Many voters in the City of San Diego District 8 can relate to David Alvarez’s life story:

    He comes from a working-class family in Barrio Logan, his parents worked low-paying jobs as a janitor and fast-food worker, he was the first one in his family to attend college, and he is of Mexican origin.

    These shared experiences to other residents in the district, he said in a recent interview, make him the people’s choice for the seat in the city council.

    “I think that there are many families in the district that share the story of my family,” said Alvarez, who is 29. “People have a positive reaction to me because I’m someone with a similar story to them or to someone they know in their families. My story is about overcoming obstacles. I think people find that very gratifying. Not by chance I’ve received the endorsements of many in the community.”

    Alvarez, the candidate endorsed by the Democratic Party, works as a district representative for state Sen. Denise Ducheny.

    District 8 has historically been considered the “Latino” district in the city. Since it was formed, all of the council members from this district have been Latinos.

    District 8 includes communities such as Barrio Logan, Sherman Heights, and to the south, San Ysidro, Otay Mesa and Nestor.

    It has also been one of the most neglected areas in the city, Alvarez said.

    “District 8 places last in conditions of roads, of infrastructure,” he said. “Few jobs are being created in our district. We have the least number of libraries and parks in the city. We need a change of direction. I’m very realistic of the hard work is going to take to find solutions to those problems.”

    The race for District 8 includes, in addition to Alvarez, the following candidates: B. D. Howard, Felipe Hueso, Nick Inzunza, Sr., Lincoln Pickard, Adrian Vazquez, and James Wright.

    At a March candidate forum, which he clearly was the winner, Alvarez stated that one of the most important issues in the district was decreasing the high foreclosure rate in the area.

    It was clear at the forum that Alvarez was the candidate who presented his ideas more clearly, and, judging by the applauses from the crowd, the most popular at the event. He is also the candidate who has raised the most money during the campaign.

    “We have run a grassroots campaign. We have outreached to every corner of District 8. I’m proud of what we have achieved,” he said.

    He said that he will put a special emphasis to the southern portion of the district, which includes San Ysidro, Nestor, and Otay Mesa, areas that, because of their distance to downtown, have been neglected.

    “The city has forgotten of these communities. There’s been a lack of respect,” he said. “There’s potential for real future economic development in the border region.”

    He said he opposes Arizona’s SB-1070 because he said emphasis should be put on border security and on criminals smuggling drugs and violence into the country, not on hard-working people looking to improve their lives honestly.

    Alvarez said that his top priority for District 8 is economic development.

    “What’s going to help us reach our other priorities is that people have economic security. That’s why we need to create more good paying jobs in our district,” he said.

    In the end, he said he is the best candidate for the job because “I have the most experience doing the work the city council needs to do.”