Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre has defeated Chula Vista Mayor John McCann in a race for the District 1 empty seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.
“I want to thank my opponent, John McCann, for a hard-fought campaign. I look forward to working with him and all South County leaders to move us forward,” said Aguirre in a statement following election night results. “Now, let’s get to work.”
McCann conceded following initial election results on July 1, which showed Aguirre leading with 53.4% of votes and McCann had 46.6% of votes.
“I called to congratulate Mayor Aguirre this morning and offer my assistance with the critical challenges facing South County,” said McCann in a statement on July 2. “We have worked closely together to address the ongoing Tijuana River sewage pollution and that environmental crisis will continue to be an important partnership for us.”
McCann also thanked his campaign volunteers and said he anticipates collaborating with Aguirre to improve South County homeless programs and strengthen public safety.
“Despite the outcome, I am proud that my campaign presented a clear statement in support of reducing the cost of living, getting the homeless off the streets and keeping our community safe,” he added. “These are the principles that have guided me as Mayor of Chula Vista and will continue to be important objectives as I work on behalf of the city I love.”
As of 6 p.m. on July 2 and July 3, Aguirre had 53.9% of votes, compared to McCann’s 46.1%.
It is anticipated the official tally will not be known until July 16.
“Voters spoke loud and clear: Clean up the sewage crisis, lower costs, and stand up to the chaos, cuts and intimidation coming out of Trump’s Washington,” said Aguirre. “Whether you voted for me or not, I’m ready to work my heart out to bring down costs, protect our health, and deliver results — no matter your income, political party or zip code.”
There are more than 370,000 registered voters in the First Supervisorial District.
According to a report for San Diego County, the number of registered Democratic voters in the district is more than double the number of Republican voters, with 166,542 Democrats and 82,124 Republicans.
The Registrar says 77,949 ballots have been counted and there are approximately 600 outstanding ballots.
Aguirre’s county priorities
Aguirre will conclude her tenure as the first Latina mayor of Imperial Beach.
The day her current seat becomes vacant, the Imperial Beach City Council will have 60 days to either appoint or schedule a future special election for a new mayor.
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 in December.
“I’ve served for 6 1/2 years, and my only regret is I couldn’t serve longer,” she told The Coronado News in April. “But I know that I’ll be able to do more good for my constituents as a county supervisor, and I’ll be leaving the city better than I found it.”
While the election is technically nonpartisan, Nora Vargas’ abrupt departure, announced in December, left a split board in its wake – with two Democrats and two Republicans on the dais as of Jan. 6.
Aguirre and McCann were the top two vote-getters in a District 1 primary election on April 8.
Aguirre will be sworn in this month to a 3 1⁄2-year term that ends in January 2029.
As supervisor, she said her leading concerns will be resolving the sewage problem that endangers public health and causes beach closures, as well as dealing with affordable housing needs and the county’s homelessness epidemic.
“I have been working my entire adult life on cleaning up the Tijuana River Valley, and I’ll make sure the county finally treats the issue with the seriousness it deserves,” added Aguirre. “I will continue to pressure the governor and president to declare a state of emergency. We also need to be tough negotiators with Mexico to make sure they’re taking this issue seriously.”
At the county level, Aguirre said she hopes to expand access to mental health care, increase funding for workforce training, protect renters, and make the region more resilient to climate change.
“I’ll bring a mayor’s urgency and a public servant’s focus to solving them,” she added.
