ENCINITAS — Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear announced this weekend that she is seeking re-election to another two-year term in November.
Blakespear, who voters elected in 2016, made the announcement in a newsletter to supporters.
“I’m excited to announce that I’m running for re-election as your Mayor in Encinitas this fall, and I wanted you to be among the first to know!” Blakespear wrote.
Encinitas’ mayor became an elected position with a two-year term after voters passed Propositions K and L in 2012, which created the elected post and set the term of service. Blakespear became the city’s second directly elected mayor in 2016, succeeding Kristin Gaspar, who was elected to the County Board of Supervisors.
She defeated Gaspar’s husband, Paul Gaspar, in the 2016 election by nearly a 2-to-1 margin.
Blakespear, 42, in her newsletter touted the city’s environmental commitments — including the city’s landmark climate action plan update — the work on the most recent housing element proposal, road and rail corridor projects and commitments, and active engagement of the citizenry through various forms of communication as her successes during her first term.
“And it all happens against the backdrop of consistent financial discipline, plus the highest commitment to maintaining public safety,” Blakespear wrote. “We’ve been very successful so far! These priorities need an ongoing champion and I would be honored to have your support to continue the good work we’re doing.”
Blakespear has dealt with her share of controversies during her mayoral term. Some residents criticized her for her support of dividing the city into council districts in response to a legal threat filed by Malibu-based attorney Kevin Shenkman who claimed the city’s at-large election system was biased against Hispanics.
A group of Leucadia residents fiercely criticized her and council colleague Tasha Boerner Horvath for their support of keeping a city-owned property on Quail Gardens Drive on the proposed housing element. The property has since been removed from consideration.
Blakespear said she doesn’t feel that these issues were necessarily controversial.
“There are always differing opinions on issues such as housing,” said Blakespear, who continues to oppose the removal of the city-owned property from the housing element. “Frankly, I don’t see that has ever changing in Encinitas.”
Blakespear also announced a series of campaign events she is calling “Walks with the Mayor” in which she will walk with supporters around a different part of the city and talk about various issues. Each walk will feature a candidate for another office whom she supports, including Boerner Horvath, who is running for the 76th State Assembly District.
For more information on her decision, visit www.catherineblakespear.com.
