El Cajon Mayor Invoice Wells faces socialist in SoCal conservative haven

A socialist challenger is taking over the longtime conservative mayor of a San Diego County metropolis the place Republicans have managed the council for many years.

El Cajon Mayor Invoice Wells, who has held the highest job for greater than 12 years, will face labor organizer and former educator Alexander Kraft within the Nov. 3 election, in keeping with the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Kraft is a member of the Peace and Freedom Celebration and is working on a “working-class socialist” platform, in stark political distinction with the conservative incumbent.

Wells has served on the Metropolis Council since 2008 and have become mayor in 2013.

He’s campaigning on public security and the town’s funds, pointing to $63 million in reserves and a completely staffed police division.

“Public security is my primary accountability,” his marketing campaign web site states.

Wells has additionally fought a number of insurance policies popping out of Sacramento, together with the state’s method to homelessness, and helped lead El Cajon in a lawsuit difficult California’s sanctuary legal guidelines.

Kraft grew up in a trailer park in El Cajon, labored on an meeting line and later graduated from UC Berkeley, in keeping with the Union-Tribune.

His marketing campaign notes that he has organized protests and rallies round social justice points because the Iraq Battle.

“El Cajon’s multi-ethnic working class is beneath assault by a MAGA-controlled metropolis authorities extra focused on writing checks to billionaire landlords and promoting out our residents to ICE than in assembly folks’s wants,” his web site states.

Homelessness is a significant subject for each candidates, however they disagree on the way to deal with it.

Wells helps clearing encampments and a treatment-first method, whereas Kraft has protested the town’s ban on feeding folks in public parks.

Kraft additionally desires a neighborhood response group to deal with psychological well being crises and an audit of police spending to doubtlessly redirect cash towards neighborhood wants.

Marketing campaign filings confirmed Wells with $13,715 in money as of June 30, in contrast with $6,701 for Kraft, the Union-Tribune reported.

One other race might additionally shift the steadiness of the council, with three candidates competing for the District 1 seat being vacated by longtime Councilmember Gary Kendrick.

Kendrick was a longtime Republican earlier than leaving the occasion and registering as a Democrat.

Republican Chuck Kaye, Democrat Patrick Grillot and Osama Bayati, whose occasion affiliation was unclear, are working to switch him.

Kaye, a profession legislation enforcement officer, is campaigning on public security, decrease taxes and holding El Cajon family-friendly.

Grillot, who has served on a metropolis oversight committee for police and fireplace facility funding, is targeted on public security, financial improvement, and homelessness.

Bayati is campaigning to assist younger folks and small companies, to impose time period limits, and to oppose what he calls the “pointless enlargement” of Flock Security license-plate reader cameras.

Voters will determine each races on Nov. 3.

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