SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A total of 13 vote centers will open in San Diego's First Supervisorial District Tuesday as the final day of voting to replace former San Diego County Supervisor Nora Vargas begins.
Seven people, including four elected officials, are vying to replace Vargas in Tuesday's primary.
The candidates are Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre; Chula Vista Deputy Mayor Carolina Chavez; energy consultant Elizabeth Efird; business owner and former Imperial County Supervisor Louis Fuentes; Chula Vista Mayor John McCann; San Diego City Councilwoman Vivian Moreno; and marketing firm associate Lincoln Pickard.
Vargas announced in late December that she would not serve her second term despite winning reelection in November.
FIND VOTE CENTER (MAP): https://gis-portal.sandiegocounty.gov/arcgis/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=ab27efcd6a5e4d5d8a422e2f77a0a32d
"Due to personal safety and security reasons, I will not take the oath of office for a second term," she said in a statement at the time. It was unclear what the "personal safety and security reasons" were, but board meetings have become increasingly rowdy in recent years, and Vargas was away from the board several times for unspecified reasons and had dealt with health issues resulting from nodules on her vocal cords.
The technically non-partisan Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Jan. 14 to hold a special election to fill the seat. If no candidate receives a majority on Tuesday, a runoff would take place July 1.
With a population of 650,000 residents, District 1 contains three cities: Chula Vista, Imperial Beach and National City. It also holds 15 neighborhoods within the city of San Diego, including East Village, Mountain View and San Ysidro, and six unincorporated communities, including Bonita, East Otay Mesa and portion of Spring Valley.
Any voter who is in line at a vote center or an official ballot drop box at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote. However, no one can join the line after the 8 p.m. deadline.
You can look up where you are registered to vote at www.sdvote.com/content/rov/en/elec-rep-info-lookup.html.
The county reminds voters and nonvoters alike that campaigning or electioneering within 100 feet of a vote center or official ballot drop box is not allowed. This includes the visible display or audible dissemination of information that advocates for or against any candidate on the ballot. Additionally, an individual may not circulate any petitions, including those for initiatives, referenda, recall or candidate nominations.
Aguirre told City News Service she is "running to bring change to county government, to fight on the side of working people and start getting results we all need -- fixing the sewage crisis, lowering energy rates and fighting crime in every community."
Born in San Francisco, Aguirre has called Southern California home since 2001. Imperial Beach mayor since December 2022, she has been outspoken on the U.S.-Mexico border sewage pollution problem, which has closed beaches and caused serious health issues for some residents.
Aguirre said she'll "get the county off the sidelines" by funding infrastructure, demanding Superfund designation from the Environmental Protection Agency and "treating this as the public health emergency it is."
Aguirre said that if elected, she'll push "for a full audit of county homelessness spending, prioritize real treatment and shelter options, and stop the cycle of failed programs that leave people languishing on the streets."
Chavez, who describes herself as a "lifelong resident of the Cali- Baja region," has served on the Chula Vista City Council since December 2022. She said she will "champion job creation, support small businesses and expand workforce development," according to her campaign website.
Chavez added that if elected, she will "ensure that law enforcement has the resources they need to keep our neighborhoods safe while fostering partnerships that prioritize safety and trust."
The candidate said officials need to address homelessness "with both compassion and urgency," by expanding access to mental health care, substance abuse treatment, emergency shelter and wraparound services "while working with our cities and nonprofits to create housing options and job opportunities."
Chavez's platform also focuses on "the urgent public health crisis of transboundary pollution in the Tijuana River Valley by advocating for targeted funding and sustainable solutions that directly protect our environment and public health."
Efird didn't have an available campaign website. According to a recent KPBS report, she "supports implementing stronger protections for renters and focusing more funding on public health measures to support neighborhoods affected by the crossborder sewage crisis," and supports the county's stronger sanctuary policies for illegal immigrants.
Fuentes, president of Air Conditioning Guys, grew up in Calexico and has lived in Chula Vista since 2014. He previously served as a Calexico City Council member and mayor, and on the Imperial County Board of Supervisors.
Fuentes states on his campaign website that he will fight to ensure that South Bay border communities get funding they deserve for public safety, road repairs, small business development and affordable housing.
Fuentes told City News Service that his top issues are economic growth, community health, public safety and education and arts. Stable employment and youth job opportunities create "a better quality of life," Fuentes said.
When dealing with the homeless crisis, Fuentes said he would focus on "helping organizations that are doing good work, so they can demonstrate some success stories."
Regarding the trans-border pollution problem, Fuentes said, "There can be a diplomatic solution" to the issue, rather than having it become a political or legal battle.
McCann, a Navy veteran and Chula Vista native first elected as that city's mayor in 2022, said on his website that Chula Vista's wildfire response has "demonstrated his ability to protect residents in times of crisis."
McCann's platform includes increased funding for law enforcement, and "fighting to lower the cost of living by cutting government waste, opposing unnecessary tax hikes, and blocking burdensome policies like the mileage tax and (San Diego Association of Governments) tax."
McCann said that if elected, he will "fight to expand health care access, job training programs, and essential services for veterans, ensuring they receive the support they have earned."
In response to the border sewage problem, McCann said he has "been actively working with local, state and federal officials to secure funding for infrastructure improvements, hold responsible parties accountable and push for long-term solutions to stop the flow of toxic waste into our waters."
On her campaign website, Moreno -- a San Diego native and City Council member since 2018 -- states that she "has dedicated her career to improving the region's most underserved communities through experience, volunteer work and public service."
"Our county government is broken, so I'm running to fix it ... Together, we can build a county government that works for us. Together, we can continue to build a better South Bay," Moreno said in a campaign video. "Failed leadership has left our region unaffordable, unsafe and polluted, where essential services remain inaccessible to families who work hard and strive for a better life."
Her campaign website touts her City Council accomplishments, including paving dirt roads, establishing the Climate Equity Fund, using existing city and council facilities for shelters, opening Benson Place, an 82-unit supportive housing complex, and distributing emergency rental assistance to 18,000 families during the coronavirus pandemic.
A longtime county resident, Pickard is an associate at Mannatech, a dietary supplements and personal care company. He has run for seats in the state Legislature and on the San Diego City Council.
Pickard's campaign platform includes stopping the mileage tax, eliminating the toll on state Route 125, supporting offshore drilling to lower gasoline prices and requiring voter identification.
"While we love legal immigration, we need to control who enters our country the same way we screen people entering our private clubs, our homes and our companies," Pickard's website states. "We need to stop the drugs that are killing and destroying so many of our young people."
Pickard also advocates for the Trump administration to assist in resolving the border sewage problem, ending the Federal Reserve, lowering taxes and reasonable regulations "which will increase profits for businesses and help create more jobs for our people."
RELATED COVERAGE:
- Emails show backlash Nora Vargas received before stepping down
- San Diego County Board of Supervisors OK special election for vacant District 1 seat
- Vargas officially out at board of supervisors
- Chairwoman Nora Vargas to step down from San Diego County Board of Supervisors
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