San Diego supervisors schedule special election

Driving the news: The board voted to schedule a special election for April 8, rather than appointing a replacement for Vargas' full term.

• If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a July 1 runoff.

State of play: Ahead of the board's decision, four candidates had already announced their intention to run for the seat, or publicly expressed interest in doing so.

• San Diego Councilmember Vivian Moreno, Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre and Chula Vista Councilmember Carolina Chavez — all Democrats — have already announced.
• Chula Vista Mayor John McCann, a Republican, has said he is considering it.

What we're watching: Now that it's official, other candidates could consider jumping in, too.

• Then, all eyes will turn to the chase for endorsements from influential players who could tip the race like labor unions, the local Democratic Party and business groups.