What does a San Diego 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.
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.
The District 1 supervisor represents the South Bay. That includes cities like Chula Vista, Imperial Beach and National City. It also includes the San Diego neighborhoods of Barrio Logan, South Park, Nestor and San Ysidro and the unincorporated areas of Spring Valley and Bonita. District 1 does not include Coronado.
How much does a San Diego County Supervisor make?
San Diego County supervisors have a salary of $220,561 a year, according to the California State Controller’s Office.
What issues are District 1 facing?
Environment
The Tijuana River Valley sewage crisis is one of the most pressing environmental issues facing the county. Cross-border sewage flows have polluted South Bay neighborhoods and beaches for decades. And the problem is only getting worse, raising broader alarms about illnesses and air quality.
County supervisors oversee the San Diego Air Pollution Control District, the region’s main air quality monitoring agency. They can also decide to fund public health measures like the county’s air purifier distribution program.
Homelessness
The number of people falling into homelessness continues to rise across the county, although that rate has slowed since the pandemic. More cities, including those in the South Bay, have also taken steps to criminalize sleeping and setting up tents outside.
County supervisors oversee dozens of agencies and service programs that support unhoused people. They can make decisions about which programs to fund and how to regulate people sleeping on the street in county-governed areas.
Immigration
The Trump administration’s vow of mass deportations has hit the South Bay especially hard. Federal authorities have also ramped up scrutiny on sanctuary jurisdictions like San Diego County, which grant additional protections to people without legal status.
County supervisors oversee programs like the county’s Immigrant Legal Defense Program, which provides legal representation to people in the county facing deportation. Supervisors can also vote to limit or open up cooperation between county agencies and federal immigration authorities, within the bounds of state law.
Who are the candidates?
Paloma Aguirre
- Mayor of Imperial Beach
- Registered Democrat
- Former environmental conservation advocate
A closer look
Aguirre was elected as a city councilmember in Imperial Beach in 2018. She was elected mayor in 2022.
Before entering politics, she worked for the coastal and marine conservation nonprofit WILDCOAST, which was then-based in Imperial Beach.
Aguirre wants to prioritize the Tijuana River Valley sewage crisis. She wants the county and the city of San Diego to consider creating a joint powers authority that would focus on treating the river. She would also continue urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency and send additional resources.
“It's the biggest environmental and public health emergency in the nation right now,” she said.
Aguirre also wants to support immigrants’ rights programs like the county’s Immigrant Legal Defense Program. She also backed the county’s stronger sanctuary policies but criticized the supervisors' approach, saying she would have handled it differently.
Key endorsements
- San Diego County Democratic Party
- San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council
- SEIU 221 County Workers Union
- State Senator Steve Padilla
Carolina Chavez
- Chula Vista Deputy Mayor
- Registered Democrat
- Healthcare executive
A closer look
Chavez was elected to the Chula Vista City Council in 2022. This year, she is serving as the city’s deputy mayor, which is a title that rotates between the city’s four councilmembers.
Chavez also oversees binational affairs and public relations at SIMNSA, a private health care company that serves Tijuana and San Diego.
On her campaign website, Chavez said she wanted to focus on job creation, funding law enforcement and expanding supportive services for unhoused people.
Key endorsements
- Chula Vista Educators
- Chula Vista City Councilmember Cesar Fernandez
- Chula Vista City Councilmember Michael Inzunza
Elizabeth Efird
- Efird has not raised significant funds and does not appear to have a campaign website.
Louis Fuentes
- Former Imperial County Board of Supervisors Chair
- Registered Republican
- Current air conditioning business executive
A closer look
Fuentes has held multiple local and regional offices in Imperial County.
In 2006, he was elected mayor of the Imperial County city of Calexico. In 2009, he was appointed to the Imperial County Board of Supervisors by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger after the previous supervisor resigned. Fuentes led the Board for just over a year.
Fuentes is currently the president of Air Conditioning Guys, an El Centro-based air conditioning company.
On his campaign website, Fuentes said he plans to draw on his experience with creating new jobs and developing economies along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Key endorsements
- None listed
John McCann
- Mayor of Chula Vista
- Registered Republican
- Former Naval officer
A closer look
McCann was first elected as a city councilmember in Chula Vista in 2002. He was elected mayor in 2022.
McCann also serves as a commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve and was deployed to Iraq alongside an Army unit in 2009.
McCann wants to prioritize addressing homelessness. He said he would evaluate where the county was allocating its funding and wanted the county to consider building a new transitional shelter like the one Chula Vista opened in 2023.
“What we need to do is first go through and look where the money is going,” he said.
McCann also wants to roll back programs that support immigrants’ rights. He opposes the county’s stronger sanctuary policy and its Immigrant Legal Defense Program.
Key endorsements
- San Diego County Republican Party
- Former District 1 Supervisor Greg Cox
- Deputy Sheriffs’ Association
- Pacific Southwest Association of Realtors
Vivian Moreno
- San Diego City Councilmember
- Registered Democrat
- Former industrial materials broker
A closer look
Moreno served as San Diego city councilmember since 2018. Before entering politics, she worked as a broker in the metal industry.
On her campaign website, Moreno said she has prioritized building hundreds of units of affordable housing, repairing streets and roads, creating more youth programming at libraries and community centers and strengthening other public infrastructure.
Key endorsements
- Laborers International Local 89
- San Diego City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera
- State Assemblymember David Alvarez (D-Chula Vista)
Lincoln Pickard
- Registered Republican
- Former political candidate
- Marketing firm associate
A closer look
Pickard is an associate at Mannatech, a multi-level marketing company that sells dietary supplements and personal care products.
He describes himself as a “MAGA Republican” and has run unsuccessfully for several offices, including the state legislature and the San Diego City Council.
On his campaign website, Pickard said he would push for changes to how San Diego County runs elections, including limiting vote-counting to paper ballots only. He also wants to eliminate tolls on the SR 125 toll road and opposes county sanctuary policies.
Key endorsements
- None
