New study shows that a public vote on a stadium is winnable

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – Mayor Kevin Faulconer has promise there will be a public vote on any new stadium plan and a new study released by National University says that a stadium plan, though difficult, is winnable at the ballot box.

The study uses Petco Park as an example, and the mayor has been consistent in saying that Petco Park is the model we should follow.

Vince Vasquez, of the University’s Institute for Policy Research, has gone over voter statistics over several election cycles including the voter approved Petco Park. Based on his research, Vasquez says “Among the voter groups that supported Petco Park in ’98 were republicans and Latinos and if you look at the research you actually find that a large number of NFL fans are actually Republicans.”

While Latinos may have less economically, San Diego is a strong part of their identity.

Approving a stadium though, will take a broader coalition than just Republicans and Latinos. The number of voters who turned thumbs down on Petco Park has grown.A countywide vote, rather than a citywide vote increases the chances of success, as does a June vote rather than waiting until November.

Either way, Republicans and Latinos are key. It also helps that whatever is presented to the voters will require something less than two-thirds vote to pass, probably 55 percent.