As Bass and Lee Returned Home, Peters May Be Next to Follow

Scott Peters/Facebook

By San Diego Monitor News Staff

After more than a decade in Congress, Scott Peters is being mentioned as a potential candidate for Mayor of San Diego in 2028. The longtime representative, who first served on the San Diego City Council before being elected to Congress in 2012, has built a reputation as a pragmatic policymaker—someone who favors compromise and long-term solutions over sharp rhetoric.

If Peters enters the race, he would join a growing group of California leaders returning from Washington to local office. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and former Congresswoman Barbara Lee of Oakland have both turned their congressional experience into a platform for local leadership. For Peters, the same move could mark a return to the city where he began his political career.

During his time in Washington, Peters has focused on issues closely tied to San Diego’s economy and environment—clean energy, coastal resilience, innovation, and veterans’ health care. He’s supported bipartisan legislation to strengthen mental health services for veterans and secure infrastructure funding for the city’s coastline and water systems. Those accomplishments have helped shape San Diego’s national profile as both a military and innovation hub. However, a run for mayor would not be without obstacles.

San Diego faces pressing challenges, including an ongoing housing crisis, widespread homelessness, and the effects of climate change on infrastructure and neighborhoods. Many voters are seeking solutions that not only address these problems but also reflect the city’s changing demographics and economic realities.

Political analysts note that Peters, known for his centrist approach, would need to demonstrate his ability to connect with a broader range of communities than in his earlier campaigns. Building strong coalitions across San Diego’s African American, Latino, and working-class neighborhoods could be essential. These communities have become increasingly influential in shaping citywide elections and are often looking for leaders who both understand local inequities and can deliver visible results. Some observers question whether Peters’s background—rooted in federal policymaking and business-oriented problem solving—will resonate with voters seeking more direct, neighborhood-level engagement. Others argue that his experience navigating Washington could position him to bring new federal investments into San Diego’s local priorities, a potential advantage in tackling complex urban issues.

San Diego’s political history adds another layer of complexity. While the city has trended more Democratic over the past two decades, its voters have often favored pragmatic, fiscally moderate mayors leaders who emphasized balance over ideology. The city’s electorate has generally been cautious about embracing a more socialist-driven platform, in part due to concerns about higher taxes, increased regulatory costs, and potential impacts on the city’s business climate and middle-income residents. Candidates seen as too far to the left have sometimes struggled to gain traction with the city’s diverse, but economically moderate, voter base.

For now, Peters has not confirmed any plans for a 2028 run. Still, the idea of an experienced federal legislator returning home to lead the city has captured attention. Whether Scott Peters can translate national connections into local consensus—and whether San Diegans see him as the bridge their city needs—remains an open question.