(Tribune News Service) — San Diego mayoral candidate Larry Turner raised concerns Monday about city election rules that prohibit his ballot description from including his military service but that allow a City Council candidate to mention his.

Turner says allowing him to alert voters in military-friendly San Diego to his Marine Corps service could have helped him get more votes in his Nov. 5 runoff against incumbent Todd Gloria.

“His 23 years in the Marine Corps, where he gained a great deal of his experience and leadership qualities, resonates with voters and others who have served — and San Diego has many,” said Scott Kavieff, communications director for Turner’s campaign.

Terry Hoskins, a candidate for San Diego Council District 9 who was allowed to include his military service in his ballot description, said Monday that he understands why Turner is frustrated.

“Since San Diego is such an amazing military community, it was a no-brainer for me to want my military service to be mentioned on the ballot,” Hoskins said.

City Clerk Diana Fuentes said Monday that the apparent contradiction is not a contradiction at all because Hoskins is fully retired while Turner still works as a city of San Diego police community relations officer.

City elections rules allow candidates who are fully retired to include multiple previous jobs in their ballot description. That allowed Hoskins, who worked as a police officer after his military career, to describe himself as “retired military retired police.”

But those election rules, which Fuentes said mirror state election rules, don’t allow someone who is continuing to work in another field to mention previous jobs or experience.

“It’s pretty black and white,” Fuentes said. “By the code, I can’t allow it.”

Under the code, a candidate can’t use the word retired or mention previous careers if they have a “more recent intervening principal profession,” such as Turner’s work as a community relations officer.

Turner’s ballot description, which can’t be longer than four words, is “law enforcement first responder.” He had wanted it to be “retired military/peace officer.”

Fuentes noted that Turner’s statement of qualifications, a roughly 200-word summary of his background that describes his 23-year Marine Corps career, is available to voters in the Official Voter Information Guide they receive.

Turner’s campaign said it should matter that he receives more of his income from his military pension than his police job, contending that makes his military career his principal profession.

Fuentes said she asked and received pay stubs that indicated Turner makes more from his police work than he does from his military pension.

Turner also says he could technically get called back into service at any time by the Marine Corps.

Fuentes said she had several conversations with the Turner campaign about city election rules and their legal options, with the campaign ultimately deciding against filing any legal challenges.

On Monday, the campaign suggested Fuentes could be biased in favor of Mayor Gloria, Turner’s opponent. Kavieff noted that Fuentes worked for Gloria before becoming city clerk.

“Todd Gloria’s team knows that many voters make their decision last minute by the four words on the ballot, and many have a positive view of retired military veterans in our military town,” Kavieff said. “Stating that Turner is retired military in no way misinforms the public, but actually better informs them.”

Gloria campaign manager Jen Tierney did not respond to requests for comment.

Fuentes said there was no bias.

“Any determinations were based on the San Diego Municipal Code, election code and case law and were not made to give anyone any advantage on the ballot,” she said. “I take fairness seriously.”

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