SUPERVISOR CANDIDATES SPEAK OUT ON EAST COUNTY ISSUES IN ECM FORUM

By Miriam Raftery

View video of forum

Hear audio aired on KNSJ: part 1; part 2

July 23, 2023 (San Diego’s East County)—Ballots have been mailed for the special election in the 4^th Supervisorial District to fill the vacancy left by Nathan Fletcher’s resignation. East County Magazine hosted a forum for the candidates, who spoke out on issues including homelessness, housing, energy, policing, drug addiction, sand mines, wildfire safety, and more. ECM editor Miriam Raftery moderated the forum.

August 15 is the last day to vote in the special election primary.

The three candidates who participated are Monica Montgomery Steppe, an attorney and president pro tem of the San Diego City Council, Amy Reichert, a private investigator and founder of Reopen San Diego, and Janessa Goldbeck, a former Marine and CEO of a nonprofit helping veterans.  (A fourth candidate, Paul McQuigg, a military veteran and U.S. Labor Dept. employee, RSVP’d that he would attend but said he was unable to get connectivity for the forum on Zoom while traveling overseas.)

Click the video to view highlights of the forum,  listen to audio for the version aired on radio (edited slightly for length), and scroll down to read highlights.

OPENING STATEMENTS

Candidates were asked to summarize their qualifications, experience and goals if elected.

Amy Reichert said she’s lived in the San Diego area since she was 4-years old and is running because “I’ve never seen things as bad as they are right now.” She cited problems including a regional population decline of 50,000, unaffordable single family homes, an uptick in some crimes, and “out of control” homelessness among top issues. “People want a  safe, affordable place,” she stated,  adding that she wants to take the region in a “different direction.”  She touts her experience as a businesswoman for 24 years, as well as founding the nonprofit Reopen San Diego, which she credits with saving city workers jobs by opposing vaccine mandates. She denounced divisive rhetoric in her prior race against Fletcher and praised her current opponents for “a very civil race so far.”

Monica Montgomery Steppe says her district 4 city council race is in the heart of the district 4 supervisor race. She grew up in the supervisorial district. After law school, she worked for three public officials and the ACLU,  leading a bail reform campaign. She presides over the  San Diego City Council when the chair is not present, overseeing a $5.2 billion budget. “I helped first-time homebuyers, especially people of color, get assistance--$7.5 million and counting,” she said.  She also helped institute policies to promote peace in communities, which she credits with a 9% decrease in overall crime in her district this calendar year and a 65% decrease in gang violence.  “These are the kinds of things that I’m doing in the city, and want to bring to the county to deal with problems that we are facing,”she concluded.

Janessa Goldbeck opened with an apology for arriving late and explained that she was dialing in from the parking lot outside a memorial service for a friend’s brother who died of a fentanyl overdose.  “All four of us in this race recognize the scale of the crisis and how real it is in the community,” she said of the fentanyl crisis in our region.  Goldbeck said she was born and raised in San Diego County, the daughter of a teacher and a tow truck driver. She studied journalism and African studies in Chicago, then spent time in Africa where she was moved by the Darfur humanitarian crisis.  Returning to the U.S., she became a human rights advocate working to resolve conflicts in remote parts of the world and learned about building coalitions, then joined the Marine Corps at age 26, where she served as a victim’s advocate.  She says she would bring to the board of supervisors “not only my 15 years as a policy advocate, but also my deep commitment to move things forward, not accepting the status quo” and “working to make a better county and a better place for all San Diegans.”

HOMELESSNESS

ECM asked candidates their approaches to helping the homeless and protecting communities from problems caused by homelessness, as well as whether they would support a study  to look at innovative solutions for those whose needs are not being met by existing shelters, such as homeless people with dogs and those who don’t want to be separated from a partner.

Steppe:  “Yes, I would support a study,” she said but added that there are many studies out there. “This really is about implementation –how much money will we have from the federal and state government on an ongoing basis to deploy solutions that are tried and proven.”  She voted against the city of San Diego’s ban on homeless encampments and cited concerns over where those on the streets might be driven to move next.  She cited a lack of enough people willing to work helping the homeless, where workers are “underpaid.  I think a partnership with community colleges and wage increases are going to help, with enticements like student loan forgiveness” for graduates willing to work on homelessness issues.  “There are innovative things, like shipping containers being turned into homes,” she noted, “but the plan has to be comprehensive and detailed out, so that we are implementing that plan every single day…The system we have been paying for as taxpayers to integrate the services are not working for us, so those need to be more robust so people do not fall between the cracks.” She concluded, “Every person on the street is different, every solution is different,” so “the more case workers we have, the better.”

Reichert: “We are way beyond a homelessness crisis. It is a humanitarian crisis.” She wants to approach the problem with “compassion” citing vulnerable people on the streets such as domestic violence victims, veterans, and disabled people. “I had a great conversation yesterday with the San Diego Rescue Mission; they just issued a navigation center in North County and I’m happy to say they had kennels” to house dogs for unhoused people.”  She said issues impacting the disabled are “close to heart” because her father was in a wheelchair by the time she was a teen. After speaking with stakeholders and people with lived experiences, she said, “unfortunately there is no place for somebody in a wheelchair who cannot care for themselves to go “ if they are homeless.  That is something I would address in my first 100 days.”  She said we also need to admit that there is a segment of the population for home the root cause of homelessness “where severe mental illness, addiction and serious crimes intersect.” She voiced concern for small businesses keeping doors locked and coffee shops leaving neighborhoods due to crime fears.  “We must absolutely require treatment, not jail, for the ones committing serious crimes. It is the most loving thing we can do, because jails are not built or staffed for those with severe mental illness.” She called the high numbers of suicides and overdoses in local jails “unacceptable.” She supports  Bill Walton’s proposal for a homeless triage and navigation center in a central, regional location where people could get shelter and services through “nonprofits with evidence-based results. It’s not compassionate to allow people to sleep and die on our streets. I believe in a combination of compassion and accountability.”

Goldbeck:  “There are many, many people on our streets, some more visible than others,”she noted. ”We know that we have a perpetual need for housing,” citing a lack of affordable homes statewide. “Rents here are higher than San Francisco.  Most people are just a paycheck or a catastrophic illness away from being on the streets.  We need a whole continuum.” Starting with emergency shelters, she said, “We don’t even have enough beds to meet current needs.” She wants the county to open shelters on county-owned lands, including facilities targeted to help the most vulnerable, such as seniors, people with pets, those in same-sex relationships, and homeless people with small children.  “We need to do a little bit of everything, everywhere…to address diverse populations.”  She added that the jail should not be our region’s largest mental health provider. “Our region is short 700 mental health beds.” She cited a study indicating we need 18,000 more behavioral healthcare workers, and wants coordination with the state and federal governments to open more psychiatric beds and expand programs to help renters, especially seniors. ““Rents are too high,” she concludes.  She wants to expand a county pilot program that provides a small amount of money to landlords to help seniors stay in their homes, while landlords receive full rent.

HOUSING

County efforts to build more housing have run into problems, such as judges blocking sprawling rural projects due to fire danger, suburban residents raising concerns over high rises that block sunlight and increase traffic, and where units are often not affordable. ECM asked candidates  what approaches they support to meet our region’s housing needs.

Reichert: “San Diego is not affordable.”  She said when she and her husband shopped for their first home, they were shown homes next to freeway onramps, under overpasses, and next to electrical substations before finally buying an older home and fixing it up.  “There are things I think the government is doing to get in the way of sensible building,” she said, adding that consequences of this are people commuting from homes in southern Riverside County. “I am 100% against sprawl,” she said, citing risks to firefighters and residents from wildfires.  But she added, “I don’t believe SB 10 is the solution to housing problems. It allows bulldozing of single family homes and in its place, a very dense apartment unit is build—typically not for sale, for rent—and every year, rents keep going up. We need to build things that people actually want, like affordable single family homes. Instead, SB 10 is bulldozing the housing stock we have, and it will make the costs of housing go up.  I suggest sensible housing, sensible to wildfire concerns and evacuation needs, in the eastern and southern parts of our county. People just want affordable places to live.

Goldbeck:  “To me, this is the issue of our time. It’s the underpinning of our homeless crisis. We’re losing jobs to other regions,” she said, adding that’s it’s important to meet both housing and climate goals. “I am endorsed by firefighters,” she said. “I don’t believe in building in high wildfire areas,” citing increasingly hot summers and more fires than in the past.  “But Supervisors have an opportunity to really insure that our county, including unincorporated areas,  are doing everything we can to meet state mandated housing goals.  Right now we’re nowhere close, which is why there are high prices and high rents.” One solution is to maximize potential in places within the urban core,  to build homes in places such as Lakeside, Rancho San Diego, and Spring Valley, she suggested.  She noted that areas such as these have often suffered a lack of transportation, with roads in disrepair. “We have to flip the script,” she said  :There are a lot of communities out there that would love the investment in transit and in housing to help their communities thrive.”

Steppe:  “There is a lot of resistance on all sides of housing, but there is also resistance to homelessness.” She says there is an intersection of these. “We have to be in a place where people can raise families and live here, or we will have more on the streets due to economic issues,” she said, citing a study. “These votes I have taken for more housing have been very tough votes. There is a lot of fear about seeing the character of the neighborhood change, but this is the issue of our time and it is impacting every other crisis that we are seeing. We have to be able to provide more housing. There is a lot we can do,” she said, listing as examples better departmental permitting and prioritizing building affordable housing in higher resource areas for “balance across the region. There are HUD requirements that require us to spread housing out, especially affordable housing, so we are not building pockets of poverty.  We don’t want East County to experience that imbalance, so I support inclusionary housing.” A conversation at the state level now is on perhaps allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to be available as homes to purchase. “We need to attack at all levels for low and moderate income level folks and keep their talents in our region.”

DRUG CRISIS

With deaths from fentanyl overdoses up over 900% in our region and a new SANDAG study showing 60% of those arrested locally on methamphetamines, ECM asked candidates what needs to be done to prevent drug abuse and help those with addictions.

Goldbeck:  “We know that fentanyl is the leading cause of death for adults under 45 in the U.S. That’s an insane statistic, and it’s deeply personal to me.”  She noted that the county is about to receive $100 million from the opioid settlement, which she wants to see go directly to communities to both prevent fentanyl from getting into the community and to stop people from getting addicted.  She wants NARCAN, which saves lives during overdoses, to be as available as defibrillators in places like schools. In addition, she said, “We know drugs are making their way into jails and people are dying.” She wants to put some of the opioid settlement money into keeping drugs out of jails. “I am endorsed by our district attorney and our investigators.  I want to work hand in hand with them to make sure drug dealers are taken off the streets.”

Steppe: “I do think with the $100 million or so that the county will be receiving, that education is a big component.” She wants to see some of those funds go to nonprofits such as Grandparents Connections to educate family members and young people about the dangers of fentanyl. She also wants more treatment facilities for those already addicted and more availability of NARCAN. “Enforcement is a part of this,” she adds. She said during the war on drugs, a lot of people were put into prisons without rehab, which created more problems later. “This is a public health crisis, and it has to be treated as such,” she said.

Reichert:  As a Celebrate Recovery leader at her church, Reichert said, “I’ve led thousands of people into treatment and recovery.  When it comes to fentanyl, all it takes is one time to take a life. People as young as 13 have died in our county.” She, too, wants more NARCAN in places like schools. She also wants more done to stop fentanyl from coming over the border. “It will take a county supervisor who will stand up, protect our kids and demand action from our federal government, because right now there has been a 300% increase of fentanyl over the border confiscated since2020.” She added, “I am a  big advocate of treatment, not punishment…but we still need to hav loving bottom lines.  It’s perfectly fine to say to someone who has overdosed repeatedly in the ER, ‘The best place for you now is mandatory treatment…before you become a statistic.’”  She also wants to hold drug dealers responsible and criminally liable if their products cause death. “I support DA Summer Stephan’s plans to strengthen laws against fentanyl dealers and suppliers,”  Reichert concluded.

POLICING

ECM asked candidates what their top priorities are for law enforcement, such as reducing crime, improving accountability of law enforcement, providing equity in response times for rural and urban areas, and increasing oversight of county jails that have the highest death rate of any many California county’s jails.

Steppe:  I chaired Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods for four years,” she said.  As a city council member, Steppe said she has supported police wage increases, lateral bonuses, and other help “so they could live in neighborhoods that they serve.” But she said, “I will still be vocal about accountability…There is a disparity in how people are treated based on where they live, how they look.” While this needs to be addressed at local, state and national levels, she made clear, “this does not forego our need to fund law enforcement.” She wants to approach policing issues “from both ends,” adding, “The more we can deploy services more equitably, the better it will be for the entire region.” She also called for more to be done to reduce jail deaths.

Reichert: “Last year I did a ride along with a 24-year San Diego Police Department veteran. What he told me, as we drove by homeless encampments, is that most are dealing with addiction.” She said the officer also told of negative consequences from Prop 47 passed by voters, which made stealing items valued under $900 less seriously than in the past. This has caused “lawlessness” with organized crime rings taking advantage. Those homeless who are addicted may support their drug habit through theft as well, she said. She voiced pride in being awarded an honorary badge from San Diego  Police Officers Association after her nonprofit, Reopen San Diego, saved police jobs in 2021 amid the pandemic.  Now there is “huge understaffing” at the Sheriff’s department that she wants to address.  She wants to hold bad officers accountable but also make sure that “Good ones can afford to live in this county.” She also voiced concern over SANDAG May figures which showed a 10% increase in robberies,8% in violent crimes, and “horrifically, a 9% increase in hate crimes…We need to support good deputies and police protecting us” as well as increase their numbers “so that we can reduce call times in unincorporated areas” to fight crime.

Goldbeck:  She recalled her seven years in the Marines as a combat engineer but also a victims advocate, where she was exposed to the military’s “flawed” method of investigating and prosecuting crimes “leaving too many people vulnerable without justice being service.” Today she leads a national veterans’ advocacy group and believes it’s important to be proud of service, but also hold organizations accountable—including holding the Sheriff responsible for fixing the problem of high jail deaths, while also making sure deputies have resources that they need. “I went along on a ride along in East County,” Goldbeck said. “They were down two squad cars.  On a domestic violence call, it took us 30 minutes to get out there. I understand how terrifying that is…We want to be sure there is law enforcement to respond.” She also wants to invest in good salaries for deputies and to be sure the county is “telling good stories about the officers doing good things…so that we can recruit officers from the communities they are serving in and making sure they can afford to live there.”

ENERGY

ECM asked candidates if they support the county’s goal of cutting carbon emissions to net zero address climate change, and what their views are on the most appropriate way to meet those goals, particularly with regard to the scale and siting of new energy projects.

Reichert: “I do support the county’s goal of net zero by 2035.” She said she recently attended a climate action social justice forum in Hillcrest, but added, “Here’s where I differ slightly from the other candidates as we are moving toward these goals…We also have to take people into account.”  She said a battery storage site is planned across the street from her home in La Mesa and she is concerned about noise from the facility. “When it comes to projects with unintended consequences,” such as wind turbines causing fires, she said, “I believe we should proceed cautiously.” She opposes the mileage tax as an incentive for people to use transit because “that would hurt working class and marginalized communities.  You can absolutely count on me to protect the environment,” she pledged, “but I would also want to make sure that we are protecting working class people trying so hard to stay here in the county.:

Goldbeck:  “I have a long record of supporting solar on rooftops and parking lots.  That’s where solar belongs,” she said, contrasting this against large-scale solar on deserts and wetlands.  “We have a long way to go….I support the county goal to decarbonize.” She noted that the largest contributor to greenhouse gases is cars on the roads. “How do we incentivize people to spend less time on the road?  It’s by building homes close to transit” as well as transit to destinations such as the airport.  She cited the trolley’s blue line as an example that works well, with 17 million riders.  Transit such as trolleys and clean energy buses need to be added to go “Where people want to go, making sure it’s clean and safe…and more efficient, rather than a burden.”

Steppe: “I do support the county’s goals and also know the decarbonization plan is a the challenge,” since it “promotes larger scale utility projects that do have impacts on the environment.” She wants to start phasing in more “microgrids like rooftop solar” and says creating community microgrids is “an area with lots of funding we could receive from the state and federal government,” as well as to enhance small businesses. “There really is a middle ground that could be so beneficial for a lot of our community members…I’d like to focus on that.”  She also wants to finalize a green equity complex in the heart of the district, in partnership with a school district.

SAND MINES

With major sand mining operations proposed including the Cottonwood sand mine in Rancho San Diego near a wildlife preserve and other in Lakeside’s scenic  El Monte Valley, ECM asked candidates what their priorities would be when weighing whether or not to approve sand mining projects.

Goldbeck: She said she’s heard from many residents who are concerned “with good reason.  I certainly would not want a sand mine going in my backyard,” citing concerns such as heavy trucks wearing down roads. While sand is used for construction, she said,  “There are alternatives to sand” and other ways to reduce building costs besides cheap sand, such as streamlining the permit process. “I want to think about ways to make construction more affordable,” she said, ”but not at the expense of the environment or neighborhoods.” As for Cottonwood, she concluded, “That would be a very invasive project,  and I’m not sure I buy the reason for it.”

Steppe:  I’m with the community on this…This is 2023 and there are many innovative ways to get the materials that we need…We are all in agreement that we need to build (homes), but we have to find other ways to do this.  East County residents I’ve talked to are all against this…There is a consensus that people are tired of feeling like the dumping ground, and this is another example.”  She cites her experience as a councilmember serving the community and making sure disillusioned residents have “proper representation.” She is also concerned about environmental impacts. “I would be against sand mining.  We have to find other ways to retrieve this material we need to build.”

Reichert:  “I’ve spoken with Dianne Jacob on this issue,” she said of the former Supervisor who lives in Jamul and has helped lead opposition to the Cottonwood project. “It would have far too many impacts on the environment.” She notes, however, that sand is the main ingredient in concrete needed to build, and she has met with developers as well as residents on this issue. “I have not been endorsed by developers, I’m not beholden…but that builders are saying they have to bring in sand from out of state. “That hurts the environment, too,” she said of mining elsewhere and transporting sand long distance.  “I am against this particular project:” she said of Cottonwood, but left the door open to another local site. “We can all come together and find a much better place in the county.”

TRANSPORTATION

ECM asked candidates how they would juggle competing priorities, such as those who want more transit vs. rural residents who want promises kept to improve highways, to improve transportation while being fair to all residents.

Steppe:  Regarding projects promised to communities, such as the interchange of highways 94 and 125,  Steppes said, “I think funding for those projects should be prioritized” before asking people for more money. “We need to be trustworthy and efficient,”s he said, but noted that the county must also comply with state mandates to meet climate goals. “I want to build out mobility hubs” she said. “We can have shuttle service for the first and last mile in those mobility hubs…There are many ways to get there. The plan is being built out.  I am committed to that, especially for those rural areas promised those things that haven’t been built out.” The County Supervisors need to honor past promises, while also setting future transportation goals, she said.

Reichert:  Reichert said she attended a climate justice action forum and asked for a show of hands from those who took transit to the event, but only two hands went up.  “Public transportation is not working,” she said.  “I voted for the Transnet sales tax.  I had high hopes it would be used by SANDAG to improve our roads.”  But she says it’s “taking our lives in our hands” when she drives her son to school each morning via the 94-125 interchange.” She said funds promised for that project were used instead for public transit.  She wants to see promises kept and also a reevaluation of transit goals to avoid  “a bullet train to nowhere.” She also reiterated her opposition to  mileage tax.

Goldbeck: “I think San Diegans have a right and a reason to be pretty distrustful of SANDAG.Many things were promised, but few have been delivered.”  She also opposes the mileage tax due to concerns over its impact on working and middle class families. She does not think a mileage tax will be implemented locally, though the state might impose one.  She wants to see transit made more efficient, such as building overpasses over trolley stops to avoid stops at intersections and reduce pedestrian deaths.  “When it comes to rural parts of the county, I’d like to invest in making sure roads are driveable; there are some really rough spots out there.” She wants funding that was promised to be delivered. She mentioned federal investment in infrastructure projects. “We want to be sure our county gets our fair share,” she said, adding that she is endorsed by the county’s Democratic Congressional delegation.  I want to work with them,” she said,”to make sure the investment is made.”

With one candidate absent, ECM asked a lightning round of questions with brief response times on additional important issues.

DANGEROUS DAMS

The El Capitan Dam in Lakeside and the Sweetwater Dam in Spring Valley have both received the state’s worst rating for dam safety, since both are old dams with potential to fail and a high loss of life should that occur. ECM asked candidates if they would commit to ask for money to get these dangerous dams fixed.

Goldbeck: This should be something that is a priority for the state and feds. We need to be sure that we’re getting our fair share” of funds to address infrastructure needs.

Steppe: I certainly will advocate” for dam safety funds, she said, adding that she, too,has Congressional endorsements and connections.

Reichert: “I do not accept the status quo, when I hear elected officials say our hands are tied…I will advocate for us at the state and federal level.” She is endorsed by Congressman Darrell Issa.

WILDFIRE PROTECTION

With wildfire season now year-round, ECM asked candidates if they would pledge not to cut firefighting funding and if they have any ideas to improve fire protection. ECM also asked if candidates will ask the Sheriff to restore access for the public and press to listen to scanner traffic for information during emergencies.

Reichert:  “I’m 100% for transparency and openness,” she said. Regarding scanners, “I would support having those frequencies open for media as long as private information is secured” to protect victims.  Noting that she’s had endorsement from San Miguel Firefighters, she added,  “Firefighters know that I have their back. Our first responders should be able to make enough money to live in our county, so I support more money for firefighting.”

Goldbeck:  “I am very proud to be endorsed by San Diego Firefighters.” She notes that they are facing staffing shortages and that with year-round fire season, firefighters are “always on mandatory overtime.” As a former Marine, she said she understands the stress that comes from long deployments. She wants to give firefighters resources to recruit and train to fill staffing needs as well as equipment. “I’ve lived in rural areas,” she said, adding that she has listened to scanners and agrees that scanner broadcasts should be publicly available, while protecting victims’ privacy. Since San Diego Police and Cal Fire have kept scanners available, she added, “It seems like there are great models out there to get info out for the public to know.”

Steppe:  “I think the Sheriff should restore scanner access,” while also protecting privacy, she said. “If others are doing it, I’m sure the Sheriff can as well…I also support funding for our firefighters in their wildfire efforts.” In a prior city council election, she said she was endorsement by firefighters and has voted for firefighters’ raises and equipment funding even when she didn’t have their union’s endorsement.  “Our primary job is public safety.  I absolutely support that effort,” she concluded.

CLOSING STATEMENTS

Candidates were asked why voters should support their candidacy, and to list key endorsements.

Goldbeck:  “I’d be honored to earn your vote and support.” She emphasized her experience in the marines and as a policy advocate to make changes at the state and federal levels, skills she wants to bring to her hometown now. She mentioned endorsements by VoteVets and Democratic Congressmen Juan Vargas and Scott Peters. She also spoke of her experience caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s at life’s end.  “So many people n our county are just one paycheck away from winding up on the street,” she said, noting that some are struggling with other issues such as mental health.  “I want to make sure the county has resources to help people, such as seniors, to stay in their homes, to get addiction counseling and treatment,…I’ve never accepted the status quo.  I will get in there and fight.”

Steppe:  Steppes recalled becoming very sick while in college in Georgia, when she applied for county services there.”If those hadn’t been there for us, I don’t know where I would be today.  But I also saw people in their most vulnerable state, who need to be able to apply and have dignity as human beings…I will bring that additional lens,” she promised, “in addition to having served as an elected official, taking on controversial issues and coming out with a unanimous vote.” She said she’d be honored to represent everyone in East County and the entire district.  “I am endorsed at every level,” she said, listing Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee, former Congresswoman Susan Davis,Secretary of State Shirley Weber, and East County councilmembers Patricia Dillard, Jennifer Mendoza and George Gastil. “I’m very familiar with East County,”she concluded. “This is a groundbreaking election…and I’m hoping my track record will be the difference in this race.”

Reichert:  She says she got involved in county politics due to what she views as failed policies of then-Supervisor Fletcher. “There is not one measurable metric where we are better off now than five years ago,” she said. “I bring a strong business mindset,” again citing her nonprofit’s success at saving jobs by opposing COVID mandates.  “I have a proven record – a record of my heart.  I am the San Diego Republican Party endorsed candidate,” adding that she’s also endorsed by Supervisors Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond, as well as local Republican mayors and Congressman Darrell Issa.  “I do not believe at the end of the day that government is necessarily the solution to our problems,” she said.  “If government would get out of the way, we would see more housing affordable to San Diegans.  She encouraged voters to reach out to her and promised to respond.

You can learn more about all four candidates at their websites:

https://www.monica4sandiego.com/

https://www.janessagoldbeck.com/

https://amyforsandiego.com/

https://paulmcquigg4sandiego.com/

Ballots must be cast no later than August 15.  You can vote by mail or at 29 dropboxes.  For information on polling locations,  visit https://www.sdvote.com/.

If no candidate wins 50% or more of the votes, there will be a runoff race in November.

The district includes much of central and south San Diego County as well as the SDSU college area and the East County communities of Casa de Oro, Crest,  Dehesa, La Mesa, Lemon Grove,  Spring Valley, Mt. Helix, and Rancho San Diego.