This year’s presidential primary takes place March 5. North County voters are facing decisions about presidential candidates, a state measure regarding funding for homelessness and addiction treatment, and several candidates for congressional and state Assembly and Senate seats.
In most races, the primary will allow voters to narrow down the candidates in various races to determine the top two vote-getters that will face off in the November election. However, in the case of Proposition 1, its fate will be decided in next week’s election.
In the city of San Diego, the primary will also decide a city measure and several special elections.
Residents who have already received their ballots can vote by mail or by submitting their ballot at a drop box location. Individuals can also vote in person on March 5 at one of several vote centers throughout the county. More information about the primary is available at sdvote.com.
Here is more information about the candidates for races in North County San Diego, and Proposition 1.
48th Congressional District: Rep. Darrel Issa (R-Vista) is running for re-election against a slew of Democratic candidates to represent the 48th district, representing inland North County and East County as well as part of Riverside County.
Challengers in the primary include Democrat Stephen Houlahan, a registered nurse; Democrat Matthew Rascon, a community volunteer; Democrat and reproductive healthcare advocate Whitney Shanahan; and Democrat Mike Simon, an energy technology entrepreneur. Independent candidate Lucinda KWH Jahn, an entertainment technician, is also running.
Houlahan, Rascon and Jahn also ran against Issa in the 2022 election. Only Houlahan advanced from the 2022 primary to the general election, earning just under 40% of the vote compared to Issa’s 60%.
49th Congressional District: Rep. Mike Levin (D-San Juan Capistrano) is running for re-election against four Republican challengers — car dealership owner Matt Gunderson, former auto industry executive Sheryl Adams, Marine veteran Kate Monroe, and marketing executive Margarita Wilkinson.
Gunderson also ran for the 38th State Senate District seat in 2022 against Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas).
One of the most competitive Congressional seats, the district covers coastal North San Diego County and South Orange County, from Del Mar to Laguna Niguel.
74th Assembly District: Incumbent Assemblymember Laurie Davies (R-Laguna Niguel) is running for re-election against Democratic challenger and San Clemente Mayor Chris Duncan. Since there are just two candidates in the race, Duncan will likely advance to face off against Davies in November.
The two also battled it out in 2022, with Davies earning over 52% of the vote compared to Duncan’s 47%.
The 74th District covers Oceanside, Vista, Camp Pendleton, small parts of Bonsall and Fallbrook, and southern Orange County.
75th Assembly District: The primary will narrow down the six candidates that are vying for the 75th District seat, representing inland San Diego County including parts of Fallbrook, Bonsall, Valley Center, Ramona and Poway.
Republican candidates include Carl DeMaio, a former San Diego City Councilmember and the chairman of Reform California; biotech entrepreneur Jack Fernandes; and Lakeside Union School District board president Andrew Hayes.
Democratic candidates for the 75th district are retired government employee Joy Frew, teacher Christie Dougherty, and small business owner Kevin Juza.
Incumbent Assemblymember Marie Waldron (R-Escondido) is not seeking re-election due to term limits.
76th Assembly: The three candidates in the competitive 76th Assembly race are Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane and Democrats Darshana Patel and Joseph Rocha.
This is Bruce-Lane’s second time running to represent the 76th District, after a close race against Democratic incumbent Brian Maienschein (D-San Diego) in 2022. She is the former board director for the Olivenhain Municipal Water District and the founder of child homelessness and domestic violence nonprofit The Thumbprint Project Foundation.
Rocha, a veteran of the Navy and Marines, also ran a state Senate bid for the 40th District in 2022 but lost to Republican state Sen. Brian Jones. Patel is a research scientist currently serving as a Poway Unified School District board member and San Diego County School Boards Association president.
Maienschein has termed out of his state seat, but is a candidate for San Diego City Attorney in the primary.
77th Assembly District: Incumbent Assemblymember Tasha Boerner (D-Encinitas) is running for her fourth term against Democrat Henny Kupferstein, an autism researcher, and Republican entrepreneur James Browne.
The 77th district encompasses Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla and Coronado.
39th Senate: Candidates for the 39th Senate District Seat include Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa), who currently represents the 79th State Assembly District, and Republican Bob Divine, a retired Navy Commander.
Incumbent Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) is not running for re-election and is instead looking ahead to a recently-announced run for California Governor in 2026.
The 39th Senate District represents most of the city of San Diego as well as Coronado, Del Mar, Solana Beach and parts of Rancho Santa Fe.
Proposition 1: The only statewide measure on the March 5 ballot, Prop 1 proposes changing how funding for state mental health treatment is allocated and borrowing over $6 billion in bond funds for new housing units and mental health and addiction treatment beds.
The controversial measure encompasses two pieces of legislation signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year. The final decision will be left to voters due to the high amount of proposed bond funds.
If passed, the state would have more control over how counties spend their current mental health tax funds from Prop 63, requiring a greater focus on individuals with serious mental health and substance use issues.
The $6.3 billion in borrowed funds would be used to add 6,800 mental health and addiction treatment beds and build around 4,300 housing units, with half reserved for veterans.
Proponents of Prop 1 include Newsom, the National Alliance on Mental Illness California, and locally, a majority of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, who say it will bring needed change to the current mental health system and effectively address the homelessness crisis.
Opponents of the measure, including the ACLU of California and various disability and mental health rights organizations, say it is too expensive and would cut essential funding for mental health and housing initiatives.
