Ballots go out in three weeks for the District 1 special election, reports NBC 7’s Joey Safchik.
Candidates hit the ground running before current San Diego County supervisors officially committed to the special election to fill the District 1 seat vacated by former chair Nora Vargas, who stepped down abruptly in December after winning reelection the month prior.
Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, Chula Vista Deputy Mayor Carolina Chavez, Chula Vista Mayor John McCann and San Diego City Councilmember Vivian Moreno are vying for the seat. The District 1 supervisor represents the South Bay — including National City, San Ysidro, Chula Vista and Imperial Beach.
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Mail ballots go out the week of March 10, ahead of election day on April 8. However, several South Bay voters said they did not know the election was nearing so rapidly.
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“The only election that I know is in November,” one voter in National City said.
Candidates have a truncated timeline, as they inform voters about where they stand on the issues and when the election is occurring.
"This is a time, I think, where we have a true voice for our community to really get out there and say, this is who we want as a representative, who's going to speak on behalf of us, and who's going to make decisions based on our best behalf,” said Raquel Marquez Maden, a community advocate who has worked in local government and on campaigns.
Marquez Maden grew up in District 1 and is now raising her children in the South Bay.
"We always need somebody with a strong voice and somebody who's really going to get out there and not just talk the talk, but walk the walk with us," Marquez Maden said. “District 1 representative has a big job ahead of them. They really do.”
Some of the issues the new supervisor will be addressing include the Tijuana sewage crisis, homelessness and the cost of living. The newly-elected member will be a tie-breaker, as the current makeup of the board is two Democrats and two Republicans. Vargas, who previously held the seat, is a Democrat.
If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in April, there will be a run-off between the top two vote-getters on July 1. The County Registrar of Voters anticipates the election will cost $6.6 million.
