UPDATE: 5:10 p.m., Nov. 5, 2020
Poway Mayor Steve Vaus maintained a narrow lead Thursday over former State Sen. Joel Anderson in the race to replace Dianne Jacob on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.
East County’s District 2 on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will finally see a change in authority.
Former Supervisor Dianne Jacob termed out after 28 years on the board.
Former State Sen. Joel Anderson rose to the lead in the primary election with almost 7,500 more votes than his opponent, Poway Mayor Steve Vaus. They’re both Republicans, running in a historically red district. What sets them apart, they say, is their performance record as public servants.
“I think the distinctions between myself and my opponent could be summed up with three things: track record, temperament and trust,” said Vaus. “As far as track record, I'm the only candidate with executive experience running a jurisdiction and I think I have been pretty successful.”
Vaus points to his county-wide bipartisan endorsements, including from outgoing Supervisor Jacob, who after 28 years on the board of supervisors has termed out. Vaus’s priorities include public safety, infrastructure, and protecting and expanding open space.
Anderson touts his experience as a member of the minority party in Sacramento. “You know, in the time I had in the legislature, I did over four hundred and fifty bills across party lines, either joined or co-authored by Democrat colleagues. If you added all the Republicans I served with collectively, I did more bills with Democrats than all of them combined.”
Anderson is officially endorsed by the San Diego County Republican Party. His priorities include road improvements, career opportunities, and housing attainability.