Since he arrived in town nearly 20 years ago as U.S. Attorney, Alan Bersin has always been one to watch. With his gig as a nicely paid commissioner on the San Diego Airport Authority about to conclude, and having skillfully protected the authority’s position in a legislative revamping of its duties, Bersin likely is looking for that next opportunity.

Will he take the plunge and challenge City Attorney Mike Aguirre? The betting here is “probably.” If so, it will make a dandy race, especially in the debates. Expect Bersin to trot out a number of real life big legal wins to make things interesting, while the other side trots out his connections to the city’s power structure to make things even more interesting.