UPDATE: 8:03 a.m., March 4, 2020:
Democratic state Sen. Ben Hueso led the field of candidates hoping to replace him and is bound for a November runoff.
San Diego Port Commissioner Rafael Castellanos finished second in the race, but only about 100 votes ahead of healthcare advocate and union representative Nora Vargas. The narrow margin of victory means still-to-be-counted ballots could potentially tip the scales for Vargas.
All are Democrats running to replace Republican Greg Cox, who is termed out. This ensures that county District 1 will turn blue, regardless of who wins in the November general election.
Original story:
At least one of the three seats on the longtime conservative San Diego County Board of Supervisors that are up for grabs this election year is sure to turn blue. Three Democratic candidates are leading the race to take over for County Supervisor Greg Cox, a Republican, after term limits force him to step down at the end of this year.
State Sen. Ben Hueso, San Diego Port Commissioner Rafael Castellanos and Southwestern Community College Board Member Nora Vargas are competing to represent supervisorial district 1 in the South Bay.
Castellanos, an attorney, told KPBS his priority is addressing ongoing cross-border pollution while former Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest executive Vargas said in an interview she plans to tackle the poor health care access in the district. Hueso canceled an interview with KPBS but told the San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial board he would address quality of life issues if elected.
RELATED: Supervisorial Candidates Want To Tackle Pollution, Improve Health Care Access For South Bay
A fourth Democrat, county employee Sophia Rodriguez, and Republican Alex Galicia, a veteran and small business owner endorsed by the local political party, are also running but have raised far less money compared to the hundreds of thousands in contributions going toward the three leaders.
The primary election results will whittle the field down to the top two-vote getters who will compete for the seat in the November general election. The district includes the cities of Chula Vista, National City, Imperial Beach, Coronado, the city of San Diego neighborhoods of San Ysidro and Barrio Logan and unincorporated communities.
Among the three other candidates on the ballot, one reported raising less than $100, another didn't file any campaign contribution documents, while a third who filed documents showing he raised just over $2,000 leads a local group "formed to battle the radical LGBT agenda." Other chapters of the organization have been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
