Special Election Voter Guide: San Diego County Supervisor District 1
Vote While You Still Can…
This will be the first election in San Diego since President Donald Trump took office.
Although it’s too soon to have a detailed understanding of exactly how his actions will play out locally, it’s safe to assume that cutbacks in staffing at government agencies will negatively impact county programs funded by the federal government.
It’s probable that the economic/trade priorities for the administration will impact San Diegans, both in the import/export aspects of the local marketplace and the cost of living for area residents.
There’s a war on academia going on, with restrictions on research grants and civil rights investigations of campuses that failed to brutally repress pro-Palestine protesters, in a manner pleasing to the sadists that have been drawn to the Trump administration. UCSD is the second largest employer locally.
Sadly, the cultural agenda for the administration calls for ending diversity, and caters to a slim segment of the population engaged with aspects of a Christian Nationalist perspective. This “otherizing” process will further divide society and give credence to efforts at re-segregation.
The County Board of Supervisors is currently split 2-2 along partisan lines, and the winner of the D1 election will play a large role in determining the course for the government entity with the largest responsibility for social safety net administration and availability. Much of the actual day-to-day functioning of discontinued federal agencies and offices will by default end up in the county’s purview.
My local sources tell me that the Republican, John McCann, is atop the polls (as expected - he is mayor of D1’s largest city) for the primary, with Paloma Aguirre in second place having a small lead over Vivian Moreno.
Over the next few weeks we can expect to see Independent Expenditure groups backed with hundreds of thousands of dollars in Laborers and Business money running ads for Moreno. A more “friendly” Democrat versus a Republican in the runoff would be their perfect world.
The next iteration of the County Board of Supervisors will face both an ideological and a functional challenge. Will the Board become a vessel for carrying out the jihad on “woke”? Will the recent trend toward accountability and discernable results be replaced with performative posing in the name of pleasing Dear Leader and his acolytes?
My personal analysis –I am not a D1 resident– is that Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre has the attitude and ability to be the best choice for the position.
For those of you new to this Substack, I’ve been writing about San Diego elections and compiling voter guides since 2012. My aim is to give readers access to candidates’ campaign materials, along with a few words of analysis. I have opinions and don’t try to hide them, but there should be enough information for voters to make their own determinations.
District 1 is most of South San Diego County. This is a special election brought on by the resignation of Nora Vargas. In the likely event that a candidate does not secure more than 50% of the vote in the primary, the top two finishers will advance to a special general election on July 1, 2025. Mail-in voting starts March 10 (today!) for D1 Voters. (You can find your district using the San Diego County district map.)
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Democrat Paloma Aguirre
Website | Xitter is the mayor of Imperial Beach. Her determination in fighting the Tijuana River sewage contaminating local shorelines and tributaries has gained her a following throughout the region. As mayor, she led actions to shut down exploitative practices by out-of-state landlords to jack up rents.
Trump consciousness: “We need county leaders who will stand up to the threats coming from Washington, especially the federal funding freeze threatening health care for older adults, people experiencing poverty and people with disabilities.”
She has been endorsed by an overwhelming majority of organized labor groups, including the Central Labor Council, SEIU Local 2221, which represents 10,000 county employees, the United Domestic Workers, the San Diego Union-Tribune, and the San Diego County Democratic Party.
San Diego Union-Tribune: Meet District 1 Supervisor Candidate Paloma Aguirre
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Democrat Carolina Chavez
Website | Facebook is deputy mayor of Chula Vista City Council, where she represents that city’s District 1. She represents the city on regional boards, including the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and the South County Economic Development Council. Her leadership and dedication to collaboration earned her the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce’s prestigious “Bridge Builder” award in 2024.
Trump consciousness: “This election isn’t about politics — it’s about priorities.”
San Diego Union-Tribune: Meet District 1 Supervisor Candidate Carolina Chavez
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Elizabeth Efird
is an affordable energy consultant and lives in Chula Vista. (No discoverable web presence.) “My plan includes advocating for policies that build trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement — policies that prioritize local safety and public welfare over divisive national agendas.”
Trump consciousness: “Although federal policies are beyond our immediate control, our county can — and must — create a buffer against divisive rhetoric and harmful practices.”
San Diego Union-Tribune: Meet District 1 Supervisor Candidate Elizabeth Efird
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Republican Louis Fuentes
Website | Facebook is a small-business owner and veterans business adviser and lives in Chula Vista. In 2018, he ran for Congress in the 51st District but didn’t make it past the primary. He was Chairman of the Imperial County Board of Supervisors (2010/2011), Mayor of Calexico (2008/2009) and served on the Calexico City Council (2006/2009).
Trump consciousness: No mention of any concerns. Has a history of bipartisanship.
San Diego Union-Tribune: Meet District 1 Supervisor Candidate Louis Fuentes
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Democrat Vivian Moreno
Website | Facebook | Xitter represents District 8 on the San Diego City Council and lives in San Ysidro. Her campaign website is built around accomplishments as a City Council representative in the areas of the environment, public safety, arts & culture, and housing.
She has garnered endorsements from a majority of San Diego City Council members, Assemblyman David Alvarez, Laborers Local 89, the Municipal Employees Assn, and Carpenters Local 619.
The bad news about her is that she’s moved rightward politically. She tried —but failed— to tap into the Lincoln Club’s treasury. She is also apparently willing to ease off on environmental restrictions to building in the fire-prone backcountry, which brought a couple of construction unions into her fold.
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” has progressive activists firmly in the “no Moreno” camp.
Given that the Trump administration has now snatched its first activist off the street for the apparent crime of believing in a cause not popular with xenophobes, this “deference” has larger implications.
Trump consciousness: “There is no king in America, we settled that in 1776. If Trump wants to attack San Diego County, he will have to answer to leaders like me who fight for our people.”
San Diego Union-Tribune: Meet District 1 Supervisor Candidate Vivian Moreno
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Republican John McCann
Website | Facebook | Xitter is mayor of Chula Vista, which accounts for nearly half the population in the district. He’s served on the City Council and is widely considered a shoo-in for getting through to the July 1 runoff. His strong suit appears to be public safety (more cops).
The Deputy Sheriffs’ Association of San Diego County, the Republican Party of San Diego County and the Lincoln Club have endorsed McCann.
Trump consciousness: Donald who? It’s as if there is no Republican elected to the office of the president.
San Diego Union-Tribune: Meet District 1 Supervisor Candidate John McCann
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Republican Lincoln Pickard
Website | Facebook | Xitter is a perennial office seeker, having run for Assembly D80 five times and Mayor of San Diego in 2014. He opposes gun restrictions, vaccine mandates, abortion and is allergic to anything having to do with Democrats. The first time I wrote about Pickard a decade ago, he was considered a fringe character. Nowadays, he’d fit right in with MAGA, except for all the political enemies he’s made along the way.
Trump consciousness: If you are a pedophile: Don't vote for me.
San Diego Union-Tribune: Didn’t bother to contribute. They’re commies, anyway. /s
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Opinion: Grossmont Union’s Elimination of Librarians Is an Insult to Students and Won’t Save Money by Abagail Wojnowski at Times of San Diego
The nine teacher librarians we had were doing far more than checking out books — they were teaching research skills, media literacy, and responsible information use. They were mentors and educators, making sure students could critically analyze information in an era where misinformation spreads rapidly. The idea that schools can function without credentialed librarians is absurd.
If the district truly cared about students, they would be hiring more credentialed teacher librarians, not eliminating the ones they have. This decision undermines the quality of education, denies students equitable access to information, and strips them of a crucial support system.
The library was the only place where many students felt safe, where they could think freely, explore new ideas, and receive guidance. Removing librarians is not just about budget cuts — it’s about fear. Fear of students having the tools to think critically, challenge ideas, and advocate for themselves.
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What, exactly, is San Diego FC? by Brendan Dentino at Out in Left
I know a lot about SDFC. I don’t know much about MLS, or at least I find it to be the most confounding sports league.
MLS technically owns all the players and teams, with “team owners” as investors in that single entity, and now with 30 teams the league is one of the largest first divisions in world football. This is odd because the MLS’s viewership is minuscule and the quality of play is poor relative to top leagues around the world. In the 19th minute of SDFC’s game against St. Louis City SC, a St. Louisan passed the ball back to his goalkeeper from 40 yards away, except it wasn’t anywhere near his goalkeeper and went out for a corner kick. It was a poor decision and a worse play that would never happen in other top flights. And yet, MLS is growing like kudzu vine and features some of the most valuable clubs in the world.
All professional sports leagues exist to make money, and all major American leagues do that by owning monopolies, but at least the NBA, MLB, NFL, and NHL are the best leagues in the world in their respective sports. It’s the most American thing ever to make billions by suppressing competition. It’s the second-most American thing to make billions by being mediocre.
I guess I do know something about MLS. It’s the perfect reflection of the US in 2025.
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UCSD warns that new grad students may lose stipends by Gary Robbins & Paul Sisson at the San Diego Union-Tribune
The university currently has about 9,300 grad students, a group whose work over the years has played an important role in areas like medicine, helping to develop the landmark HIV drug Biktarvy and the ischemic-stroke treatment known as tPA.
The fragility of funding also alarms the union that represents more than 7,000 UCSD academic workers, most of them graduate students who work as researchers or teaching assistants or in other roles.
“UCSD’s decision will hurt research, hurt students and undermine the mission of the university,” said Rafael Jaime, president of UAW 4811, which represents 48,000 academic workers through the University of California system. “If UCSD wants to remain a premier destination for bright academics and researchers, it is going to have to be able to guarantee job security on terms similar to its peer institutions.”
