The June 2 gubernatorial primary is now less than a week away. If you haven’t mailed your ballot, or plan to vote in person, here’s a last-minute guide to the races and candidates.
It’s a short ballot by California standards, but there are a number of contested, high-profile races, from Governor to Congress to Supervisor. Here is Times of San Diego’s overview.
Governor
There are 61 candidates on the ballot seeking to succeed Gavin Newsom, but just seven are receiving significant media attention and polling numbers. The two with the most votes will advance to the general election in November.
Xavier BecerraThe Democrats are Xavier Becerra, a former congressman, attorney general and Biden cabinet member; San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan; former congresswoman Katie Porter; wealthy investor and longtime Democratic fundraiser Tom Steyer; and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The Republicans are Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton, a podcaster and former Fox News personality.
Becerra has emphasized his wide experience in government, while Steyer has proposed new taxes on the wealthiest Californians. Porter, a progressive, advocates single-payer health insurance. Mahan cites the success of his city and has tapped significant funding from Silicon Valley. Villaraigosa promises to solve the state’s tough problems. Both Bianco and Hilton say California is going in the wrong direction and needs Republican leadership.
Other State Offices
The office of Lieutenant Governor, which is often a stepping-stone to governor, has 16 candidates. The four who have received the most attention are three Democrats — Newsom-advisor Josh Fryday, state Treasurer Fiona Ma and former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs — and Republican Gloria Romero, a former Democratic state Senator from the San Gabriel Valley who later switched parties.
Eleni Kounalakis, who currently is Lieutenant Governor and termed out, is running for Treasurer and facing former state Sen. Anna Caballero from Salinas. Kounalakis was ambassador to Hungary before her election, while Caballero has served in multiple offices starting with the Salinas City Council.
Shirley WeberSan Diego’s own Shirley Weber is seeking re-election as Secretary of State, as are incuments Malia Cohen as state Controller and Rob Bonta as Attorney General. All three are Democrats with only token Republican opposition.
For Insurance Commissioner, the two front runners are both Democrats and former state Senators, Ben Allen and Steven Craig Bradford. Both have received widespread endorsements from labor unions and political leaders. In the legislature, Allen focused on environmental legislation, while Bradford chaired committees dealing with banking and utilities.
Board of Equalization
This regional office oversees the state’s property tax system as well as alcohol sales levies. Respected former state Sen. Tom Umberg, a Democrat who has received numerous endorsements, faces Denis Bilodeau, president of the Orange Taxpayers Association.
Congress
In four races, Democratic incumbents Sara Jacobs, Mike Levin, Scott Peters and Juan Vargas face only token Republican opposition.
However, the race for the new 48th District is one of the most contested and high-profile contests in the country. Following redistricting under Proposition 50, longtime Rep. Darrell Issa dropped out. Three Democrats and one Republican are vying to be one of the top two in the primary.
Ammar Campa-NajjarIt’s substantially the same, largely rural East County district that Ammar Campa-Najjar has targeted since 2016, and he’s trying again. The two other Democrats are Marni von Wilpert, a San Diego City Council member, and Brandon Riker, an entrepreneur in Palm Springs. Campa-Najjar’s endorsements include three of the five current members of the San Diego congressional delegation, while former Sen. Barbara Boxer backs von Wilpert and Riker has Riverside County politicians behind him.
The Republican opposition is Jim Desmond, who is termed out as a county Supervisor. President Trump has endorsed Desmond.
State Senate
In the 18th and 38th Districts, incumbent Democratic state Senators Steve Padilla and Catherine Blakespear face only token Republican opposition. But in the 40th District, former minority leader Brian Jones is termed out. Republican Kristie Bruce-Lane, who ran unsuccessfully for state Assembly in 2022 and 2024, faces former San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott, a Democrat.
State Assembly
The state Assembly races in San Diego County have not been much in the news. Incumbents Laurie Davies in the 74th District, Carl DeMaio in the 75th, Darshana Patel in the 76th, Tasha Boerner in the 77th, Chris Ward in the 78th, LaShae Sharp-Collins in the 79th and David Alvarez in the 80th appear to have only token opposition.
Judges
Jodi CleesattleThere are five judicial offices on the ballot. Three have only one candidate, and in the other two offices, the San Diego County Bar Association has ranked Jodi Cleesattle as “exceptionally qualified” and Adam Noakes as “very qualified” for Office 31, and Tia Ramirez as “qualified” for Office 32.
Schools
Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed eliminating the position of State Superintendent of Education, but there are still 10 candidates vying to succeed Tony Thurmond, who is running for Governor. The candidate supported by the powerful California Teachers Association is San Diego’s Richard Barrera, president of the board of San Diego Unified. Other candidates with statewide name recognition are Anthony Rendon, a former Speaker of the Assembly who was an educator before entering politics, and former state Sen. Josh Newman.
There are elections for two districts in San Diego Unified, with board member Shana Hazan and classroom teacher Hayden Gore facing only token opposition.
County Supervisor
In District 4, incumbent Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe has only token opposition.
John FranklinBut in District 5, where Jim Desmond is termed out and now running for Congress, the leading contenders are two Republican mayors from East County — John Franklin from Vista and Rebecca Jones from San Marcos — and Democrat Kyle Krahel, chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party.
The San Diego County Republican Party did not make an endorsement in this race, but conservative activist Carl DeMaio’s Reform California backs Jones.
County Treasurer-Tax Collector
Supervisor Joel Anderson has two years left on his term, but is running for Treasurer/Tax Collector following the resignation of Dan McAllister, who long held the office. Anderson faces appointed interim Treasurer Larry Cohen as well as Shirley Nakawatase, who is endorsed by the San Diego County Republican Party. Anderson says he can have a greater impact in this county role. If he wins in November, the county will likely hold a special election to replace him.
San Diego City Council
Josh CoyneThere are seven candidates on the ballot for District 2, where Jennifer Campbell is termed out. The leaders appear to be former Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey; Josh Coyne, chief of staff at the Downtown San Diego Partnership; and Nicole Crosby, a deputy city attorney. Bailey is an independent who left the Republican Party, while Coyne and Crosby are Democrats. Both of the Democrats list numerous endorsements, with Crosby’s more on the progressive side of the party.
In District 5, incumbent Henry Foster III faces NICU nurse Martha Abraham, while in District 6 incumbent Kent Lee, the council’s president pro tem, is challenged Mark Powell, a real estate broker who served on the county Board of Education.
With Vivian Moreno termed out in District 8, her chief of staff, Gerardo Ramirez, is seeking to succeed her. Also a contender is another council chief of staff, Venus Molina, who works for Campbell in District 2. Also running is Antonio Martinez, a board member of the San Ysidro School District who lost to Moreno in 2022.
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