April 8, 2022

San Diego City Council 

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Dear Members of the San Diego City Council:

In the interest of protecting our democracy, Alliance San Diego urges you to honor the March 8, 2022 decision of San Diego Superior Court Judge Medel and not appeal it. The judge made clear in his decision that the City Council violated the law when it asserted authority it did not have to delay the outcome of an election and then change the rules of the election, ultimately declaring an outcome that was inconsistent with the certified results of that election.

Written by Dr. Isidro D. Ortiz, ASD board president

We spoke truth to power — and we won!  This week, a San Diego Superior Court judge sided with voters in a lawsuit we brought against the San Diego City Council for manipulating the March 2020 election. In a strongly worded opinion, the judge rebuked the Council for attempting to change the rules of the election after it was over, calling this “fundamentally unfair” and a violation of “due process.”

Written by Dr. Isidro D. Ortiz, ASD board president

I came of age in the civil rights era, and the fight for voting rights had a profound effect on me. That fight was a turning point for the Mexican-American community I grew up in, as it was for Black Americans and other communities of color who had been pushed out of the voting booths and marginalized in our democracy. It was a fight about belonging and also about fairness, and we won. Or so I thought. 

During Women’s history month, Alliance San Diego is honoring the women who have fought for social justice here in the San Diego border region. Here are five women who brought about change in their communities and beyond.