SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Two mayors, a tribal leader, an educator and a local Democratic Party official are on the ballot to represent District 5 on the county Board of Supervisors in Tuesday's primary election.
The five hopefuls are Norma Contreras, former chair of the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians; Vista Mayor John Franklin; San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones; Kyle Krahel, former chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party; and Sasha Miller, a former public health professor at Cal State San Marcos.
The top two candidates from Tuesday's primary will go on to the Nov. 3 general election, with the winner replacing Jim Desmond.
Desmond, a Republican who is termed out, is seeking the District 48 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Contreras, a women's health advocate who grew up on the La Jolla Indian Reservation, said in a telephone interview that her top issues are more affordable housing, and reducing homelessness and climate-change threats.
Contreras said that as a supervisor she will hear both sides of an issue, but will hold fast to her principles and draw the line on any proposal that's detrimental to constituents.
When it comes to policies or challenges, "if there are five of seven things that work for us," it's best to focus on those five as a way to find common ground, Contreras told City News Services.
Her background includes advocating for domestic violence victims, and environmental issues (including algae reduction in lakes) and proscribed burns on tribal lands. Contreras said that having observed the benefits of tribal stewardship over the land, she wants to continue those practices.
"We're all in this together, and I want to be sure we're being taken care of," the mother of two added.
Contreras earned an associate's degree in child development at Palomar College, and is pursuing a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Phoenix.
On his campaign website, Franklin -- elected as Vista mayor in 2022 after serving two terms on the City Council -- said his main priorities are affordability, public safety, fire prevention, road improvements, no tax hikes and better efforts to ease the homeless problem.
"I'm a passionate opponent of higher taxes because they always fall on the backs of working families, cutting into your paycheck and your purchasing power," Franklin stated. He also posted a pledge to stand up for taxpayers.
Franklin stated that he strongly believes "that we cannot allow people, many of whom suffer from mental illness or substance abuse, to choose homelessness." Instead, leaders need to utilize the conservatorship law enacted by former Gov. Ronald Reagan in 1967, allowing intervention for people disabled by severe mental illness or substance use disorders, he added.
Franklin noted his role in creating a homelessness strategic plan for Vista. Franklin earned his bachelor's degree in political science from American University in Washington, D.C. He served as a policy adviser for two congressional representatives. In 2006, he founded Franklin Communications, which caters to businesses and nonprofit organizations, and runs the company with his wife.
Jones, San Marcos mayor since December 2018, grew up in El Cajon and Ramona. In an email, she cited public safety and quality of life, affordability and housing, and government accountability as her top issues.
She was first appointed to the City Council in 2007, and then went on to serve 10 years before seeking the mayoral job.
The county "needs steady, competent leadership that can navigate challenges in a balanced and productive way," Jones wrote.
Jones said that during her tenure, San Marcos "achieved the lowest crime rate in our city's 63-year history, ranked among the top 15 safest cities in California, and became one of America's safest college towns.
San Marcos also "became the only city in the region reporting a major reduction in homelessness -- down 76% -- by combining enforcement with real support services," Jones added. "We banned street encampments while investing in shelter partnerships and mental health support."
Jones said she has "worked with people from different backgrounds and perspectives to get things done for our community."
According to her website, Jones "co-founded and built a furniture business from the ground up into a successful company with national reach."
An Oceanside native, Krahel told City News Service that if elected, he'll focus on "affordability, housing and making sure North County get its fair share of funding." North County has had the highest amount of housing growth over the last decade, and needs the necessary infrastructure.
Krahel said he wants more homes built, but acknowledged that's also "a simple thing to say, but it's more complex than that."
One solution is to update county zoning ordinances to increase suitable housing projects, he said. In turn, more housing will ease the homeless crisis, said Krahel, who also wants more behavioral health outreach and shelters.
Krahel said his time as deputy chief of staff for Rep. Mike Levin, D- San Juan Capistrano, allows him to better identify more funding sources.
He said he helped procure $1 million for Oceanside's first permanent homeless shelter. Krahel, who earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University in government, said he has a good relationship with Desmond, along with his colleagues Paloma Aguirre, Terra-Lawson Remer and Monica Montgomery Steppe.
When it comes to getting things done, "sometimes, the solution is finding compromise," or "disagreeing without being disagreeable," Krahel said.
Miller is a Palm Desert native who lives in Oceanside. Along with having taught at CSUSM, she also worked for the state Department of Public Health in tobacco prevention/education and the Indian Health Council.
Her website states her campaign "is rooted in unwavering hope, deep compassion and the urgent belief that together, we can transform our communities into places of health, equity and dignity for all."
Miller stated that her priorities as supervisor will be fiscal responsibility, housing for all, supporting immigrants and justice for Palestinians.
"As a mother, I know first-hand how fiercely a parent will fight for their child's future," Miller states on her website. "As a public health professional, I've dedicated my life to that fight.
According to her website, Miller says that in each of her professional roles, her focus "has been the same: improving quality of life for society's most vulnerable and defending basic human rights everywhere."
Miller said she has worked with indigenous communities to ensure culturally responsive care, trained future public health leaders and helped shape policy "that protects the well-being of all Californians."
"Now, I'm ready to bring that passion and experience to serve you directly," she added.
For residents in unincorporated communities, county government is the main provider of services such as law enforcement, public health, infrastructure and animal control.
The Board of Supervisors is considered a non-partisan governing body. But the last few years have revealed sharp ideological divisions between the three Democrats and two Republicans on certain issues, such as immigrant rights.
The county's largest in terms of size, District 5 has between 685,000 to 700,000 residents, according to recent estimates. It is noted for agricultural and considerable forest land; Camp Pendleton; and a portion of North County coastline.
The district includes four major North County cities: Escondido, Oceanside, San Marcos and Vista. The district features tribal reservations La Jolla, Los Coyotes, Mesa Grande, Pala, Pauma/Yuima, Rincon, San Pasqual and Santa Ysabel.
It's also home to numerous unincorporated communities, such as Agua Caliente, Borrego Springs, Fallbrook, Lake Henshaw, Pauma Valley, Rainbow, Valley Center and Warner Springs.
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