Former San Diego City Attorney announces State Senate run to represent East County
By Paul Levikow
September 9, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – Former San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott on Thursday announced she’s running for the California State Senate District 40 seat, currently held by Republican Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, who will be leaving office due to term limits.
The district encompasses much of East County, including Santee, Poway, Alpine, Pine Valley, and Ramona, as well as San Marcos, Escondido, Valley Center, Pauma Valley, Fallbrook, and the northeastern parts of the city of San Diego.
The Scripps Ranch resident served two terms as the elected City Attorney and first woman and Latina to hold the office. “Mara is a national leader in gun violence prevention, consumer advocacy, and support for victims of domestic violence, sex trafficking, and elder abuse,” according to a statement on her campaign website.
“Mara worked with law enforcement and the courts to launch San Diego’s groundbreaking response to public safety. Mara relaunched Your Safe Place, the nation’s first one-stop shop for victims of domestic violence, by expanding vital services to survivors of sex trafficking and partnering with the legislature and local elected leaders to secure dedicated shelter for these victims and their families,’ the statement says.
“Mara earned a reputation for fighting for the people she represents -- something she will continue to do for the residents of Senate District 40.”
Elliott, who ran as a Democrat in the non-partisan City Attorney’s Office, will face off against Democrat Suzanne Till, who grew up in Lakeside and serves on the Padre Dam water board, and two Republicans who have expressed their intent to run for the office, San Marcos City Councilmember Edward Musgrove and former Assembly candidate Kristie Bruce-Lane.
According to her website, Mara Elliott “also created the Office’s first affirmative civil enforcement unit to protect consumers, workers, and the environment. Her lawsuit against big pharma to hold manufacturers and distributors accountable for opioid addiction brought tens of millions of dollars to the region. And she created a dedicated conservatorship unit, the first of its kind, to effectively and compassionately address the needs of unhoused individuals with complex mental health issues.”
The California Primary Election will be in June 2026, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the General Election in November 2026.