, and informative.” The Lincoln Club also kicked in $25,000 to the county Republican Party.
— Matt Potter
The Reader offers $25 for news tips published in this column. Call our voice mail at 619-235-3000, ext. 440, or sandiegoreader.com/staff/matt-potter/contact/.
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