Recently ousted Chula Vista City Councilmember Andrea Cardenas is unlikely to win her former seat again after the latest vote tally, after a strong initial showing.
Barring a flurry of late votes in her favor, her reelection chances for Chula Vista City Council’s District 4 seat are next to zero, according to the most recent vote data released Friday.
At one point, Cardenas was within a few percentage points of the election’s leader — Cesar Fernandez, a teacher and school trustee — on election night. She has since slipped to fifth, behind Fernandez, businessman Rudy Ramirez, business owner Delfina Gonzalez, educator, engineer and executive Christine Brady.
Rounding out the race are Jose Sarmiento, bank manager, with 5.4%, and write-in candidate Leticia Lares.
Unless something major changes with the remaining ballots, Fernandez and Ramirez will face off in the November election.
The District 4 seat is unoccupied after Cardenas resigned last month and the remaining council members declared it officially vacant on Feb. 26.
Cardenas — who along with her brother Jesus pleaded guilty to two felony counts of grand theft for fraudulently obtaining a COVID-relief loan for their political consulting business and using the money for personal expenses, and for unlawfully obtaining state unemployment benefits — remained on the ballot, but was not actively campaigning.
Chula Vista City Council District 3, covering the southeastern quadrant of the city, is represented by Alonso Gonzalez, who is termed out.
City commissioner Michael Inzunza holds a commanding lead for District 3, pulling in 49.6% of the vote. Leticia Munguia, nonprofit director, and Daniel Rice-Vazquez, businessman, were competing for second place with 17.5% and 16% of the vote, respectively.
The city attorney race is a runoff to fill the remainder of a term ending in December 2026, after Simon Silva won the 2022 election despite dying before Election Day, and officials were unable to remove his name from the ballot.
Marco Verdugo, deputy city attorney, holds a 58.5%-41.5% lead over Bart Miesfield, retired municipal attorney.
The next vote total update is expected after 5 p.m. Wednesday.
City News Service contributed to this report.
