Francine Busby has been elected to serve as Chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party, vowing to reach out to varied constituencies and build on the achievements of her predecessor, Jess Durfee.
A resident of Cardiff by the Sea, Busby has been a leader in the Democratic Party since her first campaign for Congress in the 50th District in 2004 – when she ran against Randy “Duke” Cunningham – and in subsequent high-profile campaigns against former Rep. Brian Bilbray.
Busby on KPBS: “We’re eager to put our policies into place because people voted for Democrats.”
She has served as the North County Vice Chair of the County Party and has represented the Party in other leadership roles ranging from fundraising and strategic planning to candidate training. Busby is also the Executive Director of Run Women Run, an organization that mentors, trains, and supports pro-choice women for elected office.
“I am honored to follow in Jess Durfee’s footsteps,” said Busby, noting that at the end of his nine-year tenure, 71% of the County Democratic Party’s endorsed candidates were victorious, including Bob Filner for Mayor of San Diego, Dave Roberts for County Supervisor, and Scott Peters for Congress. “I hope to build on our success to bring positive and progressive change that will benefit all San Diegans.”
Busby has hit the ground running since taking the reins last week. She has done multiple media interviews, has been meeting with Party volunteers and community leaders, and is travelling the county to speak to Democratic clubs and other organizations.
Durfee — who will remain active on the County Party’s Executive Board and will continue as San Diego’s sole elected member of the Democratic National Committee — lauded Busby’s election.
“In the past decade, San Diego County has transformed from a Republican stronghold into a diverse and dynamic region that increasingly votes Democratic,” he said. “I am proud of the work we’ve done and confident that Francine will lead our Party to achieve even more in the years ahead.”
To share your thoughts on the County Party’s future or to get more involved, please email chair@sddemocrats.org
POINT LOMA & OB DEMS 