By G. A. McNeeley
Miriam Raftery contributed to this report
June 6, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) – The County Board of Supervisors will soon have a new face representing the 5th district, since Jim Desmond is termed out and running for the 48th Congressional District. San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones, a Republican, has a strong lead with 39.62 percent of the vote as of Friday. But with 32.5% of votes counted, it’s not yet clear which other contender will advance to the runoff in November.
Kyle Krahel, the Democratic Party chairman, has 21.37%, followed closely by Vista Mayor John Franklin, a Republican with 18.95%. Norma Contreras, a Democrat, has 11.59%, trailed by independent candidate Sasha Miller with 8.47%.
Below are details on the candidates.
Rebecca Jones
Jones has served as San Marcos mayor since December 2018, and that she previously served in the San Marcos City Council for a decade, beginning in 2007.
She identified public safety, quality of life, housing affordability, and government accountability as her top priorities. The county “needs steady, competent leadership that can navigate challenges in a balanced and productive way,” she said, NBC-7 San Diego reported
Jones said San Marcos “achieved the lowest crime rate in our city’s 63-year history, ranked among the top 15 safest cities in California, and became one of America’s safest college towns,” during her tenure. San Marcos also “became the only city in the region reporting a major reduction in homelessness — down 76% — by combining enforcement with real support services,” Jones added. “We banned street encampments while investing in shelter partnerships and mental health support.”
KPBS reported that Jones calls public safety the “cornerstone” of her campaign. She advocates for programs that build positive relationships between law enforcement and youths, such as the “Respect Project.”
Jones also focuses on what she calls practical environmentalism, such as flood control projects and wildfire defense to protect homes and lower insurance premiums. She shared her success in achieving a Class 1 Fire Rating for San Marcos, and sees it as a blueprint for the rest of the district to mitigate climate-driven fire risks.
Kyle Krahel
Krahel said if he’s elected, he’ll focus on “affordability, housing and making sure North County gets its fair share of funding.” NBC-7 San Diego reported that Krahel said he wants more homes built, but acknowledged that’s also “a simple thing to say, but it’s more complex than that.”
Krahel added that one solution is to update county zoning ordinances to increase suitable housing projects. In turn, more housing will ease the homeless crisis, and he also wants more behavioral health outreach and shelters.
Krahel said his time as deputy chief of staff for Democratic Representative Mike Levin allows him to better identify more funding sources, and that he also helped procure $1 million for Oceanside’s first permanent homeless shelter.
KPBS reported that Krahel advocates for transit-oriented “smart growth” to create walkable, job-adjacent housing. His approach to homelessness is to expand mental health and substance abuse treatment, along with strict enforcement for repeat offenders and system abusers.
Krahel also advocates for criminal justice reforms to ensure fairness, but he also wants to hold “repeat offenders and system abusers” accountable by enforcing existing laws.
KPBS added that Krahel wants to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 through beach retention and water conservation. He also advocates for public transit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
John Franklin
Patch reported that Franklin, who was elected as Vista mayor in 2022 after serving two terms on the Vista City Council, said his main priorities are affordability, public safety, fire prevention, road improvements, no tax hikes, and better efforts to ease the homeless problem.
“I’m a passionate opponent of higher taxes because they always fall on the backs of working families, cutting into your paycheck and your purchasing power,” Franklin said. He also posted a pledge to stand up for taxpayers.
Franklin said he strongly believes “that we cannot allow people, many of whom suffer from mental illness or substance abuse, to choose homelessness.” He added that leaders need to utilize the conservatorship law enacted by former Governor Ronald Reagan in 1967, allowing intervention for people disabled by severe mental illness or substance use disorders.
KPBS reported that Franklin is also running on a “Restoring Public Safety” platform. He’s calling for a return to more active policing, and increased funding for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
Franklin also favors market-based innovation for clean energy versus state mandates to combat climate change. His focus is more on infrastructure, ensuring that roads and water systems can withstand extreme weather, while keeping the county budget lean.
Norma Contreras
Contreras, a women’s health advocate, said her top issues are more affordable housing, reducing homelessness, and climate-change threats, CBS-8 San Diego reported.t
Contreras’ background includes advocating for domestic violence victims, environmental issues (including algae reduction in lakes), and proscribed burns on tribal lands. She added that having observed the benefits of tribal stewardship over the land, she wants to continue those practices.
CBS-8 San Diego added that when it comes to policies or challenges, Contreras said “if there are five of seven things that work for us,” it’s best to focus on those five as a way to find common ground.
KPBS reported that Contreras is focused on addressing the root causes of homelessness, which include substance abuse and mental health challenges. She also favors community-driven housing development for affordable housing.
Contreras is also calling for stronger collaboration between county law enforcement and tribal police. She also supports reinstating crime suppression teams in rural areas to ensure they receive the same level of proactive policing as city residents. KPBS added that Concreras emphasizes indigenous land stewardship to combat climate change. She suggests that the county partners with local tribes to draw on traditional ecological knowledge for wildfire prevention and management.
Sasha Miller
Miller said that her priorities as supervisor will be fiscal responsibility, housing for all, supporting immigrants, and justice for Palestinians, according to CBS-8 San Diego.
Miller has taught at CSUSM, worked for the state Department of Public Health in tobacco prevention and education, and the Indian Health Council. She says that in each of her professional roles, her focus “has been the same: improving quality of life for society’s most vulnerable and defending basic human rights everywhere.”
Miller said that she’s worked with indigenous communities to ensure culturally responsive care, trained future public health leaders, and helped shape policy “that protects the well-being of all Californians.”
KPBS reported that Miller sees housing as a fundamental human right, and favors the “housing first” model of getting people into stable housing before requiring them to participate in treatment programs. She also favors inclusive housing policies and community-driven development.
Miller also She calls for protecting immigrant communities from “terrorizing” federal immigration crackdowns. She says low-income and immigrant communities often bear the brunt of climate change, and need more resources to combat it. She also calls for researchers to work directly with communities to address environmental challenges.
Sources:
https://www.votenormacontreras.com/
https://franklinforsupervisor.com/
https://www.jonesforsupervisor.org/
https://www.sashamiller4sd.com/
https://www.livevoterturnout.com/ENR/sandiegocaenr/24/en/Index_24.html