Aguirre moves on, McCann stays put

Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre will be sworn in to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors later this month after defeating Chula Vista Mayor John McCann in the July 1 special election to fill the vacant District 1 seat.

According to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters, as of Thursday Aguirre had received 53.88% of the vote (41,821 votes), while McCann garnered 46.12% (35,793 votes). An estimated 1,300 ballots remain to be counted.

District 1 includes the cities of Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, and National City, as well as 15 neighborhoods in the city of San Diego – such as East Village, Mountain View, and San Ysidro – and six unincorporated communities, including Bonita, East Otay Mesa and a portion of Spring Valley.

Aguirre, a Democrat, has served as mayor of Imperial Beach since December 2022. She was born in San Francisco and has lived in Southern California since 2001.
The Board of Supervisors functions as a nonpartisan governing body, as required by California law.

In a statement released on election night, Aguirre credited working-class residents for her victory.

“Today belongs to the working-class people of District 1, a nuestra gente trabajadora, who now have a fighter at the County Board of Supervisors who will hold the line against the Trump Administration,” she said.

She went on to emphasize her priorities, which include addressing sewage pollution at the U.S.-Mexico border and alleviating economic pressures in the region.

“Voters spoke loud and clear: clean up the sewage crisis, lower costs, and stand up to the chaos, cuts, and intimidation coming out of Trump’s Washington,” Aguirre said.

“We need bold action to protect against Trump’s Medicaid cuts, clean up the polluted sewage poisoning our communities and finally get serious about putting County funding where it belongs: in our communities to help working families who are struggling.”
She also signaled a willingness to work across political lines and address challenges facing all residents.

“Whether you voted for me or not, I’m ready to work my heart out to bring down costs, protect our health, and deliver results – no matter your income, political party or zip code,” she said.

Aguirre concluded her remarks by acknowledging her opponent and pledging collaboration with regional leaders.

“I want to thank my opponent, John McCann, for a hard-fought campaign,” she said. “I look forward to working with him and all South County leaders to move us forward.”