CARLSBAD — Councilwoman Cori Schumacher submitted her letter of resignation today, officially ending her time on the Carlsbad City Council, according to sources.
The city will release the next steps in the coming hours and Schumacher’s resignation is effective immediately. This is the second resignation by a District 1 councilwoman in the past two years. If an appointment or special election is not scheduled, the vacancy will be filled after the general election in 2022.
According to a statement in Schumacher’s newsletter entitled, “Moving Forward,” she will be attending a university outside San Diego.
“It’s an opportunity I simply cannot refuse,” Schumacher wrote. “Unfortunately, this means that I am no longer able to continue in my role as your council member. And so, I have tendered my resignation to the city.”
The past year has proved difficult for Schumacher, who was facing a recall effort spearheaded by Republican radio host Carl DeMaio and Reform California prior to her resignation.
“I am pleased that Cori Schumacher’s resignation will give the citizens of Carlsbad a fresh start and a chance to put Schumacher’s misconduct behind them so they can once again focus on the important issues that matter,” DeMaio said in a press release.
Schumacher, a surfer and political activist, first joined the Carlsbad City Council in 2016 after defeating incumbent Lorraine Wood. In 2018, Schumacher, who lives in District 1, lost a mayoral bid against then two-term incumbent Mayor Matt Hall.
After Barbara Hamilton abruptly resigned in mid-October 2020, Schumacher won the vacant District 1 seat in a special election, defeating former Carlsbad Unified School District board trustee Tracy Carmichael and longtime Carlsbad resident, Simon Angel.
During her time at the dais, Schumacher helped establish the Clean Energy Alliance, a joint power agreement between the cities of Solana Beach, Del Mar and Carlsbad, and served as a board member since the partnership was established in 2019.
But things started to get rocky for the progressive lawmaker after she filed a temporary civil harassment restraining order on Sept. 10 against Carlsbad residents Anthony “Tony” Bona and Larry Posner, and former resident Noel Breen, alleging harassment, obsessive conduct and “veiled threats.”
In March, Judge Cynthia Freeland ruled in favor of the respondents, granting two anti-SLAPP motions against Schumacher, which ended a seven-month-long legal battle to determine whether political speech rose to the level of harassment.
The judge, who wrote in her ruling that Schumacher’s restraining order violated the residents’ “protected activity” under the First Amendment (which includes political speech on blogs and social media), ordered Schumacher to pay $47,191 in attorneys’ fees and courts costs.
Schumacher was also heavily criticized for bringing forth an ordinance on Jan. 5 to enhance enforcement against business owners operating in violation of state and county COVID-19 restrictions.
Angry and frustrated residents chided her for the move and protested outside of City Hall during the meeting. Schumacher’s motion did not receive a second and died.
The following week, Schumacher lost two prominent board seats with the San Diego Association of Governments and Clean Energy Alliance after the Carlsbad City Council reorganized members for its regional and municipal committees.
Schumacher also received blowback on social media following a story about the resurfacing of a 30-year-old video that depicted images of former County GOP Chairman Tony Krvaric alongside photos of Adolf Hitler and swastikas.
In a tweet directed at Krvaric, Schumacher wrote: “It’s time for your brand of white nationalist, regressive traditionalist/authoritarian toxic & destructive politics and GTFO (Get The F— Out) of North County” and to “take the 5 NC (North County) mayors and take Sup. Jim Desmond with you.”
This is a developing story.
