San Diego Primary Offers Few Surprises As Focus Turns To November

image
Author: Jeff Powers
Published: 06 Jun, 2018
Updated: 21 Nov, 2022
3 min read

The Primary served as a nice appetizer for what will surely be a remarkable and critically important main course in November. Statewide there was not a "blue wave" as promised by Democrats.

Independents, now the second largest voting bloc in California, are certainly going to play a huge role in determining the statewide races.

For San Diego, here's what we definitively know following last night's election:

DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Summer Stephan is the next District Attorney. Voters resoundingly approved of her bid over Genevieve Jones-Wright.

BOARD OF SUPERVISOR, DISTRICT 4

Nathan Fletcher and former DA Bonnie Dumanis will battle for the 4th District Supervisor seat.

In the race to replace Ron Roberts on the County Board of Supervisors, Fletcher and Dumanis will no doubt have an intense battle for the seat. If voters thought they endured a lot of mail in the primary, see this IVN story, just wait for November!

SHERIFF

Sheriff Bill Gore defeated Dave Myers and will remain in charge of the region's largest law enforcement agency. In the hours following the election, Gore said he would work "more closely with state agencies" to ensure better coordination between law enforcement groups. The comments were in regards to SB 54, the Sanctuary State law.

IVP Donate

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 4

This was perhaps the big surprise of the night and the drama of this race will continue into November. City Council President Myrtle Cole finished ahead of challenger Monica Montgomery by 150 votes. The two women vying for the seat differ in two areas that will no doubt be campaign talking points. Montgomery supports the subpoena power for the Community Review Board on Police Practices (investigates allegations of officer misconduct). Cole has not committed to this issue yet. The other possible difference is with Mission Valley. Montgomery doesn't support either of the plans of SoccerCity or SDSU West. Cole, because of her position on the council, hasn't weighed in on the issue.

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 6

When Measure K passed in 2016, the measure that forces all city council races to November, no matter if a candidate gets over 50%+1 of the vote, Councilman Chris Cate knew it would impact his district.

And it did.

Cate defeated Tommy Hough with 58% of the vote but Measure K stipulates that the most important decisions are made when the most voters are participating, which is clearly in the November General election, not the June Primary. Cate and Hough will square off in November.

OTHER COUNCIL RACES

In District 2, Councilmember Lorie Zapf will face Jennifer Campbell in November. Zapf doubled up Campbell with 44% of the vote.

Let Us Vote : Sign Now!

In District 8, the district left vacant by termed out Democrat David Alvarez, Vivian Moreno will face Antonio Martinez in November. Moreno has received 36% of the vote, Martinez has 27%.

PRIMARY TURNOUT

The drafters of Measure K and L had it right. The biggest civic decisions should not be made when voter turnout is roughly 30%, and that is about where this Primary election will finish. While about 30% is a pretty good result for a primary election, is still pales in comparison to the turnout expected in the November General election.

406,501 ballots have been cast. There are still 220,000 ballots outstanding.

Latest articles

CA capitol building dome with flags.
Why is CA Senator Mike McGuire Trying to Kill the Legal Cannabis Industry?
California’s legal cannabis industry is under mounting pressure, and in early June, state lawmakers and the governor appeared poised to help. A bill to freeze the state’s cannabis excise tax at 15% sailed through the State Assembly with a unanimous 74-0 vote. The governor’s office backed the plan. And legal cannabis businesses, still struggling to compete with unregulated sellers and mounting operating costs, saw a glimmer of hope....
03 Jul, 2025
-
7 min read
I voted buttons
After First RCV Election, Charlottesville Voters Back the Reform: 'They Get It, They Like It, They Want to Do It Again'
A new survey out of Charlottesville, Virginia, shows overwhelming support for ranked choice voting (RCV) following the city’s first use of the system in its June Democratic primary for City Council. Conducted one week after the election, the results found that nearly 90% of respondents support continued use of RCV....
03 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read