The race for San Bernardino mayor has turned into a roller-coaster campaign, with the front-runners bickering in forums and mailers, and one candidate, the longtime city attorney, making accusations about doctored videos and death threats.
When Mayor Judith Valles declined to seek a third term leading the seat of San Bernardino County, five candidates jumped into the fray, promising to mend the city's legal, economic and image woes.
But the campaign has unfolded like a cafeteria food fight, particularly between Superior Court Judge Pat Morris and City Atty. James F. Penman, who took office in 1987 and last faced an election opponent a decade ago.
In a way, the race has turned into a referendum on Penman, whose brash behavior has endeared him to some and embittered others. The city attorney last month said someone had scrawled death threats against him in the men's bathroom at City Hall, and police were investigating.
"It's been a long time since I've seen it this muddy," said Councilwoman Esther Estrada, who backs Morris and was a mayoral candidate in 1993.
If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, the mayor will be chosen in a Feb. 7 runoff election.
The new leader would take office in March under a revised city charter that charges the city manager with juggling day-to-day duties and frees the mayor to oversee the manager and fire and police chiefs; break tie votes on the seven-member council; and wield veto power.
San Bernardino is still reeling from last decade's massive job losses -- including the closure of Norton Air Force Base -- and high crime and poverty rates. The three most prominent candidates have vowed to hire more police officers and target petty crime.
The city logged 50 homicides last year, and the last census showed that almost a quarter of families in San Bernardino live in poverty. The new mayor will have to wade through proposals to reinvigorate downtown, though regional economist John Husing said jobs and residents should continue to march inland.
"There's no reason that San Bernardino should be the weak sister in the Inland Empire -- it's by the I-10, it's got land, it's the county seat. The political leadership holds it back," Husing said. "It's a very small political environment and one of the nastiest you'll ever come in contact with."
