SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, a Republican whose term ends next month, revealed he is considering running for governor in an interview Thursday with the Los Angeles Times.
The race will be tough for any Republican, according to political analyst John Dadian, because registered Democrats far outnumber Republicans in California. Those registered with no party preference also outnumber Republicans.
“The uphill is he’d have to pull in all the people that are neither democrat or republican, but it’s certainly possible," Dadian said.
According to Dadian, many political pundits consider Faulconer to be the most viable Republican in a general election, citing his record as a moderate mayor who frequently cross the aisle to work with Democrats on issues such as climate change.
Faulconer's PAC raised more than $120,000 in the first half of the year, with the biggest donations coming from outside San Diego, which Dadian says is another indication of Faulconer's viability.
Dadian says he expects Faulconer to spend much of his time traveling the state once he leaves office to build his profile and introduce himself to voters away from his home base.
"What he’ll do now is get all around the state, let everybody know who he is. Then, when it’s an actual campaign, he’ll be raising money and he’ll be making very sharp hits on the current incumbent,” says Dadian.
Faulconer has not revealed when he plans to make a decision about whether to officially run.
