Editor’s note: This story previously incorrectly stated that Jim Desmond had endorsed John Franklin for the District 5 seat. Desmond has not formally endorsed anyone for the seat. We sincerely regret the error.
SAN DIEGO — As the June 2 Primary Election draws closer, five candidates for the District 5 seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors are battling it out in a closely-watched race to advance to the November ballot.
The board’s District 5 seat oversees Escondido, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Camp Pendleton, and the rest of the county’s northern communities. The seat is currently held by Jim Desmond, who will be termed out and is now running in a crowded race to represent the 48th Congressional District.
San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones and Vista Mayor John Franklin, both Republicans, are running for the seat in addition to former San Diego County Democratic Party leader Kyle Krahel, public health educator Sasha Miller, and former La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians Chairwoman Norma Contreras.
The top two vote-getters in the primary will advance to the General Election. Krahel is hoping to flip the seat to blue as the leading Democrat in the race, while the two North County mayors are also fighting for a spot on the ticket to keep the seat red.
The Coast News reached out to the five candidates to speak a bit about their priorities and experience ahead of the election.
Contreras
Contreras is a Democrat and the former chairwoman of the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians. She noted that what is now known as District 5 is the ancestral homeland of the Payómkawichum, or People of the West.
She said her perspective as an Indigenous person shapes her approach to county leadership, with a focus on sustainable policy, environmental protection, inclusivity, and meeting the needs of all residents.
“I am the best candidate for this role because I bring a lived understanding of the district’s cultural heritage, environmental challenges, and the urgent need for equitable solutions. My lifelong commitment to service, advocacy for social justice, and experience working with a broad coalition of community members have prepared me to unite and represent all voices in District 5,” Contreras said.
Contreras said her priorities as a supervisor would include sustainable stewardship of local lands and natural resources, supporting affordable housing and reducing homelessness, and ensuring equitable access to healthcare, education, and public safety.
Contreras said she is also passionate about victim advocacy, preventing abuse, and mental health resources.
Franklin
Franklin is in his first term as Vista’s mayor and has served on the City Council for nearly 12 years.
He said one of the most significant issues at the county is the budget, stating that the board should not allocate more money to discretionary programs like the arts before basic needs are met.
“We have to balance our county’s budget. We obviously cannot continue to overspend by hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Another deficit budget, another raiding of the reserves, our reserves at this rate will be at zero in four years,” he said.
Franklin has also been an outspoken supporter of harsher punishments for misdemeanor crimes, reducing taxes, and addressing homelessness via mandatory mental health and addiction treatment.
He has said there needs to be a compassionate approach as well as accountability for those who are chronically homeless due to mental health issues or addiction, and said the county needs to pursue more conservatorships to get people help.
“I am sick and tired of watching 300 to 500 people per year die on the streets of our county,” he said. “Something is not right in California. Something is not right in San Diego County. Who is going to call out what is not right?”
Jones
Jones has served on the San Marcos City Council since 2007 and as mayor since 2018. She said her nearly two decades of leadership in San Marcos are an example of how to run a city well, and that the city can serve as a blueprint for a well-functioning county government.
“I’m about doing the job, not the noise. My community trusts me. They know that I’m going to deliver the results, that I’m going to focus on them,” she said.
She is focused on government efficiency, addressing homelessness, investing in affordable housing, and supporting programs that ensure residents’ basic needs are met.
Jones said the Board of Supervisors needs to refocus its priorities away from ideology and from issues that don’t improve residents’ lives. She cited the planned county charter overhaul that would extend term limits for supervisors, as well as the county’s Immigrant Legal Defense Fund, which provides free legal representation to local people in immigration detention.
“I think the priorities are all wrong right now at the county,” Jones said. “We have real problems and real needs for people who have been here their entire lives. We need to care for them, and we’re not caring for them the way that we should.”
Krahel
Born and raised in Oceanside, Krahel said he is well prepared to serve constituents, drawing on his experience as deputy chief of staff for Congressman Mike Levin and his career in commercial property management.
“I am the best candidate because I am the only one in this race who combines real private-sector experience with federal policy expertise and deep community roots,” Krahel said. “My opponents are two Republican mayors whose records reflect a different set of priorities. I offer a real alternative.”
Krahel said the top issues affecting the district are homelessness, housing affordability, and federal funding cuts to services such as Medi-Cal, CalFresh, veterans’ benefits, and housing assistance.
He advocated that the county use its land-use authority to shorten permitting times to increase the supply of needed workforce housing in unincorporated areas. For homelessness, he is advocating for the county to use its resources to add more shelter beds and mental health and addiction treatment and increase accountability in public spaces.
He said the district needs a supervisor who will focus first and foremost on serving residents and advocating to ensure their needs are met.
“This race determines whether North County families have a Supervisor who will fight for them, or one who will side with the forces making their lives harder,” Krahel said.
Miller
Miller is running as an independent. She currently works at the California Department of Public Health, was a professor of public health at Cal State San Marcos for over four years, and has also worked with tribal communities in the county through Indian Health Council, Inc.
Her top priorities as a supervisor, she said, would be to implement a housing-first policy in the county, provide free public transportation for those aged 24 and below, and adopt immigration policies grounded in dignity and respect rather than racial profiling.
“Families throughout San Diego are facing homelessness, food insecurity and living without access to medical services. And everyone is facing looming extreme weather from climate change and the affordability crisis. We need elected officials with the knowledge on how to address social and behavioral determinants of health and the guts to put people over profit,” Miller said.
As part of her campaign, Miller said she is also calling for an end to the siege of people in Palestine and supports the rights of immigrant communities affected by immigration enforcement.
“I am running independent because I believe the binary political system has taken the focus off the basic needs of our constituents and promotes capitalism and destruction of the natural world,” Miller said.
Voting information
Residents can cast their votes in person or by mail for the June 2 primary. For mail-in voting, all ballots must be submitted at one of the local drop box locations or mailed through the U.S. Postal Service by June 2.
Voters can also visit select vote centers between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. for early voting beginning May 23. All vote centers will be open beginning May 30 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On the day of the primary, all vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
For more information about voting in the Primary Election, including a list of voting center locations and ballot drop box locations, visit the San Diego County Registrar of Voters website at sdvote.com.
