San Diego Labor Endorses Paloma Aguirre for County Board of Supervisors, District 1
Will this Matter or Will the South County Move to the Right?
Back in late January, the Voice of San Diego reported that one union, the Laborers, had endorsed City Council Member Vivian Moreno for County Board of Supervisors. The article then went on to engage in an analysis of how Moreno’s “longstanding pro-development record” factored into that decision and how “It’s a further sign South County politics are shifting right.” That same story noted that Moreno’s more conservative approach has led her to oppose things like rent control and county environmental policies that limited some homebuilding in “outlying areas.”
Earlier that week the Voice observed that the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council was yet to vote and called it “one most powerful organized labor groups in the county,” as if it was just one of many groups rather than the representative body of the labor movement in San Diego and Imperial Counties. This is only a small issue with that otherwise solid reporting, but it does understate the significance of the Labor Council in the admittedly confusing alphabet soup of unions and governing bodies inside of San Diego’s larger labor movement.
In the days and weeks that followed, the Laborers failed to even come close to winning the room at the Labor Council Committee on Political Education (COPE), Executive Council, or Delegates meetings where Paloma Aguirre, the Mayor of Imperial Beach, won overwhelming majorities to become the endorsed candidate of the local labor movement, which is comprised of unions across the occupational spectrum and is well-represented in District 1.
In the wake of those votes, the Council released this statement:
Your San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council is proud to announce its support for working families champion, Mayor Paloma Aguirre @palomaaguirre for County Board of Supervisors District 1.
You know Mayor Paloma Aguirre as the fearless leader who has taken on the Tijuana River Crisis head-on, organizing a bipartisan coalition that has secured $600 million thus far to tackle this environmental injustice. But Paloma doesn’t just show up for the big fights—she’s there for every battle, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with workers and communities when they need her most. With a deep commitment to equity, empathy, and collective action, Paloma brings people together to create real change. Whether she’s at a community event, on the picket line, or enjoying a day at the beach, Paloma is a leader who listens, acts, and delivers. Now, it’s time to bring her bold, people-powered leadership to the County Board of Supervisors.
We want to thank the dozens of unions and hundreds of delegates for participating in our endorsement process. We look forward to engaging union members in San Diego County Supervisor District 1 about this critical election that can help us move toward a more just and equitable County of San Diego for all workers and communities.
On the heels of that announcement came the following press release from the Labor Council and Building Trades:
SAN DIEGO, CA – The San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council and the San Diego Building & Construction Trades Council today announced their unified endorsement of Mayor Paloma Aguirre for San Diego County Supervisor, District 1, in the upcoming April 8 special election. The endorsement marks a powerful show of labor solidarity, with workers across industries—from construction to hospitality to healthcare—rallying behind Aguirre’s bold leadership and proven results.
“The men and women of the Building Trades don’t just build San Diego—we build its future and with Paloma Aguirre we’re going to build a better County Government,” said Carol Kim, Business Manager of the San Diego County Building Trades Council. “We need leaders who work as hard as we do and that’s Paloma Aguirre. From fighting to clean up the unacceptable Tijuana River sewage crisis that directly impacts so many of our members, to pushing to make life more affordable for all working people, Paloma Aguirre has proven she’s ready to build a county government that delivers. Our Building Trades Council is proud to support Paloma.”
Paloma Aguirre is Mayor of Imperial Beach, where she has been a tireless advocate for working people, taking on powerful interests to fight for fair wages, against unlawful rent hikes and she’s kept Imperial Beach one of the safest coastal cities in the region. Paloma is leading the fight to clean up the Tijuana River toxic sewage crisis. Where many others failed to act, Paloma stepped up – demanding action from Washington and securing $250 million in federal funding to protect South County’s air, water and property values.
“When working people stand together, we win,” said Brigette Browning, President of the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council and UNITE HERE Local 30. “From securing hundreds of millions of dollars to stop cross-border sewage flows hurting workers, business and homeowners in South County, to standing up for renters and fighting for good-paying jobs, Paloma Aguirre delivers. We’re proud to stand united behind her.”
The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council and San Diego County Building and Construction Trades represent over 200,000 working families across San Diego County, from construction workers and janitors to nurses, teachers, and first responders. Their unified endorsements have cemented Aguirre as the clear choice for working people and continues the surge of momentum in Aguirre’s campaign that underscores the urgency of electing new leaders who fight for fair wages, good jobs, and a County that fights on the side of working people.
What stands out in the labor support for Aguirre is that many in the local union movement are strongly supportive of her for her strong advocacy for workers AND her environmental justice efforts. Others are critical of Moreno for not supporting all workers and organizing efforts at the city level and being too close to local business interests. Also upsetting for some progressives is Moreno’s lack of support for the county’s sanctuary policy and her statement that law enforcement needs to be given “as much deference as possible.”
I would add to this list that, in the wake of the catastrophic fires in Los Angeles, Moreno’s skepticism about environmental policies that might restrict development in more fire prone outlying areas shows a lack of appreciation of what is now our new normal with regard to climate change, fire risk, and the infrastructure needs for the 21st century. It’s far past time we start paying attention to these questions before we have neighborhoods in ruins like those to the north of us.
In the short time between now and election day, a big part of this race will come down to how things land inside the Democratic Party. Thus far, while Moreno and Aguirre have gained some key endorsements from Democratic office holders, Aguirre’s Labor Council endorsement is important as is the fact that, as of this writing, the Democratic clubs have mostly either failed to endorse or gone to Aguirre. We will soon find out if the Laborers union’s big spending on Democratic Central Committee races will bear fruit for them in this primary or whether that effort will bring less bang for the buck than expected. As usual, the inside game politics of the election before the election in the Democratic Central Committee will determine a lot before ordinary voters get a chance to weigh in on this race.
Despite recent gains for local Republicans, District 1 remains solidly Democratic, so this primary contest between the frontrunners in that party, the more progressive Aguirre and the more conservative Moreno, will likely determine the winner if the race ends up pitting the lead Democrat of the three candidates (Carolina Chavez is the third, a dark horse player) against the Republican mayor of Chula Vista, John McCann. A Democrat against Democrat general election might favor Moreno as much of the Republican vote could flow her way.
Thus, those who want a County Board of Supervisors more likely to stand up to Trump policies and continue to chart a course away from the legacy of San Diego’s conservative history should support Aguirre who is more likely to be that standard bearer. While it is easy and understandable to be totally subsumed by national politics, it’s important that we do what we can locally to foster a government that might stand as a buffer against authoritarianism.
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