Frye Drops into the Political Wave of Her Life

A surfer in the White House?

SKIP: "Honey, we need to talk about the proposed Chargers Stadium, err...I mean library." Wilson

Well, lets not get ahead of ourselves. But, a surfer as mayor of a major American city? Right now it’s certainly a possibility. Donna Frye, surfer, environmental activist, San Diego City Council Member, and wife of legendary surfer/shaper Skip Frye, might just make it happen.

According to updates recorded at 7pm on Wednesday, November 3rd, the San Diego City Councilwoman holds a slim one percentage point lead over her closest opponent, Dick Murphy, in the race for San Diego City Mayor. Frye, who didn’t announce her candidacy until September 30th, is performing well above pre-election expectations in a race that the San Diego Registrars Office is labeling too close to call. With roughly 120,000 votes still uncounted, San Diegans may have to wait until November 30th to find out who the winner is, but with Ron Roberts officially conceding defeat, what was once a three way race now is down to two.

Due to the late announcement of her candidacy, Frye’s name did not appear on the ballot. Instead, she was a write-in candidate, a situation which historically does not bode well for those seeking election to a major office. No major office candidate has been elected as a write-in in San Diego since 1982, however, the Frye campaign has done a remarkable job of educating voters on how to cast a write-in ballot, and the results so far have been favorable for the campaign.

An environmental activist since the 1980's, and a City Council Member since 2001, Frye has fought hard in the past on issues that should speak strongly to surfers. A vigorous supporter of environmental protection, with a particular focus on clean water concerns, Frye has worked to strengthen San Diego City polluted water policies, and is often seen in public actively supporting organizations such as Surfrider Foundation. She also is the founder of Surfers Tired of Pollution (STOP), a group which has had great success throughout California in working to control polluted runoff, and was recognized by the Clean Water Network as a “Clean Water Hero”.

With her track record of working hard on surf oriented issues, will a Frye victory mean an end to nasty sinus infections, ear aches, and other ailments caused by polluted runoff for San Diego surfers? Only time will tell, and of course, she is still a long way from winning the election. In this amazingly close race we have little choice but to hold our breath and wait till all the votes are tallied, but the prospect of a surfer-friendly elected official should give us cause for excitement. After all, a Mayor who surfs, fights to make our waters as clean as possible, and exchanges ideas every morning with Skip Frye is bound to be a good thing.