Meet the candidates for San Diego City Council
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Residents in six out of the nine San Diego City Council Districts will be voting on who they would like to represent them for the next four years during the March 5 presidential primary election.
All but one of the seats currently up for grabs — the District 4 seat, covering southeast San Diego — have an incumbent in the race who is seeking re-election. Three city councilmembers seeking re-election to their seat are running unopposed.
Voters in the city of San Diego will only be able to vote for the city councilmember hopeful running in their respective district. To find your council district, you can search using your address on the city’s website or view the list of communities by district here.
While some may already be bubbling in their ballots for the March 5 election, here is everything voters should know about the races for San Diego City Council and who is running.
San Diego’s guide to elections during the Mar. 5 presidential primary
What does the city council do?
The city council is San Diego’s legislative body. Members on the council can pass new laws for the city and amend existing ones, either by proposing changes on their own or at the suggestion of the mayor.
It is intended to act as a check on the mayor. With this role, one of the most important duties the council has relates to the process of setting the city’s annual budget and monitoring spending throughout the year. In April and May, the city council reviews the budget proposed by the mayor before putting it to a final vote of approval in June.
City councilmembers also approve mayoral appointments, levy taxes and provide services to constituents in their district.
Who are the candidates for city council?
Here are the candidates, listed in district and alphabetical order:
District 1
Current San Diego City Council President Pro Tem Joe LaCava is seeking re-election to the District 1 seat. He does not have any challengers in the race.
District 1 covers the northern edge of the city, including communities like Carmel Valley, Del Mar, Torrey Pines, La Jolla and University City.
LaCava was elected to the office in 2020 after Barbara Bry stepped down from the position to run for mayor of San Diego. In 2023, he was appointed Council President Pro Tem following Monica Montgomery Steppe’s departure from the city council last year.
A civil engineer by trade, LaCava is running on a platform prioritizing infrastructure improvements, including maintenance of parks and restrooms, protecting the La Jolla Cove, and “relieving property owners of sidewalk maintenance.”
He is endorsed by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, former State Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins, the San Diego Democratic Party, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and Sierra Club of San Diego among others.
District 3
Stephen Whitburn is seeking re-election to the District 3 seat on the San Diego City Council. He has three challengers in the race: Kate Callen, Coleen Cusack and Ellis Jones III.
District 3 covers central San Diego, including downtown, Hillcrest, Bankers Hill, Normal Heights, North Park, Old Town, South Park and University Heights.
Kate Callen is a professional writer and long-time community activist, specifically known for her organizing in North Park. She is also a co-founder of the nonprofit SoNo Neighborhood Alliance, which she says aims to “give residents and small business owners a seat at the table.”
Callen is running on a platform to put “Neighborhoods First” and stray away what she describes as a “strong mayor system” of government. Specific ways she says she would accomplish this include: exercising due diligence over the city’s spending, calling for limits on accessory dwelling units, and pushing for public-private partnerships to deliver affordable housing.
Callen has not publicly announced any endorsements.
Coleen Cusack is a trial attorney, educator and community activist. The long-time resident of District 3 is best known known for her pro bono legal services, as well as her advocacy for those experiencing homelessness.
Cusack’s priorities are safety, housing and education, in a way that prioritizes “people over property.” She would accomplish this by: putting resources to providing adequate housing and infrastructure, supporting early learning opportunities for families, and making changes to the police department to ensure it can be depended on by all residents.
Her publicly announced endorsements include the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Editorial Board and San Diego Education Association.
Ellis Jones III is a home energy inspector. Born and raised in San Diego, Jones III has used his experience being incarcerated to serve an advocate for unhoused residents and small business owners.
The Republican is running on a platform of public safety, sheltering the homeless and supporting business. He says he would do this by: adopting a community-led approach to public safety in partnership with San Diego police, expanding shelter beds and enforcing encroachment laws to encourage their use, and boosting public funding for economic development.
Jones III has been endorsed by small business Amy Reichert, who lost to Monica Montgomery Steppe in the special election for the fourth supervisorial district.
Stephen Whitburn is the current representative for District 3 on the city council. He assumed the office in 2020 when Chris Ward was elected to the California State Assembly. Prior to his current role, Whitburn served in various nonprofit leadership roles, including director of San Diego Pride.
The city councilmember’s re-election platform centers neighborhood quality and addressing homelessness. Whitburn, who was the architect of the city’s controversial unsafe camping ordinance, says he aims to address these things by continuing to encourage unhoused people to enter shelters, as well as prioritizing funding infrastructure and affordable housing projects.
Whitburn has received a number of endorsements, including the San Diego County Democratic Party; the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council; San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria; Councilmembers Joe LaCava, Jennifer Campbell, Marni von Wilpert and Raul Campillo; and former Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins.
District 4
The District 4 election is slightly different from the other races for seats on the city council, as it is a special election to fill the spot vacated by Monica Montgomery Steppe after she was elected to the County Board of Supervisors.
While the race coincides with the March 5 primary, it will operate like a special election. If a candidate garners 50% of the vote, they will win the position outright. In the case that no candidate meets that threshold, it will move to a runoff between the top-two vote getters.
There are three hopefuls in the race for District 4: Henry Foster III, Tylisa Suseberry and Chida Warren-Darby. Voters in this district can learn more about the candidates in the race by checking out FOX 5/KUSI’s Meet the Candidates guide for this special election.
District 5
Marni von Wilpert is seeking re-election to the fifth district seat on the city council. She does not have any challengers in the race.
District 5 covers the northeastern edge of the city, including communities like Rancho Bernardo, Scripps Ranch, Torrey Highlands, Black Mountain Ranch, Rancho Peñasquitos and San Pasqual.
Marni von Wilpert
Marni von Wilpert was elected to the city council in 2020, succeeding Mark Kersey in the District 5 seat. Prior to assuming office, the attorney has served in roles on the National Labor Relations Board, Economic Policy Institute and San Diego City Attorney’s Office.
Von Wilpert’s platform for her re-election campaign focuses on public safety and being a “taxpayer watchdog” on the city council. She says she will continue specifically focusing on the homelessness crisis, crime and cost of living.
She is endorsed by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, former State Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins, San Diego County Democratic Party and the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council among others.
District 7
Raul Campillo is seeking re-election to District 7 on the city council. He is running unopposed.
District 7 spans eastern San Diego, including communities like Tierrasanta, Allied Gardens, Grantville, Mission Valley, San Carlos, Serra Mesa and Del Cerro.
Raul Campillo was elected to the city council in 2020, succeeding Scott Sherman who left office following a failed mayoral bid. Prior to assuming office, Campillo worked as a prosecutor in the San Diego City Attorney’s Office. Before that, he was a fifth-grade teacher.
Campillo’s re-election platform is centered around keeping San Diego a “strong, vibrant, safe, and prosperous,” according to his election website. He says he plans to do this by securing funding for infrastructure projects, expanding funding for police amid a staffing shortage, expanding affordable housing, and by supporting small businesses and non-profits.
He is endorsed by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, former State Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins, San Diego County Democratic Party and the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council among others.
District 9
City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera is currently running for re-election in District 9. Fernando Garcia and Terry Hoskins are challenging him in his bid.
District 9 covers southeastern San Diego, including neighborhoods like City Heights, College Area, El Cerrito, Kensington, Mountain View, Rolando, Southcrest and Talmadge.
Sean Elo-Rivera was elected to District 9 in 2020, succeeding Georgette Gomez in the seat. He was later elected president of the San Diego City Council in 2021. Prior to assuming office, Elo-Rivera worked for several local nonprofits and was a member of the San Diego Community College Board of Trustees.
Elo-Rivera’s re-election platform is focused on affordable housing, infrastructure and creating a safety infrastructure that addresses the varying needs of communities. He has specifically centered tenant protection, racial justice and addressing the city’s infrastructure deficit, particularly in the wake of the devastating floods on Jan. 22.
Among the endorsements he has received are: San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria; former State Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins; San Diego City Councilmembers Kent Lee and Joe LaCava; the San Diego County Democratic Party; the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council; and the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Fernando Garcia is a solar energy business owner. He is a member of the Kensington Talmadge Business Association and Represent US San Diego. Garcia has also been a regular volunteer with community organizations, including as a court appointed special advocate to help foster youth.
Garcia is running on a platform to help “San Diego live up to its motto as ‘Americas Finest City.'” His specific proposals to accomplish that include: fully funding the San Diego Police Department, preventing zoning changes to allow for development under Senate Bill 10, and focusing on campaign finance reform.
The Independent has been endorsed by the San Diego Association of Realtors.
Terry Hoskins is a retired community relations officer with the San Diego Police Department. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, the Democrat also holds a doctorate in Public Administration from California Baptist University.
Should he be elected to the city council, Hoskins says his top priorities would be public safety, homelessness and San Diego’s “financial choices.” He says he would do this by adopting a shelter-first approach to homelessness, building trust between law enforcement and city leaders, and through rescinding certain development waivers. He also opposes implementation of SB 10.
Hoskins has been endorsed by the San Diego Police Officers Association and former San Diego City Councilmembers Myrtle Cole and Marti Emerald.
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