Out-of-town interests pour money into SD mayor's race

Big-money special interests from both sides of San Diego's race for mayor celebrated New Year's Eve with sizable injections of out-of-town cash.

Reports posted online by the California Secretary of State's office yesterday reveal that the Sacramento-based California Apartment Association Political Action Committee kicked in $25,000 to San Diegans to Protect Jobs and the Economy, an independent expenditure committee backing Republican city councilman Kevin Faulconer.

The Building Industry Association of San Diego County PAC also gave the group $25,000.

Meanwhile, the San Diego County Democratic Party, which is backing Faulconer's foe, Democratic city councilman David Alvarez, reported getting $34,000 from Washington, D.C.-based American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Another major end-of-year money player in the race was charter school champion Rod Dammeyer, with $30,000 to an anti-Alvarez committee run by the GOP Lincoln Club calling itself Working Together for Neighborhood Fairness, in Opposition to David Alvarez for Mayor 2014.

Dammeyer and Qualcomm billionaire Irwin Jacobs were financial allies in a costly but failed 2011 attempt to restructure the San Diego Unified School District board with unelected members.