Chula Vista City Council races explainer

Closer look

Michael Inzunza was born and raised in Chula Vista and currently works as a legislative advocate for the California School Boards Association. He also serves on the City’s Charter Review Commission.

Inzunza said his work as a city commissioner focused on creating greater accountability for city officials.

“I will always be accessible to any resident that wants to communicate and I will always support transparency initiatives to have an open government policy,” he said in a statement.

Inzunza wants to build more housing, both affordable and market-rate. He says it’s important to have both options to sustain Chula Vista’s growing middle class.

He also said he supported the city providing homelessness services, but said authorities should not allow anyone to sleep in front of “homes, businesses, parks and schools.”

“I support sleeping lots in designated safe zones that can keep our city safe and also be accessible to county social service providers to offer medical needs and transition into temporary housing,” he said.

Inzunza hopes to focus on adding more union-represented jobs and opportunities for local businesses in Chula Vista, particularly through the new University and Innovation District.

He strongly supports the use of drones and other surveillance technology in order to help Chula Vista police and other first responders react more quickly.

“While I will always believe in public oversight of law enforcement, I will also always support the necessary tools to keep our families safe,” he said.

Closer look

Munguia is currently a human resources manager at Sweetwater Authority, the local water agency, and has spent decades working as a consultant on employee and labor relations for organizations like the California School Employees Association, the American Federation of State and Municipal Employees and UC Berkeley. She previously ran an unsuccessful campaign for state assembly.

Munguia pledged to hold office hours, set up meet-and-greets with local businesses and host an annual open house and town halls in an effort to increase public trust.

“My commitment to service is rooted in many decades of volunteerism, serving in the AmeriCorps Program and being of service to the community you live in,” she said in a statement.

Munguia supports the research-backed Housing-First approach to homelessness, which prioritizes helping unsheltered people move into permanent housing with supportive services.

She plans to focus on improving roads and streets to make sure the new Bayfront Resort is accessible, retrofitting city facilities to prepare for earthquakes and adding new fire stations in Cota Vera, Montecito and Escaya.

Munguia also wants to establish a review committee for the Chula Vista Police Department.

“This committee, which has been discussed by prior councils and needs to be convened, will provide a platform for the citizens of Chula Vista to voice their concerns, commence the re-establishment of trust, and facilitate their access to the Chula Vista Police Department personnel,” she said in a statement.

Closer look

Fernandez began his career as an instructional aide in the San Diego Unified School District.

He went on to teach math at schools in San Diego Unified and Sweetwater Union High School District for over 20 years and was first appointed to the board of the Chula Vista Elementary School District in 2021.

Fernandez wants to focus on the city’s cost of living. He said he would prioritize building more affordable homes and work to get unsheltered communities into housing.

“I am committed to creating more housing opportunities for all income levels — especially projects that maximize land use and promote sustainable, walkable communities,” he said in a statement. “And I’ll fight to ensure local workers get the first shot at new jobs on new city projects, especially the Bayfront.”

Fernandez also said he would push for an audit to identify whether District 4 has been underserved in the city budget.

Closer look

Ramirez grew up in Southwest Chula Vista and previously served on the City Council in 2006.

He entered politics advocating for local businesses in Southwest Chula Vista and served on a number of city boards, including the Board of Ethics, before being elected to the City Council. Since holding office then, he has run unsuccessfully for several other offices, including mayor and state assembly.

Ramirez pledged to hold “Public Office Hours” every month in an effort to build trust with voters.

“I want to engage the community in a robust public dialogue in a way similar to what I started in 2006 when first elected,” he said.

Ramirez also wants to focus on the lack of infrastructure and maintenance in District 4 and plans to monitor the "ancillary effects" of major developments like the Bayfront resort, which he worries could crowd the city with tourists and erode its character.

He supports the controversial Sunbreak Ranch proposal for addressing homelessness, which involves pushing unhoused.