SAN DIEGO (CNS) - County Supervisor Joel Anderson Wednesday was rolling toward a second term representing District 2 -- piling up a big lead over challenger Gina Jacobs.
In results as of early Wednesday, Anderson had garnered about 62% of the votes compared to Jacobs' approximately 38%, according to numbers released by the county Registrar of Voters after the polls had closed Tuesday night.
Anderson's vote tally was 106,398, while Jacobs stood at 66,347.
The incumbent had campaigned for a second term because, he said, "there's more to do" -- while Jacobs, a Port of San Diego official, was challenging him "to provide a different perspective."
Anderson, a Republican with previous experience in the state Legislature, was first elected to the board in 2020 to replace the termed-out Dianne Jacob.
While the Board of Supervisors is officially nonpartisan, its current makeup is three Democrats (Nora Vargas and Terra Lawson-Remer, who were also up for re-election, and Monica Montgomery Steppe), along with two Republicans (Anderson and Jim Desmond).
Vargas and Lawson-Remer were also on track Wednesday to retain their seats, which would maintain the board's current ideological bent.
During the campaign, Anderson stressed he had "made campaign promises (in 2020) and I'm fulfilling them" -- focusing in particular on homelessness.
"All the items the county has moved forward with on homelessness, I endorsed them," he said.
On his campaign website, Anderson stated that "from increasing public and fire safety, to securing critical mental and homeless services for East County," he has "been laser focused on improving the quality of life for his constituents."
Anderson listed some of his first-term accomplishments as shutting down nearly 100 illegal drug operations in unincorporated communities; various efforts on the homeless crisis such as a safe parking lot and an East County crisis stabilization unit; and purchasing an advanced helicopter to handle wildfires at night.
Anderson also said that Jacobs, a city resident, doesn't know that much about communities such as Ramona and Lakeside.
A Michigan native who moved to California with his family as a teenager, Anderson earned an associate's degree in business administration from Grossmont College and a bachelor's degree in finance and business administration from Cal Poly Pomona. He and his family are longtime Alpine residents.
In 2007, Anderson was elected to the Assembly for the 77th District. From 2010 to 2018, he served as the 36th District state senator. Along with his supervisor role, Anderson serves on the San Diego Association of Governments board.
Anderson was endorsed by the Republican Party of San Diego County; public safety groups such as the Deputy Sheriffs' Association of San Diego County, San Diego Police Officers Association and Cal Fire Local 2881; and industry organizations such as the Associated General Contractors, San Diego Chapter and the San Diego Regional East County Chamber of Commerce.
Jacobs, a native San Diegan who lives in the Allied Gardens-Del Cerro neighborhood and has a 12-year-old daughter, is a diversity, equity and inclusion business and community partner for the Port of San Diego. This was her first time running for elected office.
She was endorsed by the San Diego County Democratic Party, former Democratic Rep. Susan Davis, and political organizations such as Planned Parenthood Action Fund of the Pacific Southwest, Run Women Run, Safer California and San Diego Democrats for Equality.
With a population of 620,000, the mostly southeastern District 2 borders Imperial County and a portion of Baja, California. It is home to the tribal nations of Barona, Campo, Capitan Grande, Ewiiaapaayp, Inaja-Cosmit, Jamul Indian Village, La Posta, Manzanita, Sycuan and Viejas.
It features three cities -- El Cajon, Poway and Santee -- and is also home to over three-dozen unincorporated communities. In addition, District 2 is home to city of San Diego neighborhoods of Allied Gardens, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Del Cerro, Grantville, Kearny Mesa, Marine Corp Air Station Miramar, Miramar Ranch, Rancho Bernardo, Sabre Springs, San Carlos, San Pasqual Valley, Scripps Ranch, Serra Mesa, Stonebridge and Tierrasanta.
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