There are more than three months to go before San Luis Obispo voters head to the polls to decide whether or not to re-elect Mayor Heidi Harmon. But the race has already gotten combative, with tensions boiling over into an outburst Thursday night.
The incident happened at a candidates’ forum sponsored by SLO Progressives, which Harmon helped found. Despite her ties to the group, the mayor found herself facing tough questions from the audience on her policies toward development which have caused controversy in the city.
That didn’t sit well with Harmon, reports CalCoastNews. In response to one question, she yelled that she was the only progressive in the room. She then threw her microphone down on the table, said she was “done,” and stormed out.
Harmon’s opponent Keith Gurnee wasted no time capitalizing on the spectacle.
“Is that your version of civility?” he asked.
Ultimately, 81 percent of the SLO Progressives in attendance voted to endorse Harmon in the race. Another 10 percent voted to endorse Gurnee and 9 percent were undecided.