SAN MARCOS — A cast of candidates from both sides of the political aisle has thrown their hats in the ring for the 40th Senate District race in 2026 when incumbent Brian Jones (R-Santee) will be termed out.
Three candidates have announced campaigns — former state Assembly candidate Kristie Bruce-Lane, San Marcos City Councilmember Ed Musgrove and San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert.
Jones, a longstanding Republican in Sacramento, will be termed out of the California legislature in 2026 after six total years in the Assembly and eight years in the Senate. He currently serves as the Senate Minority Leader for the California Senate Republican Caucus.
The 40th Senate District covers the areas of San Marcos, Escondido, Valley Center, Santee, Poway, Scripps Ranch, Sorrento Valley, Ramona and Alpine, and several inland unincorporated areas.
Bruce-Lane
Bruce-Lane, a two-time Republican candidate for California’s 76th Assembly seat in both 2022 and 2024, quickly pivoted to her Senate campaign after her November loss to Democrat Darshana Patel in the Assembly race, earning around 46% of the vote.
The former Olivenhain Municipal Water District board member and founder of domestic violence nonprofit The Thumbprint Project Foundation said she brings experience in governance, resource management, addressing homelessness and supporting literacy.
“People who know me know I’m for common-sense policies,” said Bruce-Lane, who lives in Rancho Bernardo. “I believe that this can stay a Republican seat based on my candidacy … We need leaders who have a record of cutting taxes for hardworking citizens and experience in the issues, and the ability to deliver solutions for things like immigration and public safety and education for our children.”
Bruce-Lane outlined priorities for the Senate similar to her past Assembly campaigns — increasing educational opportunities, cutting taxes, protecting residents from sexually violent predators, increasing addiction and mental health treatment opportunities for homeless individuals, and safeguarding water resources.
She also serves as a board member for the San Diego Council on Literacy, and on the board of advisors for The Salvation Army San Diego Regional Office. She said her involvement in local organizations has given her the experience to address issues like homelessness, as well as the connections needed to make change.
“I have a record of working in the homelessness arena for many years. I understand the homelessness issue — I understand its complex, but I understand the solutions that are already working,” she said.
Musgrove
Musgrove announced his Senate candidacy in January, just a couple of months after being re-elected to a second San Marcos City Council term in November. The Republican said he began having conversations last year with other municipal leaders in the 40th District about who could run for the seat, and he decided to step forward.
“When we knew the Senator’s term would be coming to an end, us among the Republicans in the four cities and unincorporated areas were looking for someone who might be interested in it. I stepped forward and said, ‘I can do it. I can give that time and opportunity back to the community,’” he said.
Musgrove outlined several priorities for the state office — streamlining development opportunities, greater balance and discussion in housing mandates passed down by Sacramento, preventing the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) from being used as a tool to stop development, and making progress on water conservation projects.
Musgrove is running for Senate from a safe seat on the San Marcos City Council, which means he could be elected to state office in the middle of his council term. However, he said he is 100% committed to his council role until then.
“My focus went to my re-election, and my focus remains to serve my community for the next two years, and then if I am elected to the Senate, it will be to find a replacement for me [on the council],” Musgrove said. “I would still be a representative for San Marcos, just on the state level.”
Prior to his time on the council, Musgrove spent 28 years in the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
Von Wilpert
Von Wilpert, the only Democrat currently in the race, has served as the San Diego City Council District 5 representative since 2020. She was elected to a second term in the 2024 primary and filed paperwork to run for the Senate seat soon afterward.
Von Wilpert has been an outspoken advocate for gun control, combating the opioid crisis, increasing funding for first responders, and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community.
She was unavailable for an interview with The Coast News by deadline, but did send the following statement:
“I’ve protected taxpayers, kept us safe and always rejected extremism. My legislation to crack down on illegal ghost guns was a model for the state and I know we can do so much more to protect our communities. It’s early on, but I’m planning to run this campaign the old-fashioned way — meeting people in their neighborhoods, regardless of party, to listen and learn so I can fight for all our families as effectively as possible,” Von Wilpert said.
According to campaign filing data, Von Wilpert had raised around $120,000 for her senate bid as of July 2024. The next finance filing deadline is Jan. 31.
There is still time for more candidates to step forward, with candidacy filing deadlines for state races not taking effect until early 2026.
Escondido City Councilmember Joe Garcia also launched a recipient committee for a Senate run last year but terminated it in December, according to campaign documents filed with the state.
Supervisor candidates
In another competitive 2026 race, two North County mayors have also announced plans to run for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors District 5 seat currently held by Jim Desmond, who will be termed out next year.
San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones and Vista Mayor John Franklin are vying for seats representing Escondido, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Camp Pendleton and the rest of the county’s northern communities.
Franklin has reported around $459,000 in contributions to his supervisor campaign as of July 2024, with contributions beginning back in 2023, according to county campaign finance data. Jones has reported around $119,000 in contributions as of July 2024, with contributions to her campaign beginning earlier that year. Desmond, for his part, has set his sights on the 49th Congressional District in 2026.
