Bry outspending Gloria as San Diego mayor’s race heads into final stretch
Barbara Bry’s campaign for San Diego mayor has spent nearly twice as much as rival Todd Gloria’s campaign in the past month on TV spots, web ads, mailers and other expenses — $1 million vs. $523,000.
Bry — a City Council member representing District 1 — outspent Gloria — a state Assembly member whose 78th District includes Pacific Beach — by funneling $450,000 of her personal wealth into the campaign for the Nov. 3 election, according to new disclosures released this week.
Both candidates are Democrats, though the mayor’s post is officially nonpartisan.
Barbara Bry and Todd Gloria, who are facing off in the race to become the new mayor of San Diego, have their eyes on a big task as they seek to replace current Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who is termed out and cannot run for re-election.
The spending spree leaves Bry with only $64,000 in her war chest for the final stretch of the campaign, compared with $252,000 for Gloria. Bry’s campaign also faces a debt of $388,000, while Gloria’s campaign has no outstanding debt.
Bry, a high-tech entrepreneur, has contributed a total of $660,000 to her campaign since it began in late 2018. Gloria has not made any personal contributions to his campaign.
Meanwhile, independent committees supporting both candidates raised and spent significant amounts in the campaign during the reporting period, Sept. 20 through Oct. 17.
Independent committees supporting Bry spent $430,000 on her behalf, while those supporting Gloria spent nearly $1.1 million.
The committees supporting Gloria have received much of their funding from labor unions, with additional contributions from trade associations and the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The committees supporting Bry have received much of their funding from individual donors and groups such as the Associated General Contractors.
In addition to the independent committees, the San Diego County Democratic Party spent about $300,000 in support of Gloria during the reporting period.
In the city attorney’s race, incumbent Mara Elliott continued to dominate spending and fundraising over her opponent, private sector attorney Cory Briggs.
Challenger Cory Briggs attacks record of incumbent Mara Elliott as she focuses on her accomplishments
Elliott spent $132,000 during the reporting period and Briggs spent $3,600. She also raised more than four times as much as Briggs, $26,000 vs. $5,500. Briggs has only $5,600 in his war chest and faces a debt of about $140,000.
