SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board, has named Dr. Wilma Wooten, San Diego County’s Public Health Officer, their 2020 San Diegan of the Year.
The SDUT article reads, “at a time when paranoia, populism and public apathy have made the response to the coronavirus pandemic a nightmare in much of the nation, Wooten has stood firm in advocating for best practices. Wearing masks. Washing hands. Staying six feet apart. Avoiding being indoors with non-household members. Limiting travel.”
The article also criticizes KUSI News for holding Dr. Wooten accountable on the effectiveness of the policies she has been pushing for months on end.
As in past years, The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board began discussing candidates for its 2020 San Diegan of the Year well before the year ended. We debated potential choices over multiple Zoom meetings, and we asked members of a weary public for suggestions in recent weeks.
Each time, we kept discussing the same person. As in past years, the choice was clear.
In 2017, we
honored the 20 people who died in the local hepatitis A crisis, whom county officials declined to identify. In 2018, we
celebrated U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw for his role in getting the federal government to treat immigrants more fairly and humanely. In 2019, we
Q&A: Former Mayor Kevin Faulconer on his legacy in San Diego and why he might run for governor
Mayor Kevin Faulconer poses for photos on Harbor Island on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020 in San Diego, CA.
(Eduardo Contreras/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
It also will heighten the likelihood of intra-party clashes in 2022, as two other Democratic legislators have already opened campaign committees to run for the position that Padilla would have left due to term limits. Weber’s appointment must be confirmed by both houses of the Legislature.
Weber called the job a “monumental responsibility” in a statement Tuesday and said she is up for the challenge.
“Expanding voting rights has been one of the causes of my career and will continue to motivate me as I assume my new constitutional duties,” she said.
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Weber was elected to the Assembly in 2012 representing southeastern San Diego and its eastern suburbs. Known for her passionate speeches during legislative floor debates, she is often hailed as a moral authority for Democratic lawmakers and has taken the lead on contentious legislative fights over police use of force, education and racial injustice.