After a mere nine months in office San Diego Mayor Bob Filner will be stepping down on Friday amid allegations of sexual harassment from over a dozen women leaving City Council President Todd Gloria in charge of the eighth largest city in the United States until a new mayor is elected, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The city is still not completely rid of Filner as part of the agreement for his resignation was that the City Council will continue to pay for his defense against a sexual harassment suit brought by Irene McCormack Jackson, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Last week Filner made his last speech as mayor in which he compared the efforts to remove him from office to those of a lynch mob, according to the Associated Press.
"Obviously this is the toughest decision of my life," Filner said. "You all know me as a fighter. Unfortunately, on my own - and you all helped cut off any support for that - I can't afford to continue this battle even though I know, if given due process, I would be vindicated."
McCormack, as she is known professionally, commented on the ouster of the mayor she is currently suing.
"My thoughts are with the courageous women, who because they spoke out, galvanized the residents of this great city and its elected leaders to rise up against a serial sexual harasser and a gross abuser of power," McCormack told the Associated Press. "Bye-bye, Bob. You will not be missed."
Filner was the first Democratic mayor elected in San Diego in decades, interim mayor Gloria hopes that Filner's actions won't hurt the party's chances in the upcoming special election.
"My hope is that we can show that Democrats can run this city and run it effectively and competently," Gloria told NPR. "I don't know that we've really seen that for the last number of months, but I know what we can see that in the next few months."
A special election to determine the new mayor of San Diego has been set for Nov. 19. If one of the candidates in that election is unable to secure 50 percent of the vote a runoff election will be held early next year, according to the Los Angeles Times.
