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Stephen Whitburn

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Stephen Whitburn
President Pro Tempore of the San Diego City Council
In office
December 10, 2020 – December 6, 2021
MayorTodd Gloria
Council PresidentJennifer Campbell
Preceded byBarbara Bry
Succeeded byMonica Montgomery Steppe
Member of the San Diego City Council from District 3
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 10, 2020
MayorTodd Gloria
Preceded byChris Ward
Personal details
BornWest Germany
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison (BA)

Stephen Whitburn is an American politician, activist, and former journalist serving as a member of the San Diego City Council since 2020, representing District 3.[1] A member of the Democratic Party, he served as president pro tempore of the city council from 2020 to 2021 under council president Jennifer Campbell.

Whitburn represents the communities of Balboa Park, Bankers Hill/Park West, Downtown, Golden Hill, Hillcrest, Little Italy, Middleton, Mission Hills, Mission Valley West, North Park, South Park, and University Heights.

Early life and career

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Whitburn was born in West Germany and grew up in multiple states.[2] He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Latin American studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[3]

Whitburn started working for a radio station as a news reporter in Madison, Wisconsin for nine years before accepting a position for a radio station in San Diego.[4] He then worked as a public affairs manager for the American Red Cross, later taking roles as directors of San Diego Pride and the Southern California chapter of the American Cancer Society.[5][6]

Political career

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In 2008, Whitburn ran for the District 3 seat on the San Diego City Council vacated by term-limited incumbent Toni Atkins. He came in second in the June primary behind fellow Democrat Todd Gloria, a staffer for Congresswoman Susan Davis. Gloria went on to defeat Whitburn in the general election with 54.6% of the vote.[7]

After the election, Whitburn served as vice chair of the City of San Diego’s Medical Marijuana Task Force in 2009.[8] In 2010, Whitburn ran for the 4th supervisorial district on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, seeking to unseat Republican incumbent Ron Roberts.[9] He would have been the first openly gay member of the board of supervisors if elected.[10] Roberts and Whitburn advanced from the primary with 47.3% and 22.3% of the vote, respectively. Roberts went on to defeat Whitburn in the general election.[11]

In 2020, Whitburn ran for the District 3 seat on the San Diego City Council vacated by Chris Ward, who ran to become a member of the California State Assembly representing California's 78th State Assembly district. He finished first in the nonpartisan primary election with 31.1% of the vote before defeating fellow Democrat Toni Duran in the general election with 63% of the vote.[12]

After assuming office in December 2020, Whitburn served as president pro tempore of the San Diego City Council from 2020 to 2021. He ran for re-election in 2024, advancing from the primary election with 52.4% of the vote.[13] He defeated public interest attorney and fellow Democrat Coleen Cusack in the November 2024 general election.[14]

Political positions

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Homelessness

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Whitburn introduced a city council ordinance in 2023 that allowed police to remove homeless encampments on public property if city shelter beds are available, which passed in a 5–4 vote.[15][16][17] The ordinance became a model for a statewide encampment ban bill that was introduced in the California State Senate the following year.[18]

Housing

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Whitburn supports income-restricted housing and streamlined regulations to lower costs for housing developers.[19] He was endorsed by the YIMBY Democrats of San Diego, a local pro-housing activist group, in the 2024 election.[20]

References

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  1. ^ "Councilmember Stephen Whitburn (District 3) | City of San Diego Official Website". www.sandiego.gov. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  2. ^ Donoho, Ron (October 7, 2024). "District 3 City Council Race: Stephen Whitburn Defends Homeless Policies". San Diego Sun. San Diego, CA. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  3. ^ "Stephen Whitburn | Councilmember Stephen Whitburn (District 3) | City of San Diego Official Website". www.sandiego.gov. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
  4. ^ Stephen Whitburn on LinkedIn
  5. ^ Garrick, David (2020-12-03). "Whitburn plans to use collaboration, varied background to help bring San Diego council to next level". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 2022-07-17.(subscription required)
  6. ^ Meehan, Vince (2022-02-04). "Your District 3 Council member". San Diego Downtown News. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
  7. ^ "Election History - Council District 3" (PDF). City of San Diego. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  8. ^ Whitburn, Stephen (November 14, 2023). "Letter to the Editor: Whitburn's Response to the Politics Report". Voice of San Diego. San Diego, CA. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  9. ^ James, Ron (March 11, 2010). "Local community leader Stephen Whitburn announces run for County Supervisor". sdnews.com. San Diego, CA. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  10. ^ Kyle, Keegan (September 29, 2010). "How a Supervisor's Race Has Divided the Gay Community". Voice of San Diego. San Diego, CA. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  11. ^ Kyle, Keegan (November 3, 2010). "Whitburn Responds to Defeat". Voice of San Diego. San Diego, CA. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  12. ^ Carroll, John (2020-11-04). "Stephen Whitburn Wins Race For San Diego City Council District 3". KPBS Public Media. Retrieved 2022-07-17.
  13. ^ "San Diego County Primary Election Results, March 5, 2024". April 4, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  14. ^ "Stephen Whitburn wins reelection in San Diego City Council District 3 race". KPBS. San Diego, CA. November 6, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  15. ^ City News Service (June 13, 2024). "San Diego City Council approves Unsafe Camping Ordinance by 5-4 vote". KPBS. San Diego, CA. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  16. ^ Garrick, David (August 12, 2024). "Council candidates debate housing, homelessness and how to define crime". San Diego Union-Tribune. San Diego, CA. Retrieved November 27, 2024.(subscription required)
  17. ^ Hill, Ryan (June 28, 2024). "SCOTUS's encampment decision validates San Diego's ordinance, Councilmember Whitburn says". ABC 10 San Diego. San Diego, CA. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  18. ^ La, Lynn (February 6, 2024). "Why California legislators of both parties want to ban homeless encampments". CalMatters. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  19. ^ Schulz, David (October 6, 2024). "Q&A with Stephen Whitburn, candidate for San Diego City Council". San Diego Union-Tribune. San Diego, CA. Retrieved November 27, 2024.(subscription required)
  20. ^ "2024 San Diego County Voter Guide". YIMBY Democrats of San Diego. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
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