Two years ago, voters in Southeast and Southwest Chula Vista elected their council representatives in the city’s first ever district elections.
That is when Councilman Steve Padilla made his return to the dais when he was elected by voters in District 3;
Councilman Mike Diaz, who ran a grassroots campaign, beat Rudy Ramirez to be District 4, Southwest Chula Vista’s representative.
On June 5 voters in Northwest Chula Vista, District 2, will participate in their first-ever district election.
The two top vote getters in the crowded field will square off in November’s General Election to fill the seat of termed out Councilwoman Pat Aguilar.
Voters in Northeast Chula Vista, District 1, will not have a June election since only two candidates are running in that race and a runoff is not needed.
That race will be decided in November.
In two city-wide races, Chula Vistans will determine if they think Mayor Mary Casillas Salas warrants a second term or if they want to move on to a new leader.
The second city-wide race is for city attorney.
The candidate filing deadline was March 9. Here are the candidates seeking, or re-seeking, office in Chula Vista:
Mayor
Four people are in competition to be Chula Vista’s next mayor. They include Chula Vista’s first Latina mayor; a water board member and a couple of relative newcomers to local elections.
• Mary Casillas Salas,69, seeks re-election for her second term as mayor. Prior to serving as mayor, she served as a council woman for several years.
According to her ballot statement, Casillas Salas vows to seeing the Bayfront construction completed, bringing a four-year university to Chula Vista and develop more affordable housing.
• Hector Raul Gastelum, 43, was elected to the Otay Water District in 2016 and represents a portion of eastern Chula Vista on the water agency. He’s a full-time realtor at United Real Estate- San Diego.
Gastelum said in his ballot statement that he will fight every single tax increase and rid the city of its Welcoming City status.
• Arthur Kende,36, has been teaching at San Diego Job Corps for the past eight years. He was born and raised in Chula Vista.
Kende’s election materials says he will work to reduce the homeless population in Chula Vista by helping them get back on their feet.
•Daniel Schreck,48, is a parks supervisor for the city of Chula Vista. He did not fill out a ballot statement.
City Attorney
Two men will vie for the role of the city’s top legal adviser. One is looking to serve the city for four more years, while the other is a new comer to Chula Vista politics.
• Glen Googins,54, is the incumbent in this race. He is the city’s first elected city attorney. He has held his position since 2010.
Googins said in his candidate statement that Chula Vista has a bright future, but needs a steady hand to guide it forward.
• Andrew Deddeh, a class-action attorney in the city of San Diego. He is a former board member with Startup San Diego.
Deddeh put on his ballot statement that if elected he will not be influenced by special interests.
City Council – District 1, Northeast Chula Vista
The race for District 1 will be determined in November. Two military veterans will go head to head to represent Northeast Chula Vista.
• Mark Bartlett, 35, is a Filipino American veteran. He states that he works as an employment case manager serving the homeless veteran population.
Bartlett vows in his ballot statement to put public safety first and advocate for smart economic growth.
• John McCann, 49, was the last council member elected in a city-wide election in 2014. McCann is a small business owner and a Lieutenant Commander with the United States Navy Reserves.
According to his ballot statement, McCann, a former professor, has lead the charge for a University in Chula Vista.
City Council – District 2, Northwest Chula Vista
It’s a full slate of candidates vying for the open seat by termed out councilwoman Pat Aguilar. District 2 is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Chula Vista.
• Steve Castaneda, is in his final year of his elected four-year term at the Sweetwater Authority. He is a former two-time councilman.
According to his ballot statement, Castaneda will address Northwest Chula Vista’s homeless population, disproportionate infrastructure deficit and under patrolled streets.
• Jill M. Galvez,50, is a business owner/treasurer and a former employee in the corporate sector.
Galvez said she will insist that public safety is staffed at the level needed to keep resident’s safe.
• Patrick MacFarland is a substitute teacher at the Sweetwater Union High School District and currently sits on Chula Vista’s Housing Advisory Commission.
MacFarland said he will keep public safety as his first priority.
•Jesse Navarro, director of community relations for the San Diego County District Attorney’s office. He’s also a board member of the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce.
If elected, Navarro said he will create a safer environment by working with police, fire and other city departments to improve the city’s quality of life.
• Steve Stenberg, is a former Airforce veteran and a retired firefighter. He is the co-owner of the Third Avenue Ale House.
According to his ballot statement, Stenberg will insure Chula Vista remains a great place to live, work and raise a family.
• Max Zaker, 57, is a Chula Vista Planning Commissioner and a Growth Oversight Commissioner. He is also a local business owner.
Zaker said he will expand economic opportunities in Chula Vista.
If there are no outright winners in the June elections, the top two vote getters in each race will move on to a November election.
John McCann a former professor? Ha! The guy taught a couple classes at SWC and that makes him a professor now. That brain injury of his is getting worse.