Democrats Regain Majority Control of San Diego County Board of Supervisors
A special election occurred today to fill the seat previously held by Supervisor Nora Vargas (D).
The runoff occurred today in California to fill a vacancy on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. The runoff was ordered after none of the candidates achieved a 50%+1 majority during the blanket primary in April. The election is officially nonpartisan, though both candidates identified with a political party.
The special election for District 1 on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors was called following the resignation of Chair Nora Vargas, a Democrat, for personal reasons. She represented this district from January 2021 to January 2025. She was re-elected to a second term by a 62.5-37.5 margin against Republican Alejandro Galicia in November 2024. However, she decided not to be sworn into office.
District 1 includes Chula Vista, National City, Imperial Beach, San Ysidro, Otay Mesa, Barrio Logan, Logan Heights, East Village, Golden Hill, Grant Hill, Lincoln Park, Memorial, Mount Hope, Mountain View, Nestor, Sherman Heights, Southcrest, Stockton, Bonita, Sunnyside, Lincoln Acres, La Presa and parts of Spring Valley.
San Diego County Board of Supervisors (3 Democrats, 2 Republicans):
For District 1, Democrat Paloma Aguirre won with 53.9% (42,006) against Republican John McCann with 46.1% (35,938). 77,944 votes counted.
Aguirre has been Mayor of Imperial Beach since 2022. She previously was a member of the Imperial Beach City Council from 2018 to 2022.
The runoff results determined partisan control of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. With Aguirreās victory, Democrats will once again operate with the majority they have had ever since the 2020 elections.
According to 2024 estimates, San Diego County is the second most populous county in California and the fifth most populous county in the United States. Districts 4 and 5 on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will next be up for regular four-year terms in November 2026. Districts 1, 2 and 3 will next be contested in November 2028.