SAN DIEGO -- Third District City Council candidate Toni Atkins will formally kick off her general election campaign at an open house on Saturday, September 9th, at 10:00 a.m. The campaign kick off sequel will be held at the Toni Atkins for City Council campaign headquarters at 3537 Adams Avenue in Normal Heights.
Expecting a crowd of more than 100 supporters, Atkins will speak to them on the issues that are important to the residents of District Three and the City of San Diego. "In the past seven years, Toni has helped shape policies that made sense - paving streets curb-to-curb after city construction, undergrounding the higher voltage utility lines, working with the school district to build schools and create a better learning environment for our kids, strongly supporting our small business districts which have been the center of revitalization in our neighborhoods, building quality affordable housing, and doing the basics - getting rid of graffiti, working to replace old sidewalks, making sure construction projects move quickly and impact the neighborhoods as little as possible," stated Councilmember Christine Kehoe who is also expected to attend.
On the campaign trail, Atkins also has emphasized her experience gained from serving the residents of District Three during the past seven years as senior aide to Councilmember Kehoe, who is prevented from running for a third term due to term limits. "I believe that my experience working closely with neighborhoods, businesses, schools, social services and hundreds of citizens on behalf of Councilmember Kehoe over the past seven years makes me the most qualified candidate to represent this district," said Atkins. "I have a strong record of real commitment to this district and real results on projects which I've helped initiate and carry through."
With slightly over two months to go, Atkins' campaign shifts into high gear as it begins to implement its ambitious field plan of walking all 148 precincts in the district. Many of the supporters who will gather on September 9th will also be canvassing the neighborhoods that very same day to get out the Atkins' message. "Thanks to the large number of volunteers in the primary election who committed to walking precincts, staffing phone banks, and helping at the campaign office, we finished the evening on March 7th with 48% of the vote and a 16 point lead over our main opponent. If we can tap into that same volunteer spirit I'm confident it will pay dividends on election day in November," said Atkins, when asked about the effectiveness of her grassroots campaign.
In reference to Atkins' experience, Councilmember Kehoe also remarked, "I can think of no better person to represent us on the City Council than Toni Atkins. Toni's years of experience serving the district cannot be matched by any other candidate. She is a coalition builder who knows how to bring people together. Her know-how, drive and determination will serve the district well." The campaign kick off will attract a wide range of supporters including Vince Hall, former Chief-of-Staff to Governor Gray Davis, and Reverend George Walker Smith, the founder of the Catfish Club. Atkins hopes to win the race using a grassroots, volunteer-driven campaign.
For more information, please contact the campaign at (619) 281-TONI or visit the website at www.toniatkins.net.
