This game of political dominoes will be costly, more so for some than others.
When Nora Vargas blindsided her constituency in December by telling the people who had just re-elected her to office thanks but no thanks, she set into motion a chain of events that, not surprisingly, will cost voters precious time and money.
(To be fair—if the reason for her stepping away from public office was because of the “personal safety and security reasons” she cited, then the person or people responsible for those threats are, arguably, the cause of the coming public expenditures.)
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors this week voted to host a special election to fill the District 1 seat left vacant by Vargas.
In March voters residing in 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 and unincorporated areas in South County, including Bonita, Sunnyside, Lincoln Acres, East Otay Mesa, La Presa and parts of Spring Valley will receive ballots and be asked to vote for a new County Supervisor by April 8.
The county’s special election will cost between $2 million and $6 million.
The last time county Board of Supervisors held a special election it cost around $5 million. That was in 2023, so in the span of two years unexpected elections may cost $10 million or more
Would-be replacements, including Chula Vista Mayor John McCann, publicly declared their desire to run for the open seat.
Supposing McCann were to win the county’s District 1 headache would be alleviated but the pain would continue for Chula Vista residents given they would be left without a mayor.
Likewise if Chula Vista Councilwoman Carolina Chavez, who also said she would like to be District 1 supervisor, won the election: voters in her district would lose their representative.
Chula Vista has recently had it’s own political upheaval with the laborious replacement process of ex council members Steve Padilla and then Andrea Cardenas. Will voters be in the mood to go through it again for the sake of filling a county seat?
