Two headed to runoff in race to succeed disgraced ex-San Diego mayor

A Republican metropolis councilman and a Latino Democrat with birthday celebration backing seemed headed for a runoff in an election to switch former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, who resigned in a sexual harassment scandal, unofficial returns confirmed on Wednesday. Republican Kevin Faulconer and Democrat David Alvarez had been the highest two vote-getters in a race crowded with 11 candidates vying to prevail Filner, the primary Democrat elected mayor of California's 2d-largest city in twenty years. Faulconer garnered forty four percent of the vote, and Alvarez trailed him with 26 p.c, appearing to side out fellow Democrat Nathan Fletcher by way of simply over 2,600 votes out of greater than 200,000 cast in Tuesday's formally nonpartisan election, the returns confirmed. Some 34,500 mail and provisional ballots had yet to rely, well above the number wanted with the aid of Fletcher to inch back into 2d location, consistent with the San Diego County Registrar of Voters, which posted returns online with 100% of precincts reporting.