A July runoff election is anticipated between Chula Vista Mayor John McCann and Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre for the remaining District 1 county supervisor seat, after a close primary election on April 8, where neither candidate clinched the majority.
The results of the election for the district, with more than 373,000 registered voters, will be certified by May 8. Until then, all results are unofficial. If one candidate receives more than 50% of votes after all ballots are counted, they would win the election.
Though a runoff is expected, as McCann secured 42.4% of votes as of April 14, and Aguirre was right on his heels at 32.3%. Some ballots still need to be counted.
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.
Aguirre, a Democrat, was elected as the first Latina mayor of Imperial Beach. Since then she has been active in confronting the Tijuana sewage crisis alongside Coronado’s elected officials and environmental advocates. She was named vice chair of the California Coastal Commission last December.
“This runoff is a clear choice between Democratic values that put working people first, and a Trump Republican agenda that would be a complete disaster for all of San Diego County,” said Aguirre in a statement. “I won’t stop until we build an affordable, safe, and clean South County for everyone. I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer when it comes to cleaning up the outrageous Tijuana River sewage crisis. And I won’t ever stop until San Diego County government starts working hard for people who work hard and deserve so much better.”
McCann, a Republican, 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 Reserves, according to his biography. He has also been a crusader for public safety and has worked to prioritize neighborhood infrastructure improvements.
“I am thankful for the hundreds of volunteers who have worked on my campaign and the thousands of voters that cast their vote for me,” McCann said. “They know I will bring common sense back to San Diego County by supporting law enforcement to keep our streets safe, getting homeless off the streets, working to get real solutions on the Tijuana sewage issue and opposing the mileage tax.”
The position will be a 3½-year term ending in January 2029.
District 1’s population of more than 630,000 people includes residents from the cities of Chula Vista, Imperial Beach and National City; several south San Diego neighborhoods, including Barrio Logan, Otay Mesa and San Ysidro; and five unincorporated communities, such as Bonita and La Presa.
