HELLECTION 2020: A progressive voting guide to San Diego’s general election

Buckle up, cuz Ryan and former San Diego CityBeat editor Seth Combs take you on a crash course through this year’s ballot

Here we are again. After last February’s primary voter guide, I swore to myself that I’d never write a voting guide again. It’s not that I can’t handle the pushback when it comes to putting out a political opinion… well, I guess it kind of is. I mean, getting dragged online sucks. And it’s so avoidable!

But I can’t just not put out a voter guide. When we stop caring about having our voices heard, it’s easy for bad actors to take power.

Plus, I have my former CityBeat editor Seth Combs — who’s co-writing this thing — to share some of the blame. In fact, we decided it’d be a good idea to talk extensively about the ballot on a [checks notes] podcast? I’ve heard people like these things, but I think they’re kind of a fad. But if listening over reading is your thing, we’ve got you covered with the HELLECTION 2020 podcast! It’s also cool because it features some amazing guests like political analyst Matt Strabone, criminal justice journalist, Kelly Davis, and cannabis expert Jackie Bryant. Hell yeah.

 

Jump ahead to certain topics (if that’s your thing): 

• Intro/Presidential/Congress talk: 0:00

• CA Assembly: 31:17

• Board of Supervisors: 45:40

• Mayor, City Council: 1:00:00

• Measures: 1:48:50

• Propositions: 2:24:23

Without further ado, let’s get to it. 

NATIONAL RACES

President

Who the hell is undecided at this point? The electoral college is going to go for Biden, so if you’re one of those types that’s still mad that Bernie didn’t win, it’s probably okay to do your little protest vote. I just hope you consider that this is a privilege of living in a liberal state, a privilege that — if you are dead set on casting a protest vote — you’ve probably already benefited from your entire life.  

Vote Joe Biden for President.

49th District

• Brian Maryott (R)

• Mike Levin (D) 

COVID is the frying pan in our timeline; climate change is the fire. Literally. This year, we’ve seen the effects of climate change at its most vicious, and it doesn’t really matter if we solve one extinction crisis if we’re unwilling to address the other. 

Mike Levin’s been a strong proponent for the environment, and we need more people like that in Congress. Keep him in there, fam. 

Vote Mike Levin for the 49th Congressional District

50th District

• Ammar Campa-Najjar (D)

• Darrell Issa (R)

This used to be Vapin’ Duncan Hunter’s district, but you might have heard that he’s kind of a criminal and is set to serve a prison sentence come 2021. Good riddance to bad Duncish. So now this district — which encompasses a lot of East County and North County — is up for grabs. 

This one’s a no-brainer. It’s clear that Ammar Campa-Najjar cares about his district. When the fires raged through East County, he was out on the ground and helping out. Issa, on the other hand, is an opportunistic carpetbagger. He doesn’t even live in the 50th! Before this race opened up, Issa had supposedly retired, but I guess you can’t stop a really dumb shark when there’s blood in the water. 

Vote Ammar Campa-Najjar for the 50th Congressional District.

51st District 

• Juan Hidalgo Jr. (R)

• Juan Vargas (D) 

THERE CAN ONLY BE JUAN! Juan Vargas is far from perfect. As our former CityBeat colleague Aaryn Belfer once pointed out, Vargas has accepted money from private prisons, and was called out for that during a Keep Families Together rally. However, he has since donated a good sum of money to groups like Border Angels and Immigration Justice Project, so it’s clear he wants to make amends. Plus, his opponent, Hidalgo Jr., has MAGA worms in his brain. 

Vote Juan Vargas for the 51st Congressional District.

52nd District 

• Scott Peters (D) 

• Jim DeBello (R)

Scott Peters is the incumbent here, and for all intents and purposes, he’s done a really good job. He’s very centrist — pretty sure he’s what both Democrats and Republicans think about when they yearn for bipartisanship. Imagine a Centrism-To-Go kit, and it’s just a rolled-up Scott Peters. But he was, surprisingly, one of the first politicians to come out and formally call for Donald Trump’s impeachment, and that took a lot of nerve. So, respect. Plus, Peters is really good on Twitter.

Vote Scott Peters for the 52nd Congressional District.

53rd District

• Georgette Gómez (D)

• Sara Jacobs (D)

After serving this district since 2003, Susan Davis is retiring this year, clearing the way for two very good candidates: Georgette Gómez and Sara Jacobs. There’s a chance that you’ve seen Jacobs’ name — she’s the granddaughter of San Diego millionaire and Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs — and therefore it’s very tempting to say she’s buying this election. And in a sense, that’s true, since candidates with the most money usually win. However, Jacobs knows her stuff, is engaging and has a good answer for everything (as evidenced during her debate with Gómez during Voice of San Diego’s Politifiest).

That said, Georgette Gómez has experience, and she’s deeply engaged with her community. (In the original copy of this endorsement, we mentioned that Sara Jacobs doesn’t live in the district. We were later informed by one of her staff that Jacobs moved from North County to Bankers Hill in 2018). Gómez has risen to prominence through hard work, community building and engagement, and that’s the kind of experience that gives congresspeople like AOC and Ilhan Omar such an edge in national politics. 

It’s a tough call, but we’re leaning toward Georgette Gómez.  

Vote Georgette Gómez for the 53rd Congressional District.

CALIFORNIA RACES

The best way to think about the state assembly is that it’s ostensibly the House of Representatives for California. These are the people that are making laws for the state.  

State Assembly — Dist. 75

• Marie Waldron (R) 

• Kate Schwartz (D)

This is not a competitive race. We don’t see this district flipping, and it will likely go to the incumbent, Marie Waldron, a Republican. But Kate Schwartz is a fine person and totally deserves your vote. 

Vote Kate Schwartz for the 75th Assembly District.

State Assembly — Dist. 76

• Tasha Boerner Horvath (D) 

• Melanie Burkholder (R)

Tasha Boerner Horvath is the incumbent and we have no qualms with her sticking around. 

Vote Tasha Boerner Horvath for the 76th Assembly District.

State Assembly — Dist. 77

• Brian Maienschein (D)

• June Yang Cutter (R) 

Maienschein (pronounced “mansion” or “haunted mansion” or “has a mansion”)is the incumbent here, and it’s important to note that up until recently he used to be a Republican before switching parties. Does this really affect how he performs? Not really. I mean, the cynical among us could say that he saw writing on the wall — that his district was leaning blue — and switched parties to secure the incumbency, but whatever. Even when he was a Republican, he was a decent and thoughtful guy.    

Vote Brian Maienschein for the 77th Assembly District.

State Assembly — Dist. 78

• Chris Ward (D) 

• Sarah Davis (D)

Big Chris Ward stan here. As the chair of San Diego’s Homelessness Task Force, Chris Ward has been instrumental in fighting San Diego’s homelessness problem. He’s been a leading progressive voice on the council, and has really shown that he cares about his constituency. 

That said, Sarah Davis would also make a great Assemblymember. She’s made a big splash and earned an impressive swell of support for making Coronavirus recovery her number one priority. It’s a little hard to tell if that’ll be relevant when the virus goes away, but hey, maybe it’ll never go away. 

Vote Chris Ward for the 78th Assembly District (but Sarah Davis, if you’re reading/listening, please run for something again) 

State Assembly — Dist. 80

John Vogel (R) 

Lorena Gonzalez (D) 

With AB5 (the bill that essentially codified contract workers) Lorena Gonzalez gained a lot of enemies among both progressives and conservatives, and that really sucks because she’s a true fighter for the underdog. Gonzalez is relentlessly progressive (sometimes to a fault), speaks her mind, and is unwilling to take shit from anyone. It’s such a shame that AB5 has essentially become her “Hillary’s emails” because, for the most part, the issues that we had with AB5 (we’re talking about freelance writers here) have been fixed. At this point, the enduring animosity toward Gonzalez is just another example of sexism when it comes to a strong-willed woman in politics. 

And, like, who the fuck is John Vogel? 

Vote Lorena Gonzalez for the 80th Assembly District.

CITY/COUNTY RACES

The role of the Board of Supervisors has become incredibly visible during the pandemic. These are the people who are in control of the county funds, which would include health measures. They decide on, say, when we should shut down businesses during a pandemic, or whether the Sheriff’s Department should get trained on mental health outreach and stuff like that. It’s not a glamorous position like Mayor or City Council, but it’s super important and directly affects our lives. 

Board of Supervisors — Dist. 1

• Ben Hueso (D)

• Nora Vargas (D)

Nora Vargas has worked as the Vice President of Community & Government Relations for Planned Parenthood, so she already has science on her side and public health issues on the brain. Namely we’re just looking for people who believe in science to fill this role in case there is, say, a deadly pandemic or a Hepatitis A outbreak. And we all know that Republicans don’t believe in science. It’s a scientifically proven fact. 

Vote Nora Vargas for Board of Supervisors District 1

Board of Supervisors — Dist. 2

• Steve Vaus (R)

• Joel Anderson (R)

Vaus wears a cowboy hat; Anderson’s a career politician who looks like a Batman villain. Both are Republicans. If you’re the type who wants to have a beer with the person you’re voting for, vote Vaus, the Poway mayor who likes to tout his cowboy demeanor and didn’t call for more gun control when a synagogue in his city got shot up. Anderson has a little more history working with Democrats, especially Nathan Fletcher, so maybe vote for Anderson. 

Fuck it, vote Joel Anderson for Board of Supervisors District 2

Board of Supervisors — Dist. 3

• Kristin Gaspar (R) 

• Terra Lawson-Remer (D) 

Oh god. At the Trump factory, you’ll see a shrink-wrapped Trump steak emerge on the conveyor belt, and then right next to it, a shrink-wrapped Kristin Gaspar. She also doesn’t know where people can vote.

Anyway, Terra Lawson-Remer is awesome. Just look at her endorsement page: it’s all environmental and health organizations. 

Vote Terra Lawson-Remer for Board of Supervisors District 3

SAN DIEGO CITY POSITIONS

San Diego Mayor

• Todd Gloria (D)

• Barbara Bry (D)

Just vote Todd Gloria, mmk? In the podcast, we try to compare him to Michael Jordan: he’s just a guy who’s done so well in his career that it’s hard to pinpoint what exactly makes him good. Todd Gloria is just a delight, and he’s already had experience being mayor (during which he did a lot of great things). 

Vote Todd Gloria for Mayor of San Diego. 

San Diego City Attorney

• Mara Elliot 

• Cory Briggs

Ugh, this is the race from hell. Both these people are awful. Gun to our heads, Seth and I say go for Mara Elliot, but be prepared to be sued by Cory Briggs if he loses.

 Or maybe just leave it blank.  

Vote (sigh) Mara Elliot for City Attorney. 

SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL 

City Council positions are important—these are the folks who generally steer our city. It’s important to know which district you live in and who your council member is, because in most cases, they’re your most direct line to making political change in the community.

City Council — Dist. 1

• Joe LaCava (D)

• Will Moore (D)

Joe LaCava is the way to go here. Will Moore is fine, too, but LaCava has a ton of experience in civil engineering, which would come in handy in addressing things like housing and infrastructure. He’s a board member of Enhance La Jolla and was the vice chairman of the Citizens Advisory Board on Police-Community Relations. That’s the kind of experience we’re looking for in a city councilperson. 

Vote Joe LaCava for City Council District 1

City Council — Dist. 3

• Stephen Whitburn (D)

• Toni Duran (D)

You can’t really go wrong voting for either of them, but Seth has a bone to pick with Whitburn. Before the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police, Whitburn had the San Diego Police Officer Association’s endorsement on his website. However, during the subsequent community uprisings, Whitburn took that endorsement off his site, but then a month later — after the protests subsided — he put it back up. It feels disingenuous, pandering and straight-up two-faced. 

Toni Duran, on the other hand, has authenticity in spades. Plus, she’s very visible with her community, and was sure as hell at the BLM protests.

Vote Toni Duran for City Council District 3

City Council — Dist. 5

• Joe Leventhal (R)

• Marni von Wilpert (D)

Here’s another easy one. Marni von Wilpert is awesome. She has a very forward-thinking, progressive, practical mindset, even for someone who lives in the suburbs. Like, she believes in science! And masks! As seen during the Politifest debate held by Voice of San Diego, she was also not afraid to say she was a Biden supporter, whereas Joe Leventhal took the cowardly approach and just said he didn’t want to discuss national politics. C’mon, bro. We may have suspected you loved Trump, but now we know.  

Vote Marni von Wilpert for City Council District 5

City Council — Dist. 7

• Raul Campillo (D)

• Noli Zosa (R)

Another easy one. Noli Zosa is the owner of Dirty Birds — a regional chain of chicken wing restaurants — and he makes a fine wing, but I don’t want him to be on the city council. He’s also vehemently anti-bike lanes. Boo. 

Vote Raul Campillo for City Council District 7

City Council — Dist. 9

• Kelvin Barrios (D) 

• Sean Elo-Rivera (D)

Kelvin Barrios is trash. In the words of San Diego political analyst Matt Strabone (who’s a guest on the podcast [seriously, listen to the podcast]) here are all of Barrios’ transgressions: “Stole money from his clients when he was a campaign treasurer, and then was fined thousands of dollars by the state of California for it. Then stole from his friends and is currently under criminal investigation by the DA for it. He then lied about being under criminal investigation. He got paid by an interest group while also working for the city…” and, well, the list goes on. 

Barrios has since suspended his campaign, but you’ll still be able to vote for him, and he says he’ll serve if elected. Seriously, the guy doesn’t know when to quit. 

On the other hand, you couldn’t ask for a better candidate than Sean Elo-Rivera. He served on the San Diego Community College District’s Board of Trustees, is the executive director of Youth Will, an organization that empowers youth to become community organizers, and is just a straight shooter (Strabone speaks to more of Elo-Rivera’s strengths in the podcast [seriously, listen to the podcast!]). It’s been a long time since we’ve been this excited for a San Diego politician. 

Vote Sean Elo-Rivera for City Council District 9 

LOCAL MEASURES

Measure A — San Diego

A $900 million bond measure that would be paid back by raising property taxes. Funds from the bond would go toward the construction of 7500 apartment units for low-income San Diegans. Needs 2/3 vote to pass

Big ole yes. The bottom line is that homelessness in San Diego is a major problem, and the only way to solve it is to build more homes. The U-T says vote no, but their argument says that the cost of prefab housing is expensive. But action sooner is better than later. People who are more concerned with money are the type that like to kick the can down the road. 

Vote yes on Measure A. 

Measure B — San Diego

Would establish a Commission on Police Practices with investigative and subpoena power to investigate police officer misconduct and complaints. Members would be appointed by the City Council. Needs simple majority to pass. 

If we’ve learned anything this year, it’s that there cannot be too much police oversight. Based on how largely ineffective the Citizens' Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) is when it comes to actual police reform, we have little faith that a commission would ever be very impactful, but, baby steps, you know?  

Former CityBeat associate editor and award-winning criminal justice journalist Kelly Davis has a lot to say about this measure on the podcast (you should listen to it!). 

Vote yes on Measure B.

Measure C — San Diego Unified School District 

Makes it so that voters can elect members of their school board by district, rather than citywide. And members would be elected by district in both primary and general elections outright, as opposed to the current system where top vote getters move on to the full citywide election in the general election. Needs a simple majority to pass.

As two people without kids, we don’t have a lot at stake in this race. But in this op-ed in the Union-Tribune (written by a teacher and the president of San Diego’s NAACP) claims that cities like LA which have enacted this type of measure have seen more special interest money put into these races. Basically, it further partisans an issue that shouldn’t necessarily be politicized. 

Tentatively vote no on Measure C. 

Measure D — San Diego Unified School District 

Measure that amends city charter to make it so that members of the SDUSD school board can also be removed (much like elected politicians) for cause. Needs a simple majority to pass. 

Doi. The Union-Tribune notes that there is no formal opposition to this one. 

Vote yes on Measure D.

Measure E — San Diego

Removes height 30-foot height restrictions on redevelopment in the Midway District, including Sports Arena complex. Needs a simple majority to pass.  

This is a good plan. The Midway District is long overdue for a facelift, plus high-density urban planning is good land use. [Homer Simpson voice]: mmmmm good land use. 

Vote yes on Measure E.

Measure H (Encinitas), Measure J (Lemon Grove), Measure M (Oceanside), Measure S (Solana Beach)

A series of measures dealing in legal cannabis retail distribution, growth and taxes. 

· Measure H — Allows for the retail sale of cannabis in Encinitas (city currently has no retail shops). Simple majority to pass.

· Measure J — Establishes new taxes on cannabis retail sales, cultivation and distribution. Would be 8 percent for retail sales and 4 percent for other businesses. Needs simple majority to pass. 

· Measure M (Oceanside) — Establishes new revenue taxes on cannabis retail sales (up to 6 percent) and cultivation (up to 3.5 percent). City Council will establish tax if measure passes by simple majority. 

· Measure S (Solana Beach) — Would repeal law that prohibits any marjiuana-related activities and business and replace it with a new ordinance authorizing, regulating, and taxing commercial cannabis businesses.

For these measures, we consulted journalist Jackie Bryant — an expert on cannabis issues and writer of the great Cannabitch newsletter — and she had a lot of interesting and informed takes on how these measures boost the economy and work toward normalizing cannabis commerce. Subscribe to Cannabitch and listen to our discussion with her on the podcast. 

Vote yes on Measure H, Measure J, Measure M, and Measure S.

STATE PROPOSITIONS 

Proposition 14

Authorizes $5.5 billion state bonds for: stem cell and other medical research, including training; research facility construction; administrative costs.

As fans of science, we like this. Stem cell research is vital in cancer treatment, Alzheimer's research and other debilitating afflictions. Opposition basically states that it’s too expensive i.e. “in this economy??” We’re gonna go out on a limb and say helping people stay alive is better than saving money on taxes. 

Vote yes on Proposition 14.  

Proposition 15

Raises property taxes on commercial properties with a market value of $3 million or more with funds (est. $6.5 to $11.5 billion) going to city governments (60 percent) and school/community college funding (40 percent). 

Opposition to this prop claims that a “yes” vote will potentially force small businesses to shut down. This is largely a scare tactic. This prop is aimed at taxing large corporations — the Disneylands, if you will, and they have the money to cover it. Absolutely no residential properties will be affected. 

Vote yes on Proposition 15.

Proposition 16

Reverses ban on affirmative action in place since 1996. Allows universities and government institutions to factor in someone’s race, gender or ethnicity when it comes to hiring, spending and admissions.

This is long overdue. Opponents will say that considering race and sex in any way is inherently discriminatory, but… like, you know those curmudgeonly comedians that say stuff like, “It doesnt matter if you’re Black, white, man, woman — I’ll make jokes about anyone!” And most of the time it’s a white libertarian saying this kind of stuff? In most cases, it’s those in power — i.e. white people — that are determining what’s racist or not. As we’ve been bludgeoned with in recent years, our nation is kinda racist. We need Affirmative Action to stop the inherent white supremacy — whether implicit or explicit — in schools and government institutions. Shirley Weber is a supporter. Same with, surprisingly, Kevin Faulconer. Good job, Kev! We don’t get to say that often. 

Vote yes on Proposition 16.

Proposition 17

Restores voting rights to parolees once they’ve been released from prison. Also allows them to run for office unless they’ve been convicted of bribery or perjury. 

I thought bribery and perjury were a prerequisite for running for office?? HEY-O! No but, this is an easy one. On the podcast, Kelly Davis discusses this one at length. Essentially, allowing parolees to vote and making them feel like part of society goes a long way in restoring humanity and decreasing recidivism. 

Vote yes on Proposition 17.

Proposition 18

Amends California Constitution to allow 17-year-olds to vote in special or primary elections if they will be 18 by the next general election. 

If we start letting 17-year-olds vote, we’re going to end up with Post Malone as President and BTS as his cabinet! JK. Let the nearly 17-year-olds vote. Kids are just smart and civically engaged as your average voter — and probably more informed than their parents. There’s really not that much difference between a 17 and 18-year-old. 

Vote yes on Proposition 18.

Proposition 19

Amends property tax rules to allow California residents who are over 55, disabled or the victim of a natural disaster, to transfer what they pay in property taxes to a new residence. Also closes a tax break loophole for those who inherit a property so that they only pay the inherited property tax rate if they reside at said property. 

Seth and I had a hard time on Prop 19. I didn’t think there was much difference between this and rent control, plus it would bring in a lot of money for firefighters. However, real estate agents love this prop, and it’s easy to think of some bro inheriting a house, turning it into an AirBnb and never having to pay taxes on it. It just feels like something we shouldn’t have to decide. Sigh. I say yes. Seth said no at first, but then he kind of said yes, reluctantly. 

Vote reluctant yes on Proposition 19.  

Proposition 20

Limits parole eligibility for those convicted and sentenced for certain non-violent crimes and doubles the amount of crimes where offenders would not be eligible for parole. Also increases penalties for certain theft-related crimes and allows law enforcement to collect DNA samples of adults convicted of certain property theft misdemeanors. 

All you need to know is that Boiled Rat Carl DeMaio supports this. On the podcast, Kelly Davis talks about how this prop unfairly penalizes POC, and is just generally scaremongering. You should listen to the podcast. Seriously. 

Vote no on Proposition 20. 

Proposition 21

Allows cities to pass and implement rent control measures for properties over 15 years old. 

Zzzzz are we done with the props yet? Vote for this one because cities should be allowed to enact their own laws when it comes to rent control, not states. 

Vote yes on Proposition 21. 

Proposition 22

Restores “independent contractor” distinction to app-based businesses such as Lyft, Uber, Postmates, etc. Would allow these businesses to not classify drivers as employees, but as workers for hire. 

This is the big prop that everyone’s talking about. Basically, Big Tech companies like Lyft, Uber and Doordash have pumped $180 million into this campaign, and it would’ve been cool if they had spent that money on, you know, paying their drivers like employees. Many people rely on Lyft and Uber, and it’s hard to imagine a world without their services, but these are egregiously exploitative companies, and they shouldn’t get away with not compensating their labor fairly.  

Vote no on Proposition 22. 

Proposition 23

Would require kidney dialysis clinics to have at least one physician on-site at all times during business hours, report infection data to the state, keep clinics from discriminating against certain types of insurance and get approval from the state before closing a clinic. 

We’re no medical experts, but it seems strange that dialysis clinics aren’t required already to have a physician on site at all times.

Vote yes on Proposition 23.  

Proposition 24

Allows Californians to limit how companies use their online data including geolocation, race, ethnicity, and health information. Also establishes California Privacy Protection Agency.

This is a funky prop that seems good on the surface, but apparently has a lot of strange holes. Both the ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation are wary of this, which gives one the impression that it’s not good. 

Vote no on Proposition 24.

Proposition 25

Replaces cash bail system with system based on public safety and flight risk per an algorithmic process. 

Ah, the last prop is easy: cash bail is super problematic and largely penalizes the poor. It definitely needs an overhaul. The only reason we’d recommend voting no is because we’re pretty sure bail bondsman King Stahlman’s ghost will personally come to your house and break your legs. 

Vote yes on Proposition 25.