Local Races Take Shape As San Diego County Ballots Are Counted

SAN DIEGO, CA, — San Diego County voters set the stage for several key November contests Tuesday, with the race for the open Board of Supervisors District 5 seat emerging as one of the region's most closely watched local contests.

With ballots still being counted, San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones led the five-candidate field with about 41% of the vote. Kyle Krahel, a Democratic Party official, held a narrow lead for second place with 20.3%, just ahead of Vista Mayor John Franklin with 19.4%, according to the county Registrar of Voters. The top two finishers will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.

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The open seat represents the county's northernmost district and includes Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido and Camp Pendleton. The winner will succeed term-limited Supervisor Jim Desmond.

In the closely watched race for California's 48th Congressional District, Desmond, a Republican, and Democrat Marni von Wilpert will advance to the November general election.

Desmond, who currently serves on the Board of Supervisors, led the 12-candidate field with 45.96% of the vote. Von Wilpert, a San Diego city councilwoman, secured the second spot with 19.65%, setting up the November matchup to succeed retiring Rep. Darrell Issa.

In San Diego City Council races, Richard Bailey led the crowded field for the open District 2 seat, while incumbent Kent Lee was ahead in his reelection bid in District 6. In District 4, challenger Martha Abraham held a lead over incumbent Henry Foster III, and Antonio Martinez paced the field in the open District 8 race. The top two finishers in each contest advance to November.

San Diego voters also appeared to reject Measure A, which would have imposed a tax on homes left vacant for more than half the year. With votes still being counted, the measure was failing with 109,363 votes, or 57.8%, against it and 79,810 votes, or 42.2%, in support. A simple majority was required for passage.

Statewide, voters also narrowed the field in California's gubernatorial race and several congressional contests.

As of Wednesday morning, Republican Steve Hilton held a thin lead over Democrat Xavier Becerra in one of the state's most chaotic governor's races in decades.

Becerra, a former state attorney general and U.S. health secretary, pitched himself as a steady leader able to work the levers of government. Hilton, a conservative commentator and former British political adviser, said he would give the famously liberal state a badly needed reset after years of one-party rule.

Election officials will continue counting vote-by-mail and provisional ballots in the coming days. Results remain unofficial until certified.