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San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria on Sunday was elected president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the nonpartisan organization that represents more than 1,500 mayors across the country.
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It is the first time a San Diego mayor has led the organization, which advocates on behalf of mayors to the federal government and shares best practices for city leaders. Gloria is also the group’s first openly gay leader.
Several mayors said they are looking to Gloria as an example in addressing the housing crisis, citing his work to expand and accelerate housing production as well as San Diego’s recent decline in unsheltered homelessness.
“California alone has such a significant shortage, but all communities do across the nation, and I think really thinking of how we can address it from a city’s perspective… what are they doing to help get people into housing in San Diego, and I’m looking forward to him continuing that in his presidency,” said Mayor Barbara Buffaloe of Columbia, Missouri in a conference video about Gloria’s election.
In a speech at the U.S. Conference’s 94th annual meeting Saturday in Long Beach, Gloria listed housing expansion, neighborhood safety and affordability as advocacy priorities for his presidency.
For example, under his leadership Gloria said the conference will push for the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which includes many provisions meant to increase housing production and home ownership.
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“In most of our communities, this isn’t about right versus left, it’s about builders versus blockers, and my fellow mayors, we are the builders,” Gloria said.
Gloria said he will also advocate for the conference’s list of proposed accountability reforms for federal immigration agents, including a ban on face masks and requirements to use body cameras when interacting with the public. He said federal agents should be held to the same accountability standards that local police are.
He also referenced federal agents’ clashes with protesters and bystanders in cities like Minneapolis and Los Angeles.
“This conference will continue to stand up against hate in all of its forms and we will speak out when our mayors and cities are being unfairly targeted,” Gloria said.
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This story was originally published June 7, 2026 at 2:57 PM.