Voter guide to Nov. 3 general election in San Diego County

Leer este artículo en español

With the Trump administration’s proposed changes to election procedures on hold, mail ballots are set to go out next week in California for the potentially pivotal Nov. 3 general election.

At stake is control of Congress, with up to five House seats in California shifting to the Democrats amid a redistricting battle with Texas, as well as a controversial union-backed proposition for the state’s first wealth tax.

In San Diego County, the closely watched battle in the 48th District carries national implications.

That race will impact residents at the county level as well, since candidate Jim Desmond will leave his post on the Board of Supervisors, setting up a close race to fill his vacant seat. And then, of course, San Diego County voters will decide the fate of the half-cent sales tax measure.

Ballots will arrive in local mailboxes the week of Oct. 5, and the first vote centers open Oct. 24, so there is plenty of time to cast your vote.

Here is Times of San Diego’s guide to the candidates, issues, and ballot measures in the election.

The race for California’s next Governor

Democrat Xavier Becerra faces Republican Steve Hilton for the Golden State’s top elected office. Becerra has extensive government experience, having served in the state Assembly and House of Representatives, then as attorney general under two governors and finally secretary of Health and Human Services under President Biden. He promises to “build, protect and lead California.” If elected, he would be the state’s first Latino governor since 1875.

Hilton is a British-born naturalized citizen who served as a senior advisor to Prime Minister David Cameron before moving to California. He taught at Stanford, became a Fox News contributor and then launched his own podcast. He calls himself the “outsider in the room” and said he is running “to cut costs, fix our schools, clean up the corruption and make California work again.”

State races — Lt. Gov., Secretary of State and more

Lieutenant Governor is viewed as a stepping stone to higher office — see Gov. Gavin Newsom.

In this election, Democrat Fiona Ma, a CPA who has served two terms as state treasurer, is running against Gloria Romero, a former Democratic Party leader who switched to the Republican Party to support “working-class families and parental rights.”

If the extremely crowded primary race was an indication, Ma, who received 19% of the vote in June, and Romero, who garnered 18%, will be a tight contest.

In the race for Secretary of State, longtime San Diego politico and incumbent Shirley Weber is running for a second full term. Weber’s opponent is Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner, a lawyer turned politician who previously served in the state Assembly and as mayor of Irvine. Wagner, a conservative politician, has made establishing a voter ID system one of his goals. In the primary, Weber garnered 58.7% of the vote to Wagner’s 36.7%.

Then, there’s the election for state controller, who is responsible for tracking, auditing and disbursing public funds.

Incumbent Malia Cohen, a Democrat and former San Francisco County supervisor, faces Republican Herb Morgan, a San Diegan who served on the board of the San Diego City Employees’ Retirement System. In the primary, Cohen polled well ahead of Morgan at 56.8% to Morgan’s 37.5%.

After dropping out of the race for governor, Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, a Democrat and former ambassador to Hungary under President Obama, is seeking the post of State Treasurer. Her opponent is Republican Jennifer Hawks, a retired business executive with no prior experience in elected office.

Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, a Democrat who has led legal fights against the Trump administration, is seeking a second full term as attorney general, facing Republican Michael Gates, a former Huntington Beach city attorney who challenged state housing mandates.

Meanwhile, two Democrats are vying for the post of insurance commissioner. State Sen. Ben Allen from Santa Monica, who is known for his environmental bills, goes up against Jane Kim, a former San Francisco County supervisor and California political director for Bernie Sanders in 2020.

The State Board of Equalization administers California’s property tax system and other tax matters. Termed-out Democratic state Sen. Tom Umberg and Republican Denis Bilodeau are running for the post covering San Diego, Orange, Riverside and Imperial counties. Umberg is a retired Army Colonel and federal prosecutor; Bilodeau is president of the Orange Taxpayers Association and endorsed by Carl DeMaio’s Reform California.

House of Representatives — Fight for the 48th

The race in the 48th district in northeastern San Diego County has risen to national prominence as it is viewed as one of the races that could determine which party seizes control of Congress. Democrat Marni von Wilpert, a San Diego city councilmember and former deputy city attorney, is challenging Republican Jim Desmond, a county supervisor and former San Marcos Mayor.

Von Wilpert is fresh off a tight primary race against repeat-candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar. Desmond is a Republican stalwart who gained notoriety for opposing the county’s COVID restrictions and is endorsed by President Trump.

In the other four congressional district races, Democratic incumbents face only token opposition.

In the 49th District, four-term Rep. Mike Levin, a former environmental attorney, is challenged by Republican newcomer Armen Kurdian, a retired Navy captain.

Meanwhile, in the 50th District, seven-term Rep. Scott Peters, a moderate Democrat known for his role in the Problem Solvers Caucus, faces Republican Steve Cohen, a 76-year-old former KUSI news director.

In the 51st District, three-term Rep. Sara Jacobs, a rising leader in the Democratic Party, is opposed by Republican newcomer Ricardo Cabrera, the owner of a cybersecurity company.

And in the 52nd District along the border, seven-term Rep. Juan Vargas faces Jeff Belle, who is running as a Republican but has not been endorsed by the party.

Race for California State Senate

Voters will choose candidates in four state Senate districts. In the 18th District along the border, Sen. Steve Padilla, a Democrat and former Chula Vista mayor, is seeking a second four-year term. His opponent is Republican Art Hodges, a Pentecostal bishop who opposes abortion and “environmental extremism.”

In the 32nd District, which stretches from Riverside into rural East County, Republican Sen. Kelly Seyarto, a former firefighter and Murrieta mayor, is also seeking re-election. Challenging him is Democrat Tiffanie Tate, a Navy veteran, retired OBGYN and published author.

Along the coast, in the 38th District, Democratic state Sen. Katherine Blakespear, a lawyer and former Encinitas mayor, faces Republican Laura Bassett, an Oceanside business owner and community volunteer. Blakespear polled 58.4% in the primary.

In the Republican-leaning 40th District, where former minority leader Brian Jones is termed out, Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane faces former San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott, a Democrat. Bruce-Lane ran unsuccessfully for state Assembly in 2022 and 2024.

In the June primary, she received 27.7% to Elliott’s 48.0%, but Bruce-Lane and another Republican in the race together garnered a majority of the votes.

State Assembly

State Assembly races will make this election ballot long, as there are seven seats up for grabs across San Diego County.

In the 74th District, which includes Oceanside and Vista, incumbent Laurie Davies, a Republican, a small business owner and former mayor of Laguna Niguel, faces Sergio Farias, a Democrat who owns a landscape company and is a three-term San Juan Capistrano councilmember and mayor. Davies garnered 53.4% of the vote to Farias’ 47.7% in the primary.

In the 75th District in East County, conservative firebrand Republican Carl Carl DeMaio seeks reelection in a race against Democrat Gerald Boursiquot, a Navy and Air Force veteran who volunteers for veteran support groups.

In the 76th District, which stretches from Torrey Hills to Valley Center, incumbent Democrat Darshana Patel, a biotech scientist who served on the Poway school board, faces Republican Carrie Villanueva, a political newcomer who has expressed her dismay with California’s political climate.

In the north coastal 77th District, Democratic incumbent Tasha Boerner is challenged by Trinity Hannaway, executive director of Carl DeMaio’s Reform California organization.

In the 78th District in central San Diego, incumbent Chris Ward, a Democrat and former San Diego city councilmember, faces another DeMaio staffer, Payton Galvez.

In the 79th District, which runs from southeastern San Diego to El Cajon, Democratic incumbent LaShae Sharp-Collins, an educator, is running against Republican Andrew Lawson, a member of the Spring Valley Community Planning Group.

And, last but not least, in the 80th District stretching from Barrio Logan to the border, Democratic incumbent David Alvarez faces Republican Alejandro Galicia, a small business owner who doesn’t have a campaign website.

State Superintendent and Other School Board Races

With state Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond termed out, San Diego Unified Board President Richard Barrera is seeking the position.

Barrera came in second in the June 3 primary, and is running against Sonja Shaw, president of the Chino Valley Unified School Board. The race is nonpartisan, but Barrera is a Democrat and Shaw is a Republican. Barrera is supported by the California Teachers Association, while Shaw is backed by the conservative Moms for Liberty.

In San Diego Unified, there are elections for trustees in two districts, but there is only one unopposed candidate in each: incumbent Shana Hazan in District B and newcomer Hayden Gore, a classroom teacher and union organizer, in District C.

San Diego County Board of Supervisors

In District 4, which includes much of the city of San Diego, Lemon Grove and La Mesa, incumbent Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe, a former San Diego city councilmember, faces Kristine Alessio, a land use attorney and former La Mesa city councilmember. They were the only two candidates for the primary, so each advanced directly to the general election without a vote. Supervisor positions are nonpartisan, but Steppe is a Democrat and Alessio a Republican.

In District 5 in north and east county, where Jim Desmond is termed out and running for Congress, San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones, a Republican small business owner, faces Kyle Krahel, deputy chief of staff to Rep. Mike Levin and chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party. Jones received 38.3% of the vote to Krahel’s 22.1% in the crowded primary.

Other San Diego County Offices

Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk Jordan Marks is running unopposed for a second four-year term.

Larry Cohen, a Democrat who was appointed interim Treasurer/tax collector when Dan McAllister retired last year, is seeking a full term. Cohen, who was chief of staff to Rep. Juan Vargas, faces Shirley Nakawatase, a certified public accountant who is endorsed by the San Diego County Republican Party.

San Diego City Council

In District 2, which stretches from Clairemont to Point Loma, Jennifer Campbell is termed out. Former Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey is in the runoff with Nicole Crosby, a deputy city attorney. Bailey is an independent who left the Republican Party, while Crosby is a Democrat with strong progressive support

In District 5 in Southeast San Diego, incumbent Henry Foster III is in a close race with NICU nurse Martha Abraham, who trailed Foster by just 12 votes in the primary. Foster has wide support amongst San Diego’s Democratic Party, but Abraham has picked up support from the San Diego city firefighters union.

In District 6, which stretches from University City to Scripps Ranch, incumbent Kent Lee, the council’s president pro tem, is challenged by Mark Powell, a real estate broker who served on the county Board of Education.

Lee, the former executive director of the nonprofit Pacific Arts Movement, received 59% of the vote in the June primary.

With Vivian Moreno termed out in District 8 in South County, her chief of staff, Gerardo Ramirez, is seeking to succeed her, facing Antonio Martinez, a board member of the San Ysidro School District who lost to Moreno in 2022.

Chula Vista Mayor and Council

In the county’s second largest city, Mayor John McCann and two incumbent city council members are up for re-election.

McCann, a Republican and Navy veteran, faces Francisco Tamayo, a union leader and school board member.

In District 1, Councilmember Carolina Chavez, a former journalist, is challenged by Greg Martinez, a CPA and political newcomer. In District 2, Councilmember Jose Preciado, an administrator at San Diego State University, faces Angelica Martinez, an educator supporting children with disabilities.

Local Ballot Measures

For Measure A, voters will decide whether to extend term limits for County Supervisors from a two-term cap to three terms. The measure also looks to create an independent ethics commission as well as independent program auditor and budget analyst positions. The measure is backed by Chair Terra Lawson Remer, but opposed by Supervisor Joel Anderson.

Measure B proposes adding a half-cent sales tax throughout San Diego County, which could generate up to $450 million annually for public safety, Tijuana River sewage cleanup, childcare, healthcare and food security. 

San Diego Foundation has a comprehensive guide to the measure.

Measure M would allow the San Diego Unified School District to issue $3.5 billion in bonds to fund critical repairs, security improvements and upgrades to classrooms. The district promises no increase in tax assessment.

The Long List of State Propositions

There are 14 propositions on the statewide ballot — the most in a decade.

Proposition 1, which was placed on the ballot by the Legislature, would authorize the state to borrow $11.25 billion to fund affordable housing assistance for veterans, seniors, people with disabilities, low- and middle-income working families, vulnerable Californians and essential workers like teachers, firefighters and nurses. Up to 40,000 new rental units would be created.

Proposition 2, another legislative measure, would double the state’s reserves from 10% to 20% of General Fund revenues to protect against economic downturns. During surplus years, the state would pay more into this “rainy day” fund. It’s backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and opposed by Carl DeMaio’s Reform California.

Proposition 3 is an initiative backed by teacher and nursing unions to make permanent the temporary, voter-approved tax increase for individuals earning over $371,000 and couples over $743,000. The top rate was changed from 9.3% to 12.3% in 2012 and is set to drop back to 9.3% in 2031. Opponents argue the increase was always meant to be temporary.

Proposition 4, backed by the Legislature, would allow public funding of election campaigns. Proponents like the League of Women Voters argue that candidates need deep pockets and thus many qualified people are left behind. But opponents say taxpayer funds should never be used for campaigns.

Another legislative measure, Proposition 5, would change state recall election procedures to separate the recall vote from a subsequent special election for a replacement. Opponents note that the current system for recalling and electing a replacement at the same time has worked for a century.

Proposition 37 authorizes issuance of $25 billion in bonds to offer eligible buyers fixed-rate mortgages for up to 17% of the purchase price of a newly constructed home priced below about $1.5 million. Borrowers must be California residents, occupy the home, and meet income limits. There is no taxpayer impact because the bonds would be repaid by the borrowers.

Proposition 38 authorizes issuance of $8.4 billion in bonds for immunology and immunotherapy research. Half of the money would go to a single University of California-affiliated nonprofit medical research institute chosen by the Department of Public Health. The remainder would go to research grants at other institutions. 

Proposition 39 is a California-only version of President Trump’s efforts to control voting. It would prohibit citizens from voting in person or by mail unless they can present a government-issued ID. Sen. Alex Padilla, the former Secretary of State, warns that passage will make voting harder for citizens and more expensive for counties to administer.

The next three propositions focus on whether to tax wealth, in addition to income. While California has long levied property taxes on real estate, and income taxes on dividends and capital gains, it has never taxed residents’ personal assets. The Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West is spending millions of dollars on a measure to change that.

Proposition 40 is the union-backed effort to impose a one-time 5% tax on some 200 California residents with personal assets over $1 billion to raise revenue for health care. The non-partisan Legislative Analyst’s Office warns that the tax could result in an “ongoing decrease in state income tax revenues” if wealthy residents decide to leave the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom is a notable opponent of this proposition.

Proposition 41 and Proposition 42 are efforts to stop Prop. 40. The first, endorsed by Google co-founder Sergey Brin, would effectively nullify Prop. 40 by putting limits on enacting new state taxes. The second would prohibit taxing personal assets other than real estate. If either gets more votes than Prop. 40, the so-called “billionaire tax” would be thwarted.

Proposition 43 is also about taxes, but whether propositions authorizing new local taxes in cities, counties and school districts require a simple majority of voters or a two-thirds margin. If passed, it would take effect beginning in 2027, so many local governments have rushed new sales tax plans onto the Nov. 3 ballot.

Proposition 44 requires community health clinics to spend 90% of their revenue on program services. Union backers of this measure say these clinics spend too much on executive compensation. It’s opposed by medical organizations and the California Democratic Party.

Finally in this election is Proposition 45, which would amend the often-criticized California Environmental Quality Act to expedite the review of “essential” housing, transportation, water and health projects. Lawsuits under CEQA are regularly used to fight building projects — often for years — but opponents of Prop. 45 say weakening the act will harm the environment.