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Henry Foster III took an early lead Tuesday night over challengers Chida Warren-Darby and Tylisa D. Suseberry in the primary election for San Diego City Council District 4.
Foster told KPBS that District 4 voters want the election settled.
"I think they really feel that their voices haven't been heard," he said. "Especially with the vacation of this seat, there's been a lot of decisions that have been made. We just recently experienced the disaster of the floods and I think they are really looking forward to representation."
District 4 encompasses southeast neighborhoods including Encanto, Paradise Hills, Valencia Park and a dozen more.
This is a special election to fill the seat left vacant by Monica Montgomery Steppe when she was elected to the County Board of Supervisors.
The Registrar of Voters will release periodic updates as votes are counted over the following weeks. The final vote will be certified by April 4.
Why it matters
District 4, a formerly redlined area with a high concentration of low-income Black and Latino residents, is disproportionately affected by many of the issues San Diego faces. The recent floods highlighted what residents called a long history of neglect by the city, and reignited calls for accountability from elected officials.
The winner would likely be the deciding vote in the council presidency reelection of Sean Elo-Rivera.
By the numbers
Henry Foster III has the most official endorsements, more than two dozen, including many labor unions, democratic clubs and elected officials.
Chida Warren-Darby lists five official endorsements on her campaign website, including Mayor Todd Gloria, two city council members, and the district’s state senator and U.S. congressman.
Tylisa Suseberry has no official endorsements, and said she ran a grassroots campaign.
Looking ahead
Official certification of the election can take weeks due to late-arriving mail ballots.
Candidates need more than half the votes to avoid a runoff.
A runoff would cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the district would go more than half a year without representation.
The winner will serve out the remainder of Montgomery Steppe’s term, which ends in 2026.
