Heather Ferbert takes an early lead over longtime politician Brian Maienschein in the race for San Diego City Attorney.
The two candidates already competed in the March 5 primary, which Ferbert won by more than 6 percentage points, though the results did not matter since both candidates were guaranteed a spot in the general election.
Mara Elliott, who has served as San Diego city attorney for the last eight years, is termed out. She endorsed Ferbert, who works as a chief deputy city attorney, while Maeinschein, a termed-out state assemblymember, won the backing of San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and a host of other local elected officials.
Why it matters
The city attorney is a very powerful position, though the power is often behind the scenes and depends on how the person in the office chooses to wield it.
The city attorney is responsible for providing legal advice to the mayor and City Council. Any time they want to change the law, their proposals must first be analyzed by the City Attorney's Office.
While some cities have appointed city attorneys, San Diego's city attorney is elected by voters. The goal is to ensure the city attorney is independent and able to provide their unfiltered legal advice without fear of losing their job.
A closer look
Ferbert has pitched herself as the more experienced and independent candidate, citing her 10 years of work for the City Attorney's Office and prior work representing public agencies. She argues Maienschein's decades in politics has led to relationships and alliances that would taint his legal advice.
Maienschein is running on his accomplishments in the state legislature, including reforming the state's conservatorship laws and increasing criminal penalties for fentanyl dealers. He also touted his work helping to found Project 25, a program that provided housing and support services to homeless people before being discontinued due to lack of funding.
Counting the ballots
According to the County Registrar of Voters, the first returns available around 8 p.m. on election night only include mail-in ballots and vote center ballots received before Election Day.
After that, results on election night will include only the vote center ballots cast on Nov. 5. The Registrar continues to count remaining ballots and post returns until the election is certified on Dec. 5.
Here's everything you need to know about election security in San Diego County.
