With the first batch of votes counted in the race for Chula Vista Mayor, incumbent Mayor John McCann leads with 61% of the vote.
Chula Vista Elementary School District Trustee Francisco Tamayo is in second with 35% of the vote.
McCann is a Republican and running for a second term after being elected in 2022. He thanked his supporters for the strong early showing.
“I’m just very thankful for the voters of Chula Vista. Chula Vista is my hometown," McCann said Tuesday evening. "I love this town, and I work every day to make the quality of life better for everyone who lives in Chula Vista.”
Tamayo, a Democrat, has been endorsed by all four of McCann’s Democratic colleagues on the City Council. He could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening.
The third candidate in the race is Yair Gersten, also a registered Democrat. Gersten is running a distant third with less than 4% of the vote. He is currently an analyst for the County of San Diego and previously ran unsuccessfully for county supervisor.
How it works
In Chula Vista, the mayor is one of five members of the city council. San Diego County's second-largest city is a charter city with a council-manager system, which means the city council appoints a city manager to oversee day-to-day operations.
But being mayor does come with a few added perks. The mayor represents the city at official events and in regional bodies like SANDAG. They also have more say in what items are on the weekly city council agenda.
Chula Vista residents won't actually know who their mayor will be until later this year. That's because the top two vote-getters will move on to a runoff election in November.
Why it matters
McCann, a naval reservist, is a longtime fixture in Chula Vista. He has served as a city councilmember for close to two decades and has a solid base of support.
He's a strong supporter of law enforcement and big business projects like the new Gaylord Resort and Convention Center on the city's bayfront. In 2023, McCann also led the push for harsher policies on homelessness.
Last year, McCann lost a bruising race for San Diego County Board of Supervisors to Democrat Paloma Aguirre in a special election.
During that race, McCann faced questions about his stance on immigrants' rights and a letter he wrote that led U.S. President Donald Trump to commute the sentence of a South Bay business owner convicted of a conspiracy to sell counterfeit energy drinks.
Tamayo has also faced scrutiny, including criticism from his own party leaders. Last year, Voice of San Diego reported that the San Diego County Democratic Party considered censuring Tamayo and another school board trustee for allegedly conspiring to oust a third trustee and replace them with a friendlier ally.
The party has not endorsed Tamayo in his run against McCann this year.
By the numbers
As of mid-May, McCann had spent the most money on the election by far, according to his latest campaign filings.
The mayor began raising money for his reelection campaign last year. This year, he has put more than $150,000 into the race, including on text messages and social media ads.
In contrast, Tamayo had spent just around $5,700, according his filings. The district official entered the race just before the deadline and had raised just around $4,200 as of mid-May.
Gersten had spent the least on the race. He has raised more than Tamayo according to filings, but had only spent around $5,000.
Counting the ballots
According to the County Registrar of Voters, the first returns available around 8 p.m. on election night only include mail-in ballots and vote center ballots received before Election Day.
After that, results on election night will include only the vote center ballots cast on Election Day. The Registrar continues to count remaining ballots and post returns until the election is certified one month later.
Here's everything you need to know about election security in San Diego County.
