There’s plenty of drama around the Nov. 5 general election, with California native Kamala Harris facing Donald Trump in his third presidential race, and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria finding unexpectedly stiff opposition from political newcomer Larry Turner.
In San Diego County, there are two Congressional races to watch, and four closely contested state Assembly seats, as well as a high-profile supervisor position.
Ballots will arrive in local mailboxes the week of Oct. 7, and the first vote centers open Oct. 26, so there are plenty of opportunities to cast your vote.
Here is Times of San Diego’s guide to the candidates, issues and ballot measures in the election.
President
Harris’ sudden emergence as the Democratic candidate for president in July has shaken up the race, with former President Trump losing his lead in polls. Californians know a lot about Harris, who is 59, because of her years as a prosecutor in Oakland and San Francisco, then as attorney general and senator, culminating in her election as Vice President in 2020. Though often considered a progressive, she has positioned herself in recent speeches and advertising as a pragmatic centrist.
Trump is probably the best known American politician of the last decade. His career before politics spanned real estate development, casino operations and reality TV. In his signature rallies across the country he calls for deporting millions of migrants, slapping costly tariffs on most foreign products, and negotiating a “good deal” to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Trump criticized Joe Biden’s age, but at 78 he is now the oldest person to run for President.
Senate
Adam Schiff, a 12-term Democratic Congressman from Burbank, is seeking the Senate seat held by the late Dianne Feinstein. Schiff, a lawyer and former federal prosecutor, won notoriety as as the lead manager in the first impeachment trial of Trump. He faces Republican Steve Garvey, a former Dodgers and Padres star who is seeking his first public office. Garvey is a two-time supporter of Trump, but has not asked for an endorsement. Note that you have to vote for your candidate twice – both to fill two months of Feinstein’s unfinished term, and then for the full six years beginning in January.
Congress
All of the five incumbent members of Congress polled 55% or more in the primary, so none of these races could be considered close. But the 49th District in north coastal San Diego and south Orange Counties is frequently cited in national media as a possible Republican pickup. In that district, three-term Congressman Mike Levin, a former environmental lawyer, faces Matt Gunderson, an Orange County auto dealer, for the second time in two general elections.
In the 51st District in central San Diego County, two-term Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, who is a rising star in the Democratic party, is opposed by Bill Wells, the popular Republican mayor of El Cajon. Jacobs won the primary with 57% of the vote, but Wells has leveraged the national immigration issue, citing “crimes and tragic incidents” and “non-citizen voting,” to build local support.
Incumbents Darrell Issa in the 48th District, Scott Peters in the 50th District and Juan Vargas in the 52nd District do not have serious opposition.
State Senate
Democratic Assemblymember Akilah Weber is taking her next step in state politics by running for the coastal state Senate seat being vacated by Toni Atkins. Weber, who is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist, entered local politics in 2018 when she was elected to the La Mesa City Council. She is the daughter of Secretrary of State Shirley Weber. The Republican opposition in the race is Bob Divine, a retired Navy commander. In the primary, Weber received 61% of the vote to Divine’s 39%.
State Assembly
Races for four of the seven state Assembly seats in San Diego County will be close in November.
In the 74th District, which stretches from Oceanside and Vista to Laguna Niguel, incumbent Laurie Davies, a Republican, beat Democrat Chris Duncan by just one percentage point in the March primary. Davies operates an events planning business and served as mayor of Laguna Nigel, while Duncan is a former federal prosecutor and mayor of San Clemente.
Conservative firebrand Carl DeMaio is running against a moderate Republican challenger, Andrew Hayes, in the sprawling 75th District in East County. Hayes, the president of the Lakeside Union School District Board of Trustees, is endorsed by both the state and county Republican Party organizations. In the March primary, DeMaio received 42.9% of the vote to 18.7% for Hayes in a crowded field.
In the 76th District in inland North County, Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane and Democrat Darshana Patel are vying to succeed Brian Maienschein, who is termed out. It’s Bruce-Lane’s second attempt to win the seat. The businesswoman and Olivenhain water board member lost with 48.4% of the vote in 2022. In the March Primary, she received 49.6%, compared to 34.2% for Patel and 16.4% for another Democrat, Joseph Rocha. Patel, a research scientist and president of the Poway Unified School District board, is seeking her second public office.
A close race between two Democrats is expected in the 79th District, which stretches from southeast San Diego through Lemon Grove, Spring Valley and La Mesa to El Cajon. Colin Parent, a La Mesa City Council member and head of Circulate San Diego, faces Lashae Sharp-Collins, a community engagement specialist for the San Diego County Office of Education. The high-profile endorsements in this race are Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who once represented the district, for Sharp-Collins and Rep. Scott Peters for Parent.
In the 77th District and 80th District, incumbents Tasha Boerner and David Alvarez do not face serious challenges. In the 78th District, incumbent Chris Ward is unopposed.
San Diego Unified School District
Incumbent Sabrina Bazzo in District A faces conservative opposition from Crystal Trull. Bazzo is a healthcare educator who is endorsed by the county Democratic Party and elected leaders. Trull, a veteran educator, is backed by Amy Reichert, who rose to prominence as a founder of ReOpen San Diego during the pandemic.
Incumbents Richard Barrera in District D and Sharon Whitehurst-Payne in District E are unopposed.
Board of Supervisors
Supervisor Nora Vargas, who is currently chair of the Board of Supervisors, has widespread support from California Democrat Party lawmakers and the San Diego business community. She does not face serious opposition from Alejandro Galicia, a Navy veteran and plumbing contractor, for the District 1 seat in the South Bay.
In sprawling District 2, which covers most of East County, popular former state senator and incumbent Supervisor Joel Anderson, a moderate Republican, faces political newcomer Gina Jacobs, a Democrat. Anderson has widespread endorsements from unions and business associations.
After being termed out as Mayor of San Diego, and placing third in the 2021 gubernatorial recall election, Republican Kevin Faulconer is seeking a political comeback in the race for supervisor in coastal District 3. The district has switched back and forth between Republicans and Democrats and is now held by Terra Lawson-Remer, a Democrat who describes her background as economist, attorney, grassroots organizer and university educator.
Faulconer’s endorsements include the Greater San Diego Association of Realtors and the San Diego Police Officers Association, while Lawson-Remer is backed by the San Diego County Democratic Party, Planned Parenthood and numerous labor organizations.
San Diego Mayor
Mayor Todd Gloria, one of the most well-known politicians in San Diego and statewide, faces an unexpected challenge to his bid for re-election to a second four-year-term. Larry Turner, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel who is a San Diego police community relations officer, has emerged as a strong contender in his first bid for elected office.
Turner has attacked Gloria over homelessness and crime, and tapped longtime residents’ frustration over new housing development. “Mayor Gloria’s push to add housing density in already over-saturated communities knows no bounds and completely ignores community feedback,” according to Turner’s campaign website.
Gloria, who also has served on the City Council, state Assembly, stresses his experience in multiple levels of government and argues that the only way to solve the twin crises of unaffordable housing and homelessness is to build more homes. He is endorsed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and most of the California Democratic party organization, as well as the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council.
San Diego City Attorney
With Mara Elliott termed out, her chief deputy, Heather Ferbert, is seeking to succeed her, facing former City Council member and longtime Assembly member Brian Maienschein, who was an attorney before entering politics. Ferbert has been an attorney on the city’s staff for the past decade, and was in private practice before. She is endorsed by Elliott and the deputy city attorney’s association, while Maienschein is backed by Mayor Todd Gloria, much of the Democratic party establishment, and the Regional Chamber of Commerce. In March, Ferbert received 53% of the vote to Maienschein’s 47%.
San Diego City Council
There are runoff races in two council districts. In District 3, which stretches from downtown north to Mission Valley, incumbent Stephen Whitburn faces Coleen Cusack. Whitburn, a longtime nonprofit executive at the Red Cross and American Cancer Society, also serves as chair of the Metropolitan Transit System. His opponent is a teacher and former trial attorney who promises “a unique and refreshing perspective.” In the March primary, Whitburn received 52% of the vote to Cusack’s 21% in a crowded field.
The council’s incumbent president, Sean Elo-Rivera, also faces a re-election challenge in retired Marine sergeant major and San Diego police officer Terry Hoskins. Elo-Rivera, a lawyer and community activist before entering politics, has sought tenant protections while advocating for more construction of affordable housing. His endorsements include much of the San Diego County Democratic power structure, major unions and the Regional Chamber of Commerce. Hoskins has called Elo-Rivera “autocratic” and advocates neighborhood control over development to encourage “smart growth.” In March Elo-Rivera received 52% of the vote to Hoskins’ 30%.
Chula Vista City Council
There are runoff elections for two City Council districts in the county’s second largest city. In District 3, Michael Inzunza faces Leticia Munguia. Inzunza, a classroom teacher who becamse an administrator, comes from a family that has long been involved in Chula Vista politics. Munguia is a community organizer who also worked as an investigator in the San Diego Alternate Public Defender’s office. Inzunza received 49.5% of the vote in the primary, while Munguia claimed 17.6% in a crowded field.
In District 4, high school teacher Cesar Fernandez faces former city council member and business owner Rudy Ramirez. This is the district that was represented by Andrea Cardenas, who had to resign over COVID-19 PPP loan fraud. Questions about a marijuana sales conviction as a youth have dogged Fernandez. He received 23.5% of the vote in the primary, compared to 19.9% for Ramirez in a field that included Cardenas.
State Propositions and Local Ballot Measures
There are a total of 10 statewide propositions. The first five were placed on the ballot by the state Legislature; the second five via voter petitions.
Proposition 2 – School Construction
Voting “yes” on this measure would allow the state to issue $10 billion in general obligation bonds for repairs and new construction of K-12 public schools and community colleges. Proponents say California needs to invest in school facilities, while opponents warn of higher taxes.
Proposition 3 – Fundamental Right to Marriage
This measure would amend the California Constitution to remove old language stating marriage is only between a man and a woman. It is backed by the ACLU and Planned Parenthood amid concerns the conservative U.S. Supreme Court could reverse its legalization of same-sex marriage. Opponents say Prop. 3 will lead to child brides, incest and polygamy.
Proposition 4 – Protecting Natural Resources
Like Prop. 2, this measure allows the state is issue another $10 billion in bonds, but for water supply, wildfire prevention, climate resilience and clean energy. Proponents, including the Cal Fire firefighters union, say the measure will fund “common sense investments to protect our communities.” Opponents, including Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, say it is “too much debt, too little benefit.”
Proposition 5 – Local Bonds for Housing
This measure lowers the election threshold for approving local bond issues from the current two-thirds to 55% for specific affordable housing and public infrastructure projects. Local governments would also be allowed to repay the bonds by raising property taxes above 1%. The measure is supported by the League of Women Voters and the Habitat for Humanity, but opposed by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.
Proposition 6 – Prison Work Requirement
California currently can require prisoners to work in jobs like cooking, cleaning and other tasks needed to run jails. Voting “yes” on this proposition would allow prisoners to refuse without facing disciplinary action. Prisoners could still volunteer to work. Proponents say this will end “all forms of slavery” in the state’s prisons.
Proposition 32 – Higher Minimum Wage
California’s minimum wage is currently $16 per hour. This proposition would immediately increase that to $17 and then $18 next year. Thereafter, the minimum wage would be adjusted annually by the rate of inflation. Business associations have panned the measure, warning it will raises prices for consumers and cost thousands of jobs. The author of Prop. 32 is Joe Sandberg, a Southern California investor and anti-poverty advocate.
Proposition 33 – Local Rent Control
This measure would give cities and counties more power to impose rent control by repealing the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995. Proponents say the measure will make housing more affordable, while opponents – and the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst office – say it would encourage landlords to take rental units off the market and reduce local government property tax revenues by “at least tens of millions of dollars each year.” The measure is championed by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which has opposed development of new housing in Los Angeles.
Proposition 34 — Large Health Care Providers
This has been labeled a “revenge initiative.” It requires large health care providers that also offer housing for patients to spend 98% if their federal discount drug revenue on patient care. Only one provider meets this definition, and the intent is to force the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (see Prop. 33 above) to stop funding ballot measures to control rent and restrict new housing development. Proponents say the foundation should not be using taxpayer funds this way. Opponents say the proposition is a bad use of the initiative process
Proposition 35 – Medi-Cal Funding
With an existing tax on health care plans set to expire in 2026, this measure makes the tax permanent. Revenue is used to provide health care to low-income families with children, seniors and other Medi-Cal recipients. It has wide support in the health care sector, and no opposition was listed in the official state voter guide.
Proposition 36 – Penalties for Drug and Theft Crimes
A decade ago, amid record crowding of California’s prisons, voters changed some theft and drug crimes from felonies to misdemeanors with Proposition 47. Following reports during COVID of a rise in drug crimes and smash-and-grab incidents, the pendulum is swinging back with Proposition 36.
This measure would restore felony designations for many crimes, and increase sentences. San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan is a proponent. Former San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne argues that Prop. 36 is too extreme. The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst says prison costs could rise by hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
County Measure G – Half-Cent Sales Tax for Infrastructure
This measure would increase the countywide sales tax by half a cent to raise $350 million annually for infrastructure. Eligible projects include roads, bridges, storm drains, rail lines and safety improvements. It’s backed by construction unions but opposed by taxpayer advocates, including former City Councilmember Carl DeMaio.
San Diego Measure D – Strengthening the Ethics Commission
City Attorney Mara Elliott proposed this measure to strengthen the city’s Ethics Commission. Key changes include hiring an independent executive director with power to initiate investigations of city operations. The goal is to make the commission a “watchdog for violations of ethics, lobbying and campaign finance laws.”
San Diego Measure E – One-Cent Sales Tax for Infrastructure
This is the most significant local ballot measure. It would impose an additional one-cent sales tax to raise $400 million annually for infrastructure – streets, sidewalks, storm sewers, parks, and more. It was proposed by Mayor Todd Gloria, and placed on the ballot by the City Council. There is significant opposition, including from the San Diego County Taxpayers Association, which warns the tax could be used for anything, not just infrastructure, and continue in perpetuity.
Update at 9 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024
