What does a county supervisor do?
County supervisors are the elected officials that oversee the county government, which is responsible for administering state- and federally-funded social welfare programs such as CalFresh (commonly known as food stamps), Medi-Cal and the foster care system. The county has limited control over how these programs are run.
The supervisors have much more direct control over the county's unincorporated areas — mostly rural communities that are outside of San Diego County's 18 cities and therefore don't elect their own mayors or city councils. In these areas, the county government does everything a city government would otherwise do: trash collection, infrastructure planning, zoning and permitting, emergency services and more.
One role of county supervisors that has grown in importance and visibility in recent years is public health. The county monitors and responds to outbreaks of infectious diseases such as hepatitis, mpox, HIV and other STDs, influenza and COVID-19. During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, decisions around business restrictions, masks and vaccine mandates put the county supervisors in the spotlight.
Some branches of the county government have their own elected officials, such as the San Diego County District Attorney's Office and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. The DA and sheriff have autonomy over their own departments, but county supervisors approve their budgets and can pass laws that impact how they operate.
How much does a supervisor get paid?
The supervisor for County District 3 is paid $219,546 annually.
District 3: Key issues and candidates
San Diego County District 3 stretches along the coast from Carlsbad to Coronado. Its inland areas include portions of Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho Penasquitos, Carmel Valley, Mira Mesa and University City.
It is currently represented by Terra Lawson-Remer, who is running for another term.
Her opponent is former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer.
*KPBS reached out to the Faulconer campaign for an interview numerous times, but never got a response.
What issues is District 3 facing?
Faulconer’s campaign website lists some of the top issues in the district as:
- Homelessness and a lack of affordable housing
- Crumbling streets
- Public Safety
- Fiscal Responsibility
In an interview with KPBS and on her campaign website, Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer listed some of her top issues:
- Protecting beaches, coastlines, open spaces and fighting for clean water, including cleaning up the sewage issue at the southern border.
- Homelessness and a lack of affordable housing
- Fighting gun violence, in part by holding gun manufacturers responsible
- Reproductive Freedom
Who are the candidates for District 3?
Kevin Faulconer
- Registered Republican
- Served on the San Diego City Council from 2006 to 2014
- Former city of San Diego mayor, serving from 2014 to 2020
Closer look
After his departure as San Diego Mayor, Faulconer ran unsuccessfully for Governor of California in 2021.Although he is fiscally conservative, he has supported more liberal social positions, including same-sex marriage and a path to legal citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
In 2016, he entered into a lease-to-own agreement for the 101 Ash Street property. It was later found to be uninhabitable due to asbestos.
Key endorsements
- Lincoln Club Business League
- San Diego County Deputy District Attorneys Association
- Associated General Contractors of San Diego
- San Diego chapter of the California Restaurant Association
Terra Lawson-Remer
- Registered Democrat
- Supervisor for District 3 since 2020
Closer look
Lawson-Remer’s election in 2020 shifted the majority on the Board of Supervisors to Democrats for the first time in decades. Before being elected to the Board of Supervisors, Terra Lawson-Remer worked for Amnesty International. After, she went on to become a senior advisor in the U.S. Treasury Department during the Obama administration. She is a San Diego native who grew up in the Mission Hills neighborhood.
Key endorsements
- San Diego County Democratic Party
- San Diego Imperial Counties Labor Council
- Sierra Club
- Planned Parenthood Action Fund of the Pacific Southwest
Explore your virtual ballot
We teamed up with Ballot Ready to offer in-depth information about what's on your ballot with this interactive guide!
- Use your address to get a personalized ballot
- Get info on candidates, measures, and who supports them
- Keep track of your choices and use them to vote
