Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre claimed victory over Chula Vista Mayor John McCann on Tuesday evening in the special election to fill the District 1 seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.
Aguirre led McCann 53.22% to 46.78%, or 37,324 to 32,805, according to final unofficial election night results released by the San Diego County Registrar of Voters. A projected 9,500 ballots still need to be counted.
The next updated figures will be released by 6 p.m. Wednesday.
In a statement released Tuesday night, Aguirre said District 1 residents “now have a fighter at the county Board of Supervisors who will hold the line against the Trump administration.”
“Voters spoke loud and clear: clean up the sewage crisis, lower costs, and stand up to the chaos, cuts, and intimidation coming out of Trump’s Washington,” she said.
“I’ve spent my life, from organizing in forgotten neighborhoods to standing up as a small-town mayor, fighting for working people and to fix the sewage crisis, and I’m not going to the county to back down — I’m going to double down and deliver.”
Aguirre added that “whether you voted for me or not, I’m ready to work my heart out to bring down costs, protect our health, and deliver results – – no matter your income, political party or ZIP code.
She also thanked McCann “for a hard-fought campaign,” along with “everyone who donated, knocked (on) doors and believed in this campaign.”
Aguirre said she looked forward to working with McCann and all South County leaders. She is expected to take office by late July.
Crystal Irving, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 221 — which endorsed Aguirre — said her win “means marginalized communities finally have a voice at the table, which is a turning point for District 1.”
“This is people-powered change,” Irving said in a statement. “The win is the result of a coalition of union members, environmental advocates and residents supporting a campaign based on our shared values.”
McCann said in a text message to City News Service, Tuesday night was “the first of many returns.”
“We feel like we are in a competitive position,” McCann said. “My campaign was always about making life more affordable, reducing homelessness and fighting taxes. I’m proud we pushed hard on all those fronts and I will continue to deliver on each of those issues.”
District 1 consists of three cities — Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, and National City — plus fifteen neighborhoods in San Diego, including East Village, Mountain View, and San Ysidro, and six unincorporated communities, including Bonita, East Otay Mesa, and a portion of Spring Valley.
Aguirre is a Democrat and McCann is a Republican. The Board of Supervisors is technically a nonpartisan governing body, like all local government boards in California. The current makeup of the board is split between two Democrats — Terra Lawson-Remer and Monica Montgomery Steppe — and two Republicans, Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond.
Former San Diego County District 1 Supervisor Nora Vargas announced in late December that she would not serve her second term — despite winning re-election in November.
“Due to personal safety and security reasons, I will not take the oath of office for a second term,” she said in a statement at the time.
McCann topped the field of seven candidates in the April 8 primary, drawing 43.58% of the vote. Aguirre earned the other spot in the runoff by finishing second with 31.62%.
Tuesday’s winner will fill the vacant seat for the remainder of the current term that ends in January 2029.
The Registrar’s office can confirm when an individual ballot was received at sdvote.com.
Updated 7:25 a.m. Wednesday, July 2, 2025. City News Service contributed to this article.
