2022 Election Analysis: San Diego County Government
One of the most hopeful things going on in San Diego has been the revitalization of the County Board of Supervisors. It started with Nathan Fletcher’s election in 2018 and went full on with the 2020 election of Terra Lawson-Remer and Nora Vargas.
An elected body that couldn’t be bothered to hold meetings at times convenient to citizens has turned into a real force for good in the region. The most amazing part of this transformation is the amount of bi-partisan cooperation on many issues of importance.
The Supes real success has come via the transformation of the county bureaucracy which has morphed into a much more responsive group of departments. I can remember a time not long ago when applying for food stamps (CalFresh) meant an inspector was assigned to make sure homes were free of anti-war posters and lazy hippies.
The county is the vehicle through most of the funding for the social safety net passes, and it has moved further and faster in achieving actual service to citizens faster than I thought possible.
It’s not perfect for our homeless population, and the active resistance of places like the City of El Cajon hasn’t helped. And then there’s the true third rail of politics, namely the police industrial complex. Saying and doing are different things when it comes to “outsiders” and law enforcement-related agencies policies, and ultimately the power to budget will have to be used.
The premises government acts upon to set standards for law enforcers and prosecutor are flawed and historically pro-white supremacist. But selling the public on the War on Drugs being a waste of money, etc, is a steep hill to climb. The invisible Blue Line protects bad behavior, makes change from within difficult, and exempts a group of very powerful employees from the checks and balances Americans believe is built into our systems.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and there’s plenty of work ahead for the Supervisors. The re-election of Board Chair Fletcher proves the naysayers to be little more than noisemakers and gives me hope that progress will continue.
NOTES: If I identify a candidate with a political party, it means they were the endorsed candidate of that party. Voting results are expressed as percentages because the actual number of votes will be outdated soon after I publish this piece. The ratios are a more stable measure for this sort of analysis.
County Supervisor
District 4 - Incumbent Democrat Nathan Fletcher triumphed over Republican Amy Reichert 63.94% to 36.06%. She was one of the leading protesters against County COVID 19 measures, and quickly became a favorite at KUSI, where she regularly said she was in it to win it. Apparently the argument was not very convincing.
District 5 - Incumbent Republican Jim Desmond did quite well against Democrat Tiffany Boyd-Hodgson 60.71% to 39.29%, despite a vigorous and impressive campaign for a newcomer to politics. She was endorsed by the Union-Tribune, which obviously wasn’t enough to put her over the top.
County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk
As of this writing Republican Jordan Marks, designated as heir apparent by retiring Ernest Dronenburg, has defeated Democrat Barbara Bry 51.99% to 48.01%. (This could change as more votes are counted) I never quite understood why Bry, who’s a former SD Council member and mayoral candidate, wanted the seat. The Union-Tribune endorsed Marks and that might have made the difference in this race.
County District Attorney
Incumbent Summer Stephan ran unopposed. In 2018 she was a fresh face, and while she has tweaked the system in the DA’s office, the old guard is very much in control.
County Sheriff
New minted Democrat Kelly Martinez had the solid backing of the local establishment and defeated Republican John Hemmering despite a cross-ideological group of supporters for the challenger. I ended up voting for Hemmerling, despite my doubts that any “elected” sheriff could make the needed reforms in the department. The insider game of succession combined with the political power of the very right wing Deputy Sheriffs Association doesn’t bode well for any substantive change.
County Treasurer Tax Collector
Incumbent Republican Dan McCallister easily topped Democrat Greg Hodosevich 75.21% to 24.79%. Two decades of experience without a scandal equalled voters saying no to the concept of change in this office.
Email me at: WritetoDougPorter@Gmail.com
Lead photo via County News Center