UPDATE: 9:27 a.m., June 6, 2018
With all precincts reporting, San Marcos Mayor Jim Desmond has 45.1 percent of the vote in the race for a seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors District 5.
Democrat Michelle Gomez has 22.2 percent of the vote and Republican Jerry Kern had 20.4 percent of the vote.
If no one receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters will advance to a November general election.
UPDATE: 9:34 p.m., June 5, 2018
With 14 percent of precincts reporting, San Marcos Mayor Jim Desmond has the lead at 45.42 percent in the race for a seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors District 5.
Desmond is trailed by Democrat Michelle Gomez and Republican Jerry Kern at 21.48 percent and 20.66 percent, respectively.
Original story:
The term limit for the current District 5 Supervisor, Bill Horn, is up. Now four candidates are vying for his seat.
The two Democrats are Michelle Gomez and Jacqueline Arsivaud. The two Republicans are Jim Desmond and Jerry Kern.
Jacqueline Arsivaud is chair of the Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Town Council. Jim Desmond is the current mayor of San Marcos.
Michelle Gomez is a legislative affairs analyst. Jerry Kern is currently sitting on the Oceanside City council.
District 5 covers the entire width of North County — from Carlsbad and Oceanside on the coast, north to the Orange and Riverside county borders and through Valley Center and Borrego Springs to the Imperial Valley line.
Transportation and land use are big issues of concern for voters in District 5.
RELATED: Voters Focus On Housing And Environment In District 5 Supervisors Race
Candidates say while new developments and affordable housing may be controversial, growth is inevitable. The question is: where will new developments be built and which area will have the least environmental impact?
Republican candidates Jim Desmond and Jerry Kern both support the development of housing. For Kern, that includes selling agricultural land that’s not making money.
Democratic candidates Michelle Gomez and Jacqueline Arsivaud also want to build housing. Gomez wants to see it in the western part of the unincorporated area and Arsivaud wants to see it near already existing developments.
But, as housing developments are contemplated residents feel there needs to be a plan to accommodate more traffic.
Jim Desmond wants more HOV lanes. While Jerry Kern wants road repairs. Both Michelle Gomez and Jacqueline Arsivaud want to invest in public transit. Arsivaud also wants to spend money on road technology.
The challenge for each candidate is to have a plan that balances growth with conservation.
