DISTRICT 1 SUPERVISOR RACE SET FOR RUNOFF

East County News Service

April 9, 2025 (San Diego) – The balance of power on the County Board of Supervisors remains in limbo, as the special election to fill the District 1 vacancy left by Nora Vargas’ resignation now appears headed for a runoff.  No candidate has received 50% or more needed to decided the race outright.

As of this morning, Chula Vista Mayor John McCann, a Republican, has 43.58% and Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, a Democrat, has 31.62%. Mail-in ballots will continue to be counted until one week after Election Day.

San Diego City Councilmember Vivian Morena is in third with 13%; the remaining four candidates received single digits.

“Now, the stakes couldn’t be higher. This runoff is a clear choice between Democratic values that put working people first, and a Trump Republican agenda that would be a complete disaster for all of San Diego County,” Aguirre said, Times of San Diego reports.

Aguirre wants to prioritize infrastructure funding and ramping up efforts to secure funds to address the U.S.-Mexico border sewage pollution crisis that has closed beaches in the South Bay for over a year.

McCann, a Navy veteran, has a platform to increase funding for law enforcement,  cut government waste, oppose unnecessary tax hikes and block the mileage tax, according to his website.

The other candidates are Chula Vista Deputy Mayor Carolina Chavez; energy consultant Elizabeth Efird; business owner and former Imperial County Supervisor Louis Fuentes; and marketing firm associate Lincoln Pickard.

The seat became vacant in December when Vargas unexpectedly announced  after winning that she would step down due to personal safety concerns.  Vargas’ resignation has left a partisan split on the County Board of Supervisors, with two Republicans and two Democrats.

If the vote count holds and no candidate receives more than 50% of votes, a special election will take place in July between the top two vote getters.