By Arturo Castañares
Editor-at-Large

A local philanthropic couple’s contribution stirred up controversy this week when several news outlets reported the donation was connected to the race for San Diego Mayor, but the donors say the money was not earmarked for any specific campaign.

A campaign report filed this week by the Lincoln Club of San Diego County showed a $1 million contribution from San Diego lawyer Steven Richter and his wife, Carol, but rumors quickly spread that the donation was to support the campaign of Independent mayoral candidate Larry Turner who is challenging incumbent Mayor Todd Gloria, a Democrat.

On Thursday the Lincoln Club’s political action committee Chairman Mike Turk clarified that the contribution was made to the business group’s general purpose political action committee (PAC) but not earmarked for any specific campaign.

Turk released a statement saying the PAC would review "the club's priorities" but had not yet decided which campaigns, if any, they would support with the funds donated by the Richters.

The focus then shifted to the donors as rumors spread that the contribution was tied to the race for San Diego Mayor.

La Prensa San Diego held an exclusive interview with the Richters on Friday after requesting specific details on their contribution.

The Richter had attached a letter to their September 11th contribution check which explained their donation and hopes for how the money would be spent.

“This contribution is without any restrictions or limitations,” the joint letter signed by Steven and Carol Richter reads. “All we ask is that the funds are used for good and worthwhile causes.”

Under state and local campaign laws, contributions to a general purpose PAC cannot be earmarked or directed to another specific campaign. 

Lincoln Club Executive Director Victor Lopez confirmed late Friday that a special purpose committee for the Mayor’s race called Turn San Diego Around was created this week but that no money had yet been contributed to that committee. 

The Richters have been generous anonymous donors to several local and national charities, but have not contributed much to political campaigns. 

Before this month’s large contribution, Steven Richter donated $1,350 on June 13th to Larry Turner’s campaign for Mayor, $100 on February 17, 2021, to the recall campaign of San Diego City Councilwoman Dr. Jen Campbell, and two $500 contributions to San Diego Councilwoman Barbara Bry’s campaign for Mayor against Todd Gloria in the 2020 election. Carol Richter donated $1,350 to Larry Turner’s campaign on June 28th.

Both Richters are registrar as nonaffiliated Independent voters although Steven Richter describes himself as a long-time Democrat who dropped his Party registration a few years ago.

Mr. Richter, who is in his 70s, is a semi-retired lawyer who primarily specialized in representing people in tax cases, including a 2001 precedent-setting case regarding the taxation of state lottery payments which are paid over 20 years.

Although still an active lawyer who only handles cases on a sporadic basis, Richter has no business interests, clients, or projects before any government agency in San Diego County.

“We give money with no strings attached,” Carol Richter told La Prensa San Diego on Friday.

A Times of San Diego online news story on Friday morning titled “Lincoln Club Gets $1 Million to Support Larry Turner, Other Conservative Candidates”, a Thursday Voice of San Diego article claiming the Lincoln Club "received a $1 million check from a Point Loma attorney to help its causes this cycle – in particular to help give Larry Turner a boost in his race for mayor", and a San Diego Union-Tribune article on Thursday titled “$1 million from a little-known lawyer could upend the San Diego mayor’s race” sent political observers and Gloria’s campaigns spinning.

On Friday morning, Gloria sent out a fundraising email claiming that the “far-right is coming for me, and they’re going to spend a million dollars to do it” implying erroneously that the Lincoln Club, a traditionally Republican-leaning group, had already earmarked the money for Turner.

Turner, a lifelong nonpartisan registered voter, is a retired US Marine Corps. Lt. Colonel and now a San Diego Police Department community outreach officer who secured a spot in the November 5th General Election after ending up in second place behind Gloria in the five-candidate Primary Election in March.

Gloria garnered 49.9% of the vote in the March 5th Primary Election to Turner’s 23.2%, with the three other candidates splitting the remainder of the votes. 

A recent poll released by San Diego’s ABC Channel 10 found 37% of respondents supported Gloria while 33% chose Turner, and 30% were undecided between the two, suggesting the race is a wide-open contest.

An earlier poll released in February 2023 by the San Diego Police Officers union found that a majority of San Diegans were looking for new leadership at City Hall just as Gloria started gearing up his re-election campaign.

"Nearly six-in-ten voters (59 percent) think the city has gotten off on the wrong track," the poll analysis stated. "Only 36 percent say it is heading in the right direction."

The poll also suggested that the blame for the City's wrong direction lies with one person: Mayor Todd Gloria.

“39 percent of the voters say Gloria deserves to be re-elected and 54 percent say it is time to give a new person a chance (33 percent say it is 'definitely' time for a new person)," the poll analysis stated.

La Prensa San Diego issued an endorsement of Larry Turner on September 22nd.

“After nearly 18 years of failed policies, it's time to fire Todd Gloria and replace him with competent real-world leadership: We endorse Larry Turner for San Diego Mayor,” La Prensa San Diego’s endorsement stated.

Gloria and Turner will face off in the November 5th General Election.