We are officially less than two weeks away from the Primary, which means the General Election in November will be here before we know it.
In North County, several races could shift political dynamics and policy directions in the area.
Here are the North County races we’ll be watching closely.
San Marcos and Vista are Getting New Mayors
San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones and Vista Mayor John Franklin, both Republicans, are running for the District 5 County Board of Supervisors seat currently held by Jim Desmond, who is termed out.
Democrat Kyle Krahel (the former chair of the county Democratic party) is also a top candidate for the seat. Other candidates in the race are Norma Contreras, a Democrat and former chair of the La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians, and Sasha Miller, an independent endorsed by the Green Party. The top two vote getters in the Primary will advance to the General Election.
Mayor Franklin has served on the Vista City Council since 2014 and as mayor since 2022. His decision to run for supervisor and not for a second mayoral term means Vista will need to elect a new mayor. Mayor Jones has served on the San Marcos City Council since 2007 and as mayor since 2018. Her run for supervisor means San Marcos will also elect a new mayor this year.
In San Marcos, former Councilmember Sharon Jenkins and current District 2 Councilmember Mike Sannella have announced their run for mayor. Lindsey Smith, a San Marcos planning commissioner, and Justin Matsushita, the former Santee Fire Chief, are running for Sannella’s vacated District 2 seat.
And in Vista, former Councilmember Joe Green and resident Kenneth Zuniga are running for the mayoral seat. Green served two terms on the Vista City Council from 2016 to 2024, representing District 2 and is a real estate broker. Zuniga currently serves on the city’s Homelessness Commission.
Councilmember Dan O’Donnell is running for re-election unopposed.
A Vista Councilmember is Leaving: District 1 City Councilmember Corinna Contreras, a Democrat, is running to represent the 48th Congressional District, which has shaped up to be one of the most competitive races this election.
Contreras is up for re-election this year, so her decision to run for congress and not for another term on the Vista Council means her seat is up for grabs.
Frank Nuñez, a small business owner who serves on the Vista Irrigation District Board, and resident Yolanda Kenniston-Alvarez have both filed to run for her Council seat.
In the race for the 48th, Contreras will face Desmond, a Republican, as well as a slew of other Democratic candidates including San Diego City Councilmember Marni Von Wilpert, Ammar Campa-Najjar, who lost the seat to the current 48th Congressional District Rep. Darrell Issa in 2020, and Brandon Riker, an economist and former staffer in the Obama administration.
Issa dropped out of the race a couple months ago. You can read more about that here.
The top two vote getters in the Primary will move on to the General Election.
Another San Marcos Councilmember is Seeking Higher Office: District 4 San Marcos City Councilmember Ed Musgrove also has his sights set elsewhere. Musgrove, a Republican, is running for the 40th Senate District. But his seat on San Marcos’ Council is not yet up for re-election, so he will return to San Marcos if he loses his bid for state senate.
Former state Assembly candidate Kristie Bruce-Lane, also a Republican, is also running for the seat, along with San Diego Unified School District Board Trustee Sabrina Bazzo, a Democrat, and former San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott, who has not declared a party affiliation. The top two vote getters in the Primary will face off in November.
Newcomers v. Incumbents
In several North County cities, new faces have stepped in to challenge incumbent candidates seeking re-election, giving voters a chance to decide if they want to stick with the leaders they know or vote in new ones.
Encinitas: Encinitas’ incumbent Mayor Bruce Ehlers is facing challenger Rimga Viskanta, a trustee on the San Dieguito Union High School District board. Ehlers was elected mayor in 2024, beating then-incumbent mayor Tony Kranz. He also served for several years on the city’s Planning Commission.
In District 3, community organizer Arielle Golden and Ed Sprague, former president of the Olivenhain Municipal Water District, have filed to run. The seat will be vacated by Councilmember Joy Lyndes, who is not running for re-election.
Finally, in District 4, landscaper Brad Lefkowits has filed to run for District 4, which is currently held by Councilmember Marco Antonio. Antonio was appointed to his seat by the City Council and has not announced whether he’s planning to run for re-election.
Oceanside: In Oceanside, two Councilmembers are up for re-election – Deputy Mayor Eric Joyce, who represents District 1, and Councilmember Rick Robinson, who represents District 2. Both were first elected in 2022.
Joyce will face community organizer Michael Cline for his seat. Robinson is facing off against Emily Gonzales, who currently serves on the city’s Planning Commission, and Oscarin Ortega, who is the founder of a nonprofit called Lived Experiences.
Escondido: The mayor’s seat and two City Council seats are up for election in Escondido. Incumbent Mayor Dane White was first elected mayor in 2022, defeating then-incumbent mayor Paul McNamara. He is facing off against newcomer Elias Velazquez, who works for nonprofit Brother Benno’s Foundation.
Councilmember Consuelo Martinez, who was first elected to the Council in 2018, has decided not to seek re-election in District 1. She has been the sole Democratic voice on the majority Republican Council for the past few years.
Running for the District 1 seat is Marine Corps veteran Tanner Horsley, former IRS employee Alisa Nicholson Rice and Vanessa Valenzuela, who works for the nonprofit I Love a Clean San Diego.
In District 2, incumbent Deputy Mayor Joe Garcia, who was first elected to his seat in 2020, is seeking re-election against challenger Anthony DiMartino, who works in government affairs.
Carlsbad: In Carlsbad, three seats are open including the mayor’s seat. Incumbent Mayor Keith Blackburn, who was first elected to the City Council in 2008, is facing emergency medical technician Eric Nixon, as well as a candidate listed as Skar in their filing paperwork.
Incumbent Councilmember Melanie Burkholder is running for re-election in District 1 against challenger Jennifer Kerwin, who has previously served on several school district committees.
And Mayor Pro Tem Priya Bhat-Patel is running for District 3 unopposed.
Del Mar: There are two open seats on the City Council this year. One seat is held by Councilmember Terry Gaasterland, and the other has remained vacant since former Councilmember Dwight Worden retired in 2024.
Gaasterland has served on the Council since 2018, during which time she has served twice as the city’s mayor, a role that rotates between council members. She is running for re-election against challengers Jeff Sturgis, who serves on Del Mar’s Finance Committee, and business litigator Meghan Spieker.
In February, the San Diego County Democratic Party refused to endorse Gaasterland due to concerns over her voting record and appearances on conservative-leaning platforms.
In Other News
- The Del Mar City Council on Tuesday officially rejected a proposed affordable housing project called Seaside Ridge after the attorney general’s office warned the city to make a final call one way or another, opening the door for the developer to move forward with its lawsuit against the city over its denial of the project. (Voice of San Diego)
Related: Read more about the yearslong Seaside Ridge saga here. - Meanwhile in Encinitas, Planning Commissioners recently approved a controversial 27-home development on an ocean bluff site. (Union-Tribune)
- The California Coastal Commission denied a set of appeals from local groups arguing against the approval of a controversial 448-unit Quail Meadows Apartments project in Encinitas. (Coast News)
- Tri-City Medical Center has officially opened its renovated and redesigned emergency department. (Coast News)