As polling day approaches, the hopes of the supervisor push to stand out in the middle of a crowded field and a political turmoil – San Diego Union -Tribune

In the last section before the surveys are closed during the special district 1 county supervisor, the candidates concentrated their efforts on the not so simple act to have residents voted.

They do door-to-door in districts of South Bay, drawing telephone calls and organizing walks with supporters in the district communities.

It was above the dozens of various sender who were sent to the voters and the millions of dollars spent since the start of the race at the end of January.

Candidates and defenders of the community hope that it will be enough to mobilize the voters to participate in the first local elections in the region since the presidential competition last November, and since the return of Donald Trump to the presidency.

“It is, at least in South Bay, their first chance of expressing their reflections on the current political climate,” said Mason Herron, a political consultant who followed electoral participation and campaign expenses.

Seven candidates arise for the headquarters canceled at the start of this year by Nora Vargas, who announced in December that she would not serve the second term to which she had just been elected.

This decision left the district without representation in the first tumultuous months of the Trump administration, while the president began to reduce a large part of the federal government, launched a repression of the borders and promulgated paralyzing prices.

These federal efforts could have major implications for the district. And some of the local problems of the district could have national problems – including the Tijuana binational river crisis.

But the commitment of voters in the special election of District 1 was a mixed bag, defenders and many members The candidates say. Some residents are unaware that the elections occur. Others have heard of it but do not know much beyond.

Some who were already politically active are impatient to vote – even more than they were in November, they say.

“I voted for Nora (Vargas), but I had the impression that she was going to win anyway,” said Ruby Zamora Baker, a primary school teacher who lives in Chula Vista. She said she was disappointed when Vargas resigned, “but then excited when I saw who the choices were.”

Some voters, fed by their dissatisfaction with the Trump administration, consider this election as an important step to fight it. And the results in other special elections across the country have already reflected greater energy among Democrats than in November.

Clariza Marin, a resident of Chula Vista and defender of the community, is impatient to fill the seat so that the defenders can determine how their new supervisor can help or hinder their efforts to respond to Trump policies who, according to her, injure the community.

“So that we can determine what the best strategies are, we must know what we are facing,” said Marin.

The District 1 includes the cities of Chula Vista, National City and Imperial Beach, the districts of San Diego de Nestor, San Ysidro and Barrio Logan and the unheeded areas in Bonita and Spring Valley Society.

The seven people who run to represent him are the mayor of Imperial Beach Paloma Aguirre, the member of the Council of Chula Vista Carolina Chavez, the energy consultant Elizabeth Efird, the businessman Louis Fuentes, the mayor of Chula Vista John McCann, the member of the Council of San Diego Vivian Moreno and Lincoln Pickard.

The outcome of the elections could be determined in the April 8 primary if one of the seven candidates earns more than 50% of the votes expressed. Otherwise, the two best finish will drop to a special general election to be held on July 1.

The results of the elections must be certified by May 8, although electoral officials say that they could be certified earlier.

Many candidates’ campaigns expect to see the race to run in July, due to the number of candidates in the race and the difficulty of one of them winning a majority.

“There is enough diversity of candidates on the ballot right now. I am not planning a scenario where someone gets over 51 years,” said Jeremy Addis-Mills, spokesperson for Moreno’s campaign.

More than 370,000 voting bulletins were sent to voters registered in the district, and Friday afternoon, more than 47,000 – approximately 12.5% ​​- had been returned, said Antonia Hutzell, spokesperson for the County Voters.

Hutzell said the registrar cannot predict what the participation rate will ultimately be, but it noted that it was generally lower in special elections. Less than a quarter of the registered voters voted in the 2023 special elections for the District 4 supervisor, after Nathan Fletcher resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct.

The district 1 race has posed challenges to awareness of voters, said Itzel Maganda Chavez, director of civic commitment to Alliance San Diego, who has organized voter training efforts in recent months, including sending difficulty for low growth voters and the launch of a text campaign.

With seven candidates in the race, Chavez says that it can be difficult for voters to do in -depth research on each of them.

The special elections also take place on shorter deadlines than the general elections, the alliance was therefore unable to make the more extensive kind of awareness than they would generally do it before an election – such as fundraising and the conduct of a team to make calls and do the door to the door.

There was also the additional fight to attract the attention of voters.

“With everything that happens in the political world, it was even more difficult to really highlight the importance of this election, because we are in competition with so many other titles,” she said.

But Herron, the political consultant, said that there were also reasons to believe that the participation rate could be higher than in other special elections. Voting by mail has given voters a more direct and easier way to vote. And high expenses in electoral education materials can result in more residents by knowing – and participating – in the elections, he said.

“I think it helps, because it reminds voters that there is an election and it gives them the impression of making an enlightened choice,” said Herron. “Theoretically, at least they don’t feel like guessing.”

So far, millions of dollars have been collected in the race, between the campaigns themselves and the financing of independent committees that support them or oppose it.

As of March 22, the most important sums were raised and spent by committees supported by two unions, the campaign financing disclosure deposited at the end of last month.

A committee supported by the Liuna construction union, the local section 89, had collected more than $ 675,000 this year in support of Moreno and spent nearly $ 363,000. Another committee supported by the same union and created to oppose Aguirre had collected more than $ 346,000 and spent nearly $ 300,000.

A committee supporting McCann called Citizens for a better South Bay had collected more than $ 289,000 and spent nearly $ 235,000. And a committee supporting Chavez had collected about $ 125,000 and spent $ 86,000.

Among the campaigns themselves, McCann has collected the most money – more than $ 230,000 – and had the most money by farm, with more than $ 133,000.

The Aguirre campaign had just under $ 38,000 in hand and Moreno just under $ 60,000, while Chavez had about $ 5,000. The other candidates had not raised, if not, of the campaign money.

Local political parties have also weighed.

The Républicain County Party of San Diego approved McCann and contributed $ 35,250 to its campaign. Aguirre is approved by the Democratic Party of the County of San Diego, which also gave its campaign $ 35,250.

In the current state, the board of directors of four people is deadlocked between two democratic supervisors and two Republicans. This means that the results of the special elections may have an impact on how the Council will vote on partisan issues for almost the next four years.

Originally published: April 6, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.