Chula Vista Mayor John McCann is one of two candidates vying for a seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors’ first district.
Unofficial election results show McCann received 42.4% of votes and will move ahead to a general election on July 1 against Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, who finished second with 32.3% of the total ballots.
While the election is technically nonpartisan, Nora Vargas’ abrupt departure left a split board in its wake – with two Democrats and two Republicans on the dais. Now that majority control is on table, the partisan backing of whoever fills the empty seat holds significant weight.
McCann was one of three Republican candidates in the special election, and Aguirre was the top vote-getter among three Democrats.
District 1, which includes Imperial Beach, Chula Vista, and National City – along with several south San Diego neighborhoods including Barrio Logan, Otay Mesa and San Ysidro, and five unincorporated communities – has a population of 630,000 people.
McCann, a Republican, said as a boy his family struggled financially. He was raised in San Diego’s South County by his working-class single mother.
McCann, 56, considers the Tijuana River sewage crisis the most important issue facing the district, in part because it has negatively affected U.S. Navy SEALs who train in the contaminated ocean. He said he has worked to elevate the Tijuana sewage issue to the highest level of the federal government, including with the staff of EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.Â
“Still much more is needed,” McCann added. “We must make sure the cost of this mess does not fall on the shoulders of our residents.”
McCann was elected mayor of Chula Vista in 2022 and completed half of his first term this December. He is a decorated Iraq war veteran and continues to serve as a commander in the United States Navy Reserve, according to his biography. He has also been a crusader for public safety and has worked to prioritize neighborhood infrastructure improvements.
“As County Supervisor I will bring back common sense to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors,” said McCann. “I am the only candidate that has proven results by making Chula Vista one of the safest cities in the country, getting homeless off the streets, approving thousands of new home ownership opportunities, securing hundreds of millions of dollars to fight the Tijuana sewage crisis and being fiscally responsible by balancing the city’s budget with no tax increases, no cuts to city services and no layoffs.”
The Coronado News asked McCann about his priorities for the district. Answers are edited for brevity and clarity.
Q: A victory will mark the end of your tenure as mayor. What is your final message to your supporters and those who did not support you?
McCann: Chula Vista is my hometown, my wife’s hometown and our children’s hometown, and now, our grandson’s hometown. Serving our community is a dream come true for me. But I believe I can do even more for our community as the next supervisor for South County. Our family and I appreciate the hundreds of volunteers who have participated in this campaign. As the Mayor of Chula Vista, I have an open door policy, and I will continue to be accessible to all residents as supervisor. I will focus on solutions that improve your quality of life and serve all the residents of South County. I respectfully ask for your vote for John McCann for supervisor on July 1.
Q: How will your leadership differ from that of your predecessor?
McCann: As the mayor of the second largest city in the county, I differ from my predecessor by prioritizing the needs of my community and not my own agenda. I heard the concerns of our community regarding homelessness, and I helped create a shelter to get homeless out of our parks, and remove homeless encampments. Over the last several years, San Diego County has failed to remove homeless encampments in the county. These encampments encourage crime and drug use and put our residents at risk. I am proud to have authored Chula Vista’s tough new ordinance that bans such encampments on virtually all public property.
Q: Considering the board is split, how do you see your partisan backing influencing those dynamics?
McCann: As a Navy veteran, I have served all Americans in defending our freedom overseas. As a councilman and now mayor of Chula Vista, I serve Democrats, Republicans, independents and all citizens. I lead by unifying people and focusing on solutions and not politics.
Q: Do you have a particular topic you plan to prioritize?
McCann: I strongly oppose the Board of Supervisors’ decision to designate San Diego County as a “Sanctuary County.” I fully support citizenship for Dreamers and lawful immigrants, but allowing violent criminals to live in our community makes us all unsafe. Criminals have no place in South County neighborhoods. Additionally, this designation makes it impossible for local law enforcement to assist in the crackdown of fentanyl and sex trafficking — two other significant issues that are hurting our communities.
Q: How do you plan to address other issues impacting both your community and county-wide constituents?
McCann: Just as my priority as mayor has been public safety, as supervisor, my first priority will also be the safety of our community and support for law enforcement. As mayor, I championed hiring hundreds of new firefighters and police officers. As supervisor, I will fully fund the County Sheriffs’ Department.
My work championing public safety over the last two decades has made the City of Chula Vista one of the safest cities in America. Under my leadership, Chula Vista has doubled the number of police patrols. I also championed the new drone system and instituted the Live 911 system which provides faster, more effective responses, giving officers valuable real time information to better protect both the public and our officers.
My support of investment in public safety resources was critical during the recent fire season. That’s why Chula Vista was protected from recent wildfires. The Border 2 wildfire burned over 6,500 acres, and as mayor, I am very proud to say that not a single life or structure was lost.
