CHANGE: Republican wins San Diego mayor special election. And in spite of a flood of public-union money in favor of the Democrat.

UPDATE: Obama Turnout Machine Crashes in San Diego—Loses Mayor’s Race by Nine Points. “Kevin Faulkoner recaptured the mayor’s office in San Diego for Republicans in a special election yesterday. The polls were skin-tight leading into yesterday’s election, and unions poured in millions to keep control in the nation’s eighth-largest city. . . . Democrats were stunned at the margin. In the November open primary, Democrats had won 54 percent of the ballots cast and were convinced they could win the runoff between Faulkoner and Alvarez. Unions pitched in a record $4.2 million to promote Alvarez, compared to only $1.7 million from business interests backing Faulkoner. In the end, Alvarez outspent Faulkoner in total by a million dollars.” Some of this is probably Filner fallout. Dems better hope that all of it is Filner fallout, because otherwise it suggests a severely damaged brand.