SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — All three incumbent San Diego County Board of Supervisors took an early lead for re-election in the Presidential General Election. Nora Vargas, Joel Anderson and Terra Lawson-Remer all appear on track to win their bids for a second term in their respective districts.
Though supervisor seats are nonpartisan, the board's current makeup is three Democrats (Lawson-Remer, Nora Vargas and Monica Montgomery Steppe) and two Republicans (Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond).
District 1 Board of Supervisors: Nora Vargas vs Alejandro Galicia | Live Election Results
San Diego County Supervisor Nora Vargas appears on track to win her bid for a second term, compared with challenger Alejandro Galicia.
Vargas, a Democrat and board chairwoman, was first elected in 2020 to replace Greg Cox, a longtime board member termed out of office. She is the first Hispanic woman to serve on the board.
Though supervisor seats are nonpartisan, Vargas is a Democrat and Galicia a Republican. Currently, the board's makeup is three Democrats (Vargas, Monica Montgomery Steppe and Terra Lawson-Remer, who is also up for re-election), and two Republicans (Joel Anderson, also seeking re-election, and Jim Desmond). Galicia, a military veteran who owns BPI Plumbing, has not held elected office, but two years ago ran unsuccessfully for the state Senate from District 18.
In an emailed statement, Vargas said she's running for a second term because "San Diego County needs bold, effective leadership. As your supervisor, I've delivered real results for our community."
She said her top priorities if re-elected will be "to address housing, behavioral health, environmental justice, and economic prosperity to ensure a healthier, more equitable San Diego County."
Vargas said her first-term top accomplishments include securing $1.5 million to launch a public transportation program for young people; declaring a state of emergency in the Tijuana River Valley in response to environmental and public health concerns; a program providing permanent housing for more than 1,000 veterans; and investing over $30.3 million to increase housing supply "and expand programs that ensure everyone has a place to call home."
Vargas was raised in Tijuana, Mexico, and then Chula Vista, where she now resides.
Galicia, originally from Huntington Park, describes himself on his campaign Facebook page as a "retired citizen-soldier" who hopes to continue serving his community.
Galicia said his top three priorities would be finding solutions to the Tijuana River Valley crisis and endorsing it as a Superfund site; updating and improving the county's emergency response plan; and enhanced short- and long-term approaches to homelessness, including more affordable homes and utilizing surplus government property.
Galicia served in the U.S. Navy and then the Army National Guard, where he was a medic and transportation and logistics officer.
His Facebook page says he was deployed to Kuwait and Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and a humanitarian mission in Honduras and Nicaragua. He retired as a major in 2017.
Located in the county's southern half, District 1 serves some 630,000 residents and is home to three municipalities: Chula Vista, Imperial Beach and National City. It also includes the city of San Diego neighborhoods of Barrio Logan, Chollas View, East Village, Golden Hill, Grant Hill, Lincoln Park, Logan Heights, Memorial, Mount Hope, Mountain View, Nestor, Otay, Palm City, San Ysidro, Shelltown, Sherman Heights, Southcrest and Stockton. In addition, the district includes the unincorporated communities of Bonita Sunnyside, La Presa, Lincoln Acres and East Otay Mesa.
District 2 Board of Supervisors: Joel Anderson vs Gina Jacobs | Live Election Results
San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson looks set to secure a second term representing District 2 against Gina Jacobs, a Democrat, in the officially nonpartisan race.
On his campaign website, Anderson states 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.
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 is her first time running for elected office.
Jacobs said that, if elected, she will focus on expanding a stipend program for those at risk of becoming homeless, and increasing housing inventory.
On fire safety, Jacobs said she'll work to ensure the county is using preventative measures such as fire-clear zones. In a related topic, Jacobs said she will propose a homeowners summit to pressure insurance companies to address high premiums.
Jacobs also said fentanyl abuse is a huge issue in East County, and she credits the county for expanding substance abuse and mental health programs. She added that she supports looking at the root causes of substance abuse with more staff resources, ending the stigma and providing options so those in treatment stay sober.
Her previous experience includes human resources and business development roles for the San Diego Regional Airport Authority.
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.
District 3 Board of Supervisors: Terra Lawson-Remer vs Kevin Faulconer | Live Election Results
What figured to be the most hotly contested of this election's three Board of Supervisors races looks Wednesday like a comfortable victory for District 3's one-term incumbent, Terra Lawson-Remer, who led former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer in the voting.
She declared victory on Wednesday.
"I am honored to have been re-elected by San Diego County voters on Tuesday, and I am committed to defending the best interests of all the people of San Diego County from any potential threats that may arise from a second Trump presidency," she said. "We must rise above divisiveness or despair, and recommit ourselves to fighting for our shared values of fairness, opportunity, democracy, and rule of law."
Lawson-Remer -- an economist, attorney, former senior adviser in the Obama administration and a self-described "grassroots organizer" who lives in Encinitas -- espouses "tackling the homeless crisis with innovative thinking to clean-up streets, clear encampments, and get people the help they need and into supportive housing."
On her website, she touts "implementing the County's CARE Court to require people with mental health problems to receive treatment" in addition to "launching a new homeless diversion services program -- to keep people housed and save taxpayer money by providing families, seniors and people with disabilities with emergency financial assistance to pay rent and stay housed" and "combating the illegal opioid crisis by increasing fentanyl enforcement, prevention and addiction treatment programs."
But Faulconer counters that "it's clear our current supervisor has failed us."
"Look no further for evidence of this than the growing health and public safety crisis of homelessness," he says on his website. "It's time for a leader who will confront this issue head-on, with compassion and practical solutions, as I have done many times before."
"I understand that we can't afford to ignore the struggles of our fellow residents any longer," Faulconer adds. "Together, we can create a brighter future by providing housing, expanding support services, and constantly searching for new opportunities to help those in need."
Faulconer also cites his record as San Diego's mayor from 2014 through 2020 as evidence of why voters should send him to the Board of Supervisors.
The mostly coastal District 3 stretches from the city of Carlsbad through the Silver Strand and is comprised of four municipalities -- Coronado, Del Mar, Encinitas and Solana Beach. District 3 also features the San Diego city neighborhoods Carmel Valley, Little Italy, Midway, Mira Mesa, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Pacific Highlands, Pacific Beach, Point Loma, Rancho Penasquitos, Sorrento Valley, Torrey Highlands and University City. Unincorporated communities Harmony Grove and Rancho Santa Fe are also part of the district. According to a 2022 county Live Well San Diego demographic profile, District 3 is home to 645,449 residents.
