SAN DIEGO -- Mayor Jerry Sanders, who has often butted heads with City Councilman Carl DeMaio over the years, plans to endorse DeMaio to be his successor in the race for San Diego mayor, according to a source.

The decision by the popular Sanders will likely be a boost for DeMaio with 41 days left until the election. DeMaio, a Republican like Sanders, is vying against Democratic Rep. Bob Filner for the job.

Sanders is expected to make the formal announcement at a 12:15 p.m. news conference at Harbor Island Park.

A plan to remove cars from Balboa Park’s Plaza de Panama will face its biggest hurdle in a few weeks. The City Council is due to vote July 9 on the plan, which has sparked fiery discussions and divided community groups and park institutions in the two years since Mayor Jerry Sanders and philanthropist Irwin Jacobs announced it together.

Today, the plaza in front of several central park museums is a complicated mess of cars, roundabout traffic and pedestrians. The city has planned for decades to return it to solely pedestrian use.

(Editor’s note: San Diego Gay & Lesbian News will begin its 2012 election coverage with weekly campaign updates as the race for San Diego’s next mayor takes shapes. As time progresses, we will also focus on fair and balanced interviews with each candidate and report on campaign events. None of the coverage is an endorsement of any candidate.)