SAN DIEGO – Early returns from the special election held on July 1 to fill the vacancy on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors for District 1 show a significant lead for Paloma Aguirre, the current mayor of Imperial Beach, positioning her as the likely winner over Chula Vista Mayor John McCann.
According to preliminary results released by the Registrar of Voters, Aguirre has received 37,324 votes, accounting for 53.22 percent of the total. In contrast, McCann has garnered 32,805 votes, or 46.78 percent. As of this report, a total of 70,276 ballots have been counted—67,794 by mail and 2,482 in-person at voting centers.
Election officials noted that approximately 9,500 ballots remain to be processed. However, for McCann to overturn the current trend, he would need to secure roughly 74 percent of the remaining votes—an outcome that appears statistically unlikely based on the voting pattern observed so far.
Given the projected results, McCann reached out to Aguirre to acknowledge her likely victory, a clear indication that the outcome is virtually decided.
If confirmed, Aguirre would complete the term left vacant after Nora Vargas resigned in January, citing personal and family safety concerns in a resignation letter that offered little further detail.
Voter turnout was recorded at 19 percent, from a pool of over 370,000 registered voters in District 1. This area includes the cities of Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, National City, and several communities in South San Diego.
Should the results be certified, Aguirre would become the first official from Imperial Beach to serve on the Board of Supervisors and would contribute to forming a 3–2 Democratic majority within the county’s legislative body.
The Registrar of Voters emphasized that the official certification deadline is July 31. If the current trend holds, Aguirre is expected to take office before the end of the month, with her term running through January 2029.
Her addition to the Board could have significant implications for future decisions on the county’s budget, social programs, and key regional policies. The election proceeded without any major incidents and with a steady pace in vote processing.
The count will continue in the coming days until all valid ballots are tallied.