Democrat Dave Roberts, Solana Beach deputy mayor, leads Republican Steve Danon, chief of staff to Rep. Brian Bilbray, (R- Solana Beach), by a slim margin.
They have fought a spirited race to succeed Supervisor Pam Slater-Price. She is retiring from San Diego County Supervisors District 3 after serving for 17 years.
Slater-Price, a Republican, crossed party lines and endorsed Roberts as her successor. The district still favors Republicans in voter registration, according to the latest report by the San Diego County Registrar's Office.
The North County district encompasses Del Mar, Encinitas, Escondido, Solana Beach and the several northern neighborhoods of San Diego, combining a diverse mix of voters.
The five current supervisors, all Republican and SDSU alumni, have served together since 1995.
Danon and Roberts traded barbs when they faced off on KPBS on Oct. 18.
Roberts said he has worked in the private industry for the majority of his career, and said Danon had only been in the private sector for 33 months.
“Who would you trust with a $5 billion budget and managing 15,000 employees?” he asked. “I’ve got that financial background.”
Danon countered that he founded his own business and said Roberts’ private sector experience was as a lobbyist on health care in Washington D.C.
Another moment of hostility came when the candidates were asked, “if the state budget is cut, how will you fund local social programs?”
Roberts responded: “The county has a AAA bond rating, and they have that for a reason, through strong financial management. I’m going to continue that strong financial management, but I’ll look at every program and ensure that we do focus on core services.”
Then it was Danon’s turn: “There’s a reason why people are so disgusted with politics, and that’s because people do not answer the question. I’m going to answer it. Yes, we need to look at it.”
He said one in six San Diego County families are living below the poverty line.
Danon finished 3 percentage points ahead of Roberts in the June primary.
