SAN DIEGO — The San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to fill its vacant District 1 seat via a special election that will play out over the next several months.
The current four-person board made its decision on Tuesday following dozens of public comments requesting that the county move forward with a special election, rather than appointment, to fill Nora Vargas’s seat.
Vargas shocked county residents in December when she announced her resignation from the board, just weeks after being elected to a second term representing the South County district that covers Chula Vista, National City, Imperial Beach, San Ysidro, Bonita, Otay Mesa, and the Tijuana River Valley.
Interested candidates have until Jan. 28 to be nominated, and a special primary election will take place April 8. The top two vote-getters will proceed to a special general election in early July, with the winner set to serve through 2028, according to county staff.
“I think we have an obligation to ensure that the voices of the people of District 1 are heard and that the folks who live there, nearly 700,000 people, have representation on the board that reflects the majority of those voters,” said Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, who represents District 3.
Costs for the election are anticipated between $4 million and $6.6 million, and voting will take place via mail and in person at vote centers.
This will be the county’s second special election for a county supervisor in the past two years after Monica Montgomery Steppe was elected in 2023 to fill the District 2 vacancy left by Nathan Fletcher in the wake of a sexual assault scandal.
“I recognize though that this special election comes with a cost. When Fletcher resigned, the special election was $5 million, and it’s probably gonna be more this time around,” said District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond.
However, Desmond added that the price of democracy is “invaluable.” Constituents of District 1 agreed, stating that it is essential to be able to choose who will represent them.
“We cannot risk someone to be appointed who will only fight for certain people,” said resident Vanessa Raygoza. “The ones who it will affect are the ones who should be heard.”
Resident Patricia Mondragon said an appointment process would not truly represent the South Bay community.
“District 1 is the most diverse district, in both geography and population. Having four supervisors who do not live in the district decide the next supervisors goes against the very tenants of democracy,” Mondragon said.
Other residents still expressed frustration with the high cost, noting that money should go toward fixing issues in South County, such as the Tijuana River sewage crisis.
Several individuals have already put their names forward to run for the seat or indicated they would be open to it. These include Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, San Diego City Councilmember Vivian Moreno, Chula Vista City Councilmember Carolina Chavez, and Chula Vista Mayor John McCann.
The departure of Vargas has left the board split 2-2 split between Republicans and Democrats, with the supervisors unable to agree on a board chair earlier this month.
