Last day of voting begins in San Diego County Board of Supervisors District 1 election

FILE Voters fill out their ballots Photo by Larry Valenzuela CalMatters CatchLight Local A total of vote centers are open in San Diego s First Supervisorial District for the final day of voting to replace former San Diego County Supervisor Nora Vargas Seven people including four elected officers are vying to replace Vargas in Tuesday s primary The candidates are Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre Chula Vista Deputy Mayor Carolina Chavez potential consultant Elizabeth Efird business owner and former Imperial County Supervisor Louis Fuentes Chula Vista Mayor John McCann San Diego City Councilwoman Vivian Moreno and marketing firm associate Lincoln Pickard Vargas revealed in late December that she would not serve her second term despite winning reelection in November Due to personal safety and safety reasons I will not take the oath of office for a second term she mentioned in a message at the time It was unclear what the personal safety and protection reasons were but board meetings have become increasingly rowdy in up-to-date years and Vargas was away from the board several times for unspecified reasons and had dealt with robustness issues resulting from nodules on her vocal cords The technically non-partisan Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Jan to hold a special electoral contest to fill the seat If no candidate receives a majority on Tuesday a runoff would take place July With a population of residents District contains three cities Chula Vista Imperial Beach and National City It also holds neighborhoods within the city of San Diego including East Village Mountain View and San Ysidro and six unincorporated communities including Bonita East Otay Mesa and portion of Spring Valley Any voter who is in line at a vote center or an official ballot drop box at p m will be allowed to vote However no one can join the line after the p m deadline You can look up where you are registered to vote at www sdvote com content rov en elec-rep-info-lookup html The county reminds voters and nonvoters alike that campaigning or electioneering within feet of a vote center or official ballot drop box is not allowed This includes the visible display or audible dissemination of information that advocates for or against any candidate on the ballot Additionally an individual may not circulate any petitions including those for initiatives referenda recall or candidate nominations Aguirre recounted City News Operation she is running to bring change to county leadership to fight on the side of working people and start getting results we all need fixing the sewage situation lowering resource rates and fighting crime in every society Born in San Francisco Aguirre has called Southern California home since Imperial Beach mayor since December she has been outspoken on the U S -Mexico perimeter sewage toxicity issue which has closed beaches and caused serious fitness issues for several residents Aguirre explained she ll get the county off the sidelines by funding infrastructure demanding Superfund designation from the Environmental Protection Agency and treating this as the residents soundness urgency it is Aguirre announced that if elected she ll push for a full audit of county homelessness spending prioritize real therapy and shelter options and stop the cycle of failed programs that leave people languishing on the streets Chavez who describes herself as a lifelong resident of the Cali- Baja region has served on the Chula Vista City Council since December She reported she will champion job creation patronage small businesses and expand workforce expansion according to her campaign website Chavez added that if elected she will ensure that law enforcement has the materials they need to keep our neighborhoods safe while fostering partnerships that prioritize safety and trust The candidate stated leaders need to address homelessness with both compassion and urgency by expanding access to mental fitness care substance abuse remedy crisis shelter and wraparound services while working with our cities and nonprofits to create housing options and job opportunities Chavez s platform also focuses on the urgent masses medical dilemma of transboundary garbage in the Tijuana River Valley by advocating for targeted funding and sustainable solutions that directly protect our circumstances and populace wellbeing Efird didn t have an available campaign website According to a modern KPBS assessment she supports implementing stronger protections for renters and focusing more funding on population wellbeing measures to patronage neighborhoods affected by the crossborder sewage situation and supports the county s stronger sanctuary policies for illegal immigrants Fuentes president of Air Conditioning Guys grew up in Calexico and has lived in Chula Vista since He previously served as a Calexico City Council member and mayor and on the Imperial County Board of Supervisors Fuentes states on his campaign website that he will fight to ensure that South Bay territory line communities get funding they deserve for constituents safety road repairs small business growth and affordable housing Fuentes explained City News Operation that his top issues are economic increase district medical population safety and schooling and arts Stable employment and youth job opportunities create a better quality of life Fuentes revealed When dealing with the homeless problem Fuentes declared he would focus on helping organizations that are doing good work so they can demonstrate specific success stories Regarding the trans-border toxicity obstacle Fuentes revealed there can be a diplomatic fix to the issue rather than having it become a political or legal battle McCann a Navy veteran and Chula Vista native first elected as that city s mayor in noted on his website that Chula Vista s wildfire response has demonstrated his ability to protect residents in times of emergency McCann s platform includes increased funding for law enforcement and fighting to lower the cost of living by cutting leadership waste opposing unnecessary tax hikes and blocking burdensome policies like the mileage tax and San Diego Association of Governments tax McCann commented that if elected he will fight to expand wellbeing care access job training programs and essential services for veterans ensuring they receive the advocacy they have earned In response to the edge sewage dilemma McCann commented he has been actively working with local state and federal officers to secure funding for infrastructure improvements hold responsible parties accountable and push for long-term solutions to stop the flow of toxic waste into our waters On her campaign website Moreno a San Diego native and City Council member since states that she has dedicated her career to improving the region s majority of underserved communities through experience volunteer work and general amenity Our county governing body is broken so I m running to fix it Together we can build a county cabinet that works for us Together we can continue to build a better South Bay Moreno announced in a campaign video Failed leadership has left our region unaffordable unsafe and polluted where essential services remain inaccessible to families who work hard and strive for a better life Her campaign website touts her City Council accomplishments including paving dirt roads establishing the Atmosphere Equity Fund using existing city and council facilities for shelters opening Benson Place an -unit supportive housing complex and distributing urgency rental assistance to families during the coronavirus pandemic A longtime county resident Pickard is an associate at Mannatech a dietary supplements and personal care company He has run for seats in the state Legislature and on the San Diego City Council Pickard s campaign platform includes stopping the mileage tax eliminating the toll on state Path supporting offshore drilling to lower gasoline prices and requiring voter identification While we love legal immigration we need to control who enters our country the same way we screen people entering our private clubs our homes and our companies Pickard s website states We need to stop the drugs that are killing and destroying so multiple of our young people Pickard also advocates for the Trump administration to assist in resolving the confines sewage predicament ending the Federal Reserve lowering taxes and reasonable regulations which will increase profits for businesses and help create more jobs for our people