You know how people say San Diego is just a "sleepy" beach town? Well, the san diego county election results 2024 basically proved everyone wrong. It was a chaotic, high-stakes marathon that kept everyone up late—and then some. While the national news was screaming about the White House, we were over here watching razor-thin margins on sales taxes and local school boards that arguably affect our daily lives way more.
Honestly, the biggest takeaway wasn't just who won, but how the political map in our backyard is shifting. We saw incumbents holding on by their fingernails and a massive surprise resignation that nobody saw coming.
The Mayor and the City Council: A Blue Fortress?
Todd Gloria walked away with another term as Mayor of San Diego. It wasn't exactly a shocker, but it was closer than some pundits expected early on. Gloria pulled in 55.3% of the vote (about 317,015 votes), fending off Larry Turner, a police officer who ran as an independent. Turner actually put up a respectable fight with 44.7%, tapping into some of that deep-seated frustration people have about homelessness and the cost of living.
The City Council stayed solid blue, too.
- Sean Elo-Rivera (District 9) survived a challenge from Terry Hoskins, bagging nearly 61% of the vote.
- Stephen Whitburn (District 3) also cruised to a win against Coleen Cusack.
- Henry Foster III won a special election earlier in the year, which basically cemented a 9-0 Democratic supermajority on the council.
It’s a massive amount of power concentrated in one party. If you live in the city, this means the current trajectory on housing and "transit-first" policies is full steam ahead.
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The Supervisors and the Nora Vargas Bombshell
The County Board of Supervisors was supposed to be the "stable" part of the night. All three incumbents up for re-election—Nora Vargas, Joel Anderson, and Terra Lawson-Remer—won their seats.
Terra Lawson-Remer’s win in District 3 was particularly huge for local Dems. She beat former Mayor Kevin Faulconer 57% to 43%. People thought Faulconer’s name ID would make it a toss-up, but the "Trump effect" seemed to weigh him down in a coastal district that has trended away from the GOP for years.
The Plot Twist: Just weeks after her victory, Chair Nora Vargas announced she wouldn't actually take the oath of office for her second term. She cited "personal safety and security reasons." This left a massive hole in the board and forced a special election for early 2025. It kind of turned the 2024 victory into a 2025 headache.
Measure E and Your Wallet
If you like lower prices at the register, you probably breathed a sigh of relief. Measure E, the proposed 1% sales tax hike for the City of San Diego, actually failed. It was a nail-biter.
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The final tally showed "No" at 50.3% and "Yes" at 49.7%. We’re talking a difference of just a few thousand votes out of over half a million cast. The city was looking at that $400 million in potential revenue to fix our notoriously bad potholes and crumbling storm drains. Without it? Expect some very awkward budget meetings at City Hall this year.
School Boards: The New Battleground
Don’t overlook the San Diego Unified School District results. These races used to be boring. Not anymore.
Incumbent Sabrina Bazzo barely held onto her seat against Crystal Trull. The margin was roughly 50.9% to 49.1%. It’s a clear sign that parents are still pretty split on how the district handled post-pandemic recovery and curriculum changes. Meanwhile, veterans like Richard Barrera and Sharon Whitehurst-Payne ran unopposed or won easily, keeping the board’s core leadership intact.
Surprising Numbers from the 75th Assembly
Further north and east, Carl DeMaio made a loud comeback. Running for the 75th Assembly District, he dominated with about 60% of the vote against fellow Republican Andrew Hayes. DeMaio has been a fixture in San Diego politics for decades, and his move to Sacramento suggests that the more conservative parts of the county are leaning into his brand of "reform" politics more than ever.
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Why These Results Still Matter
Kinda feels like we're always in "election mode" now, doesn't it? But the 2024 results are the blueprint for what's coming next. We have a City Council with total control but no new tax revenue. We have a County Board in flux because of a sudden vacancy. And we have a voter base that is clearly frustrated—even when they vote for incumbents, they aren't doing it by huge margins.
If you’re looking for actionable insights from this mess:
- Watch the Special Election: The District 1 Supervisor seat is the new "must-watch" race. It determines the balance of power for a $8 billion county budget.
- Budget Cuts are Coming: Since Measure E failed, keep an eye on your local park or library hours. Something's gotta give.
- Register Early: San Diego had a 52.2% turnout for the primary but jumped way higher for the general. If you want a say in these razor-thin margins, you can't sit out the local stuff.
The san diego county election results 2024 showed us that while the big titles (Mayor, Supervisor) might look the same, the ground underneath them is shifting. Every vote really did count this time, especially when it came to your pocketbook.
Next Steps for San Diegans
Check your voter registration status through the San Diego County Registrar of Voters website to ensure you are ready for the upcoming special elections. If you live in District 1, start researching the new slate of candidates now, as that seat is currently the most influential vacancy in the region.