On Dec. 19, District County Board of Supervisor District 1 Chair Nora Vargas announced she is resigning after her first term on Jan. 6, 2025, after winning a November re-election bid over Alejandro Galicia with 62.46% of voters.
“Due to personal safety and security reasons, I will not take the oath of office for a second term,” she wrote. “It has been my honor to serve in public office during unprecedented times, including the past four years on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. Whether serving as an elected board member on the Southwestern College Governing Board for seven years or as your first Latina County Supervisor, I’ve had the privilege of leading transformative initiatives in the County of San Diego and beyond for nearly 30 years, alongside many of you.”
“I do not think that anybody expected that,” said National City Mayor Ron Morrison.
“Including her own staff or anyone else. That kind of came out of the blue. It definitely could lead to a cascading effect depending on who gets that position, and what it does both to the Board of Supervisors, and also what it does to some elected officials and their careers. As for myself, I am an individual who likes sticking to my job. I do not like stair-stepping and jumping from one job to the next, particularly in our generation of elected officials today that is the kind of the new thing. You get elected, and then two years later you are running for something else. I find that is something that causes us to make bad decisions because you do not have to deal with the consequences of our decisions. Somebody else has to deal with them. I have been in this position going on my 33rd year, so I would have not thought for it. I am perfectly happy right where I am at.”
But Chula Vista Mayor John McCann, who was sworn in as mayor in December 2022 has a different perspective.
“I am definitely considering running for County Supervisor,” he said. “The Board of County Supervisors, though will have to decide not to appoint and declare a special election first.”
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors is not set to have another meeting until Jan. 6, 2025, where they will have to begin the process of a special election or appointment to replace the District 1 seat left vacant by Vargas.
