Romero returns for third term as mayor

Voters re-elected San Luis Obispo Mayor Dave Romero Tuesday for his third term. He won by 16.79 percent in a race against John Ewan, a business owner and City Council member, City Council member Christine Mulholland and artisan welder Don Hedrick. Romero led the race the whole way through.

“It is always nice going into the race with a comfortable lead,” Romero said. “Plus, it’s so much more fun being at a victory party with your friends and family when you’re actually winning.”

In another part of town, Ewan attended his own party. He knows that he will move on and still help the community.

“I’ve got a life,” he said. “I have lived here since 1970, I have a company and I enjoy giving to the community. Now, I’ll just have to give in different ways and I could use a vacation.”

Down at Higuera Street Caf‚, Mulholland was spending time with friends. With the knowledge that she was not going to win, she still said she felt great.

“I came into this race to give people a choice and stir up conversation,” she said. “I definitely think I succeeded.”

Mulholland will keep her seat in the City Council even though she lost, unlike her competitor Ewan. She said she was satisfied with the way all candidates treated each other and avoided mudslinging.

“I am a voice for the constituency that doesn’t usually have one,” she said. “Win, lose or draw I still get two more years of working on City Council.”

Now that he has won, Romero knows there is a lot to do. He was the only candidate in favor of Measure J.

“Now that it has passed, we can move ahead with something that we have been planning for a long time,” he said. “We can also build the interchange that has been planned for even longer.”

Luckily, funding will not be an issue because that was decided a long time ago, he said. The goal is to get the interchange and the shopping center built at the same time, Romero said.

“It will probably be done in four or five years.”

Another thing that passed was Measure Y, the sales tax increase, and he was in favor of that as well.

“We can finally get back to the first class qualities of life that this city has been known for in the past,” he said. “It should bring in $4.5 million.”

Romero knows that the job is a lot of work, but he is ready for it. “It’s my city,” he said. “I’m happy with all the work that goes along with the job. I’m retired.”