(Image Credit: IMAGN) A poll worker looks over a mail-in ballot on the campus of California State University San Bernardino in Palm Desert, Calif., on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
San Diego, California – Early returns in Tuesday’s special runoff election for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors show an unexpectedly strong performance by Republican John McCann in a district once seen as safely Democratic. As of late Tuesday evening, Democrat Paloma Aguirre, the mayor of Imperial Beach, held a slim 6-point lead over McCann, with 53 percent to 47 percent of the vote counted.
The stakes in the District 1 contest are high. Since the December resignation of Supervisor Nora Vargas, the five-member board has been evenly split, with two Democrats and two Republicans. Whoever wins this race will tip the balance of power and influence how the county spends its $8.5 billion annual budget — including on health care, emergency services, housing, and border infrastructure.
District 1, which includes much of the South Bay and parts of San Diego, has long leaned blue. Vice President Kamala Harris carried the district by 20 points in 2020. But McCann’s competitive showing underscores a broader trend: Democratic outrage over President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, including recent ICE raids and military deployments in Los Angeles, has not automatically translated into greater political momentum.
Despite intense protests against deportation operations in California throughout June, Aguirre’s lead remains narrower than expected. The early vote totals represent roughly 19 percent of the district’s 370,000 registered voters. About 9,500 ballots remain to be counted, according to the county Registrar of Voters.
Aguirre, a progressive Democrat who has centered her campaign on fighting pollution at the U.S.–Mexico border and addressing public health issues, said national politics shaped the race. In a Tuesday statement, she said, “Today belongs to the working-class people of District 1, a nuestra gente trabajadora, who now have a fighter at the county Board of Supervisors who will hold the line against the Trump administration.”
McCann, a Navy veteran and mayor of Chula Vista, has focused on public safety and economic stability. He has emphasized bipartisan credentials, noting that he and Aguirre previously traveled to Washington together to secure federal aid for local infrastructure.
More than $3.6 million in outside money has poured into the race, which has become a proxy for larger national debates about immigration, public safety, and the role of local government.
County officials have until July 31 to certify the results. In the meantime, both parties are bracing for a final tally that could redefine the direction of San Diego County governance for the remainder of the decade.
