By Gary Rotto

SAN DIEGO—The retirement party on Monday evening, October 5, for former Sheriff Bill Kolender underscored the closing of a Jewish political era in San Diego.  At the beginning of the year, long time County Assessor/Recorder/ Clerk Greg Smith also retired from public life. 

Since 2003 when Bonnie Dumanis became district attorney, three of the four countywide elected officials were members of the Jewish community.  This is astounding for a community that comprises less than 3% of the general population in our county. 

All registered Republicans, Dumanis, Kolender and Smith comprised a trio that had arguably unparalleled congeniality and respect for any three elected officials in one region.  And all three are active members of the Jewish community.  They may not necessarily wear their Judaism on their sleeves, but they are proudly Jewish.  If you wandered into Greg Smith’s office, you would see a photo of his daughter who, after graduating from the San Diego Jewish Academy served in the Israeli army. Talk for just a few minutes with Bill Kolender and you would learn about the old days in “Hebrew Heights” as Del Cerro was called decades ago.  And as hard as she tries to suppress it, you can hear the New York influence in Bonnie Dumanis’ voice.

Their affiliation with the Jewish community was not a detriment to achieve high public office in this region.  “We were pleased that bigotry seemed to fall by the wayside,” stated Kolender.    "More people believe … we don’t care what your race is, what your religion is, what your sexual preference is, what your politics are.  It’s a matter of what do you do and how do you do it.”

There was clearly professional congeniality among the three.  In particular, the Sheriff and the District Attorney would kid each other about who was the top law enforcement in the region.  “If I am (introduced) first, then she is my assistant and if she is first, I am her assistant,” mused Kolender. 


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“They were always professional to work with, great professional,  great leaders,” recalled Smith.    As the County Assessor /Recorder /County Clerk, it was Smith’s office that provided the flow of revenues for law enforcement run by the Sheriff and the District Attorney.  Smith is most proud of a pioneering project conducted with Dumanis.  The real estate fraud program passed by the State Legislature with the support of the County Assessor’s office allowed for the assessment of $2 per recording to finance documents filed at the County of San Diego, with the proceeds used to combat and prosecute real estate fraud.  Smith points out that in light of the collapse of the real estate sector, “All the charlatans are out there.  But they (the District Attorney’s office) have a dedicated staff to prosecute these crimes.” 

Smith told of the time that a death certificate was urgently needed by a Jewish constituent.  “A Chabbad rabbi called that he had a situation where the body had to leave the country for burial.  My staff worked to have the death certificate produced in record time.”  Which proves that you never know when you need a culturally aware ear in any part of local government. 

An inquiry with national office of the Republican Jewish Coalition could not produce comparable leadership elsewhere in the country.  The closest comparison of Jewish Republican elected strength was produced by Greg Menken, RJC New York Regional Director, who noted that the state assemblyman and state senator in Duchess County, New York are RJC members. 

This is the end of an era in San Diego.  The county is becoming more democratic.  The Obama/Biden ticket received almost 54% of the vote countywide.  In recent years, such results were customary in the City of San Diego, while the rest of the county would tilt Republican.  The high watermark for Republicans was in 1984, when over 65% of county voters selected Ronald Reagan. 

It may be only a matter of time before countywide elected positions are occupied by Democrats.  With the local Jewish community disproportionately registered with the Democratic party, Jewish Democrats may ascend to countywide office. 

Clearly, an era is coming to a close.  While Jewish Republicans will continue to exert leadership roles in the local political community, they perhaps never again will have such visible leadership positions in the general political landscape.