Paid political endorsement letter from John Duncan
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I am writing to share my strong personal support for Kelly Purvis for Coronado City Council.
When I was elected Mayor in 2024, my move from the City Council to the Mayor’s seat created a vacancy for the two remaining years on my term on the Council. Coming out a contentious national election season, I believed it was extremely important that we find someone who could bring experience, perspective, collaboration, and a genuine commitment to Coronado instead of partisanship and negative bickering over form. Substance is what matters.
After interviewing a strong group of applicants, the four sitting Councilmembers unanimously selected Kelly Purvis. That unanimous appointment said a great deal about Kelly then, and her service since that time has confirmed that we absolutely made the right decision. In fact, it is one of the most well received decisions we have made since I have been in office.
Kelly hit the ground running.
From my perspective as Mayor, one of Kelly’s most important contributions has been the effect she has had on the dynamics of our City Council. Kelly listens. She does her homework. She asks thoughtful questions, respects differing viewpoints, and works collaboratively to find practical solutions. We do not always begin every issue from exactly the same place—and that is healthy—but Kelly approaches disagreements constructively and remains focused on getting things done for Coronado.
Kelly also brought an extraordinary depth of experience to the Council. She has lived in and served this community for decades, including 11 years working for the City of Coronado. Long before joining the Council, she was deeply involved in our community and understood how our City works, its history and character, and the issues that matter to our residents. We both share a strong love for Coronado’s small town feel and amazing history, and importantly, the people who have ensured its preservation.
Kelly has become deeply engaged in regional wastewater issues through her service on the Metro Wastewater Joint Powers Authority where she succeeded me on its Board of Directors. She has worked on the cross-border sewage crisis and understands that solving these problems requires Coronado to have knowledgeable and effective representation outside our city limits.
More recently, Kelly was selected to represent Coronado on the San Diego Community Power Board as our City moves forward with joining that organization. This is another important regional responsibility where Coronado needs someone willing to master complicated issues and advocate effectively for our residents.
Kelly has spent years working on one of the issues that matters most to Coronado residents: protecting the character of our community while dealing with increasing state pressure for greater housing density. Her experience includes service on Coronado’s Residential Standards Improvement Program and as Vice-Chair of the R-4 Committee. She has now taken that experience to the regional and statewide level through her participation on the League of California Cities Housing, Community and Economic Development Policy Committee.
These experiences matter. Local government increasingly requires our elected officials not only to understand Coronado, but also to understand what is happening in Sacramento and throughout our region and to make sure Coronado has a strong voice in those discussions.
I have seen her preparation, her commitment to our community, her willingness to listen, and her ability to work with others to find solutions.
At a time when politics at every level can become unnecessarily divisive, I place tremendous value on people who can disagree without being disagreeable, listen before making decisions, and work together once those decisions are made. Kelly has demonstrated those qualities on our City Council.
For these reasons, I am proud to support Kelly Purvis for a full term on the Coronado City Council, and I respectfully ask you to consider supporting her as well.
Sincerely,
John Duncan
(Please note: this is my personal endorsement of Kelly Purvis and not an official position of the City of Coronado.)
