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On the eve of talksbetween the United States, Mexico and Canada to renegotiatetheNorth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Republican San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer is encouragingpolicymakers to look at thesuccess story the pacthas created inhis city.

Free trade works, Faulconer told the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on Tuesday evening. Weve grown our exports in San Diego by $5 billion since NAFTA. Mexico is our biggest export partner from San Diego.

As mayor of the states second-largest city and throughsheer attrition of Republicanofficeholders Faulconer is seen as a leading figure in Californias GOP. While once again declaring that he is not running for governor in 2018 as some have encouraged, Faulconer laid out his blueprint for the partys return to statewide relevance, which includes support for free trade policies.

President Donald Trump has called NAFTA the worst deal ever made, and argued that talks beginningWednesday should focus on reducing the trade deficit with Mexico, which he says has cost the United States manufacturing jobs.

Faulconer disagrees, and will travel to Washington, D.C. next month in an effort to convince lawmakers that NAFTA has been a job creator at the border.

Im going to tell that story of how free trade works, of how our relationship with Mexico is a strength, of how were creating those good quality jobs, he said. If we dont tell our story of success, nobody is going to tell it for us.

Most of Faulconers remarks on Tuesday night outlined his model of the New California Republican.

The mayor wants his party to takea big-tent approach that encourages inroads into minority communities, focuses on infrastructure development and government reform, and preaches a moderate stance onimmigration and the environment.

Faulconer said those principals have allowed him to win two elections in the Democratic-majority city of San Diego.

I campaigned in communities Republicans wrote off as lost, and Democrats took for granted, he added.

But Faulconerreiterated that he will not run for Governor in 2018, reasoning that theres a lot of unfinished business and I love the job.

He wasnt willing to throw his weightbehind the two Republicans already in the race, Assemblyman Travis Allen, and San Diego businessman John Cox. Instead, it sounded like Faulconer will take on the role of recruiter before next Junes primary.

Im sure were going to have a lot of great candidates come out, he said. Ill be extolling some of my fellow Republicans to jump in.

Guy Marzorati is a producer for The California Report andKQED's California Politics and Government Desk. Guy joined KQED in 2013. He grew up in New York and graduated from Santa Clara University. Email: GMarzorati@KQED.org

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San Diego Mayor Pushes NAFTA and 'New California Republicans' - KQED