Doyle exits District 2 race; O’Hara, Shaffer launch campaigns

ENCINITAS — In the days leading up to the Fourth of July weekend, candidates are either launching or dropping their bids for a seat on the Encinitas City Council.

Kevin Doyle, who threw his hat in the ring for the District 2 seat shortly after stepping down from his role as chairman of the city’s Planning Commission, confirmed to The Coast News on June 28 that he is withdrawing from the race against political newcomers Jim O’Hara and Destiny Preston.

“It doesn’t need to be me. I didn’t like the three-way race,” Doyle said. “I saw it as too much of a crapshoot, and I’m just learning how much work it is to run for something.”

However, Doyle said his withdrawal from the race does not mean he will be less active in local policymaking decisions. Doyle, VP of the Leucadia Mainstreet Association, is a strong supporter of the city’s proposed 1% sales tax increase, which he thinks will be a “game-changer” for the city’s ability to address a “laundry list” of infrastructure projects.

From a housing perspective, Doyle hopes to change how the city tallies its affordable housing units to include mobile homes and accessory dwelling units, potentially lowering the city’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) obligations.

“I don’t want to see another 480-unit apartment complex,” Doyle said. “They don’t fit here. The best way for affordability is to scatter them throughout the city. I want to ferret out all those rules that make it difficult. It’s a shame I won’t be working on it from the dais. But I’ll be involved on one commission or another.”

Doyle also worries about elected officials losing track of the city’s local history. As a self-described amateur historian, Doyle notes that everything about the small coastal city has changed from 20 years ago and is grateful both Mayor Tony Kranz and Councilmember Bruce Ehlers deeply appreciate and respect the history of Encinitas.

“I get nervous when people move to our town and want to be in charge,” Doyle said. “I want people who can tell stories about what happened years ago. Otherwise, we are just a ship sailing around with no rudder.”

Luke Shaffer

Luke Shaffer, a former Marine combat veteran, officially launched his campaign for the council’s District 1 seat on June 20 at the Leucadian Bar.

Shaffer, a first-time candidate, said he aims to preserve the city’s identity by opposing irresponsible development, ensuring community safety through law enforcement and empathetic homelessness solutions, prioritizing fire prevention, focusing on smart infrastructure improvements, and opposing unnecessary tax hikes.

Shaffer, who was deployed to Iraq, where he trained local police on counterterrorism, is running as an independent candidate against incumbent Deputy Mayor Allison Blackwell. Blackwell, who was appointed to the council in 2023, also seeks her first election win in November.

Shaffer, an Encinitas native, is the head coach of the La Costa Canyon High School JV lacrosse team and lives in town with his wife and young family. If elected, he has vowed to represent “the interests of the people and preserve the unique essence of Encinitas for future generations.”

Jim O’Hara

Jim O’Hara is another first-time candidate who recently announced his bid for the District 2 seat after Councilmember Kelli Hinze decided she would not seek re-election at the end of her term.

O’Hara, the owner of Race San Diego, an event management company, is also running as a non-partisan independent candidate and hopes to create a “thriving environment” for residents and companies “without the influence of politics.”  

According to his campaign website, O’Hara believes “Encinitas politics should be bipartisan and not agenda-driven…Meshing the past and present with the input, character, and spirit of the community is the key to continuing Encinitas’s positive and dynamic success in the future.”

O’Hara, representing the U.S. at the Triathlon World Championships, will hold a kick-off party from 1 to 3 p.m. on June 30 at the Hamburger Hut. 

Destiny Preston

First-time political candidate Destiny Preston, a small business owner and environmental activist, also seeks the District 2 seat. Preston, who launched her campaign earlier this month, is endorsed by the San Diego County Democratic Party. 

Preston also serves on the board of the Leucadia 101 Main Street Association and is chair of the Economic Development Subcommittee.

According to her campaign website, her priorities are protecting sensitive environmental resources and tackling climate change, addressing traffic congestion, improving safety for bicyclists and pedestrians and supporting local businesses.

“I am committed to being responsive to the people,” Preston’s website states. “I strongly believe that by working together, we can ensure Encinitas retains its amazing character and meets the needs of all community members.”

Claire Strong contributed reporting for this story.