Scoop: San Diego Democratic Party chair steps aside amid special election
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The San Diego County Democratic Party's chair took a leave of absence Wednesday, and his departure could soon become permanent, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The abrupt change puts interim leadership in charge of party spending ahead of a July 1 special election to determine partisan control of the county board of supervisors.
State of play: Kyle Krahel-Frolander, the local party's chair, sent an email to the Democrats' central committee Wednesday saying he was immediately taking leave through July 31 at the latest.
- Ross Pike, the party's chair pro tem, steps in as acting chair.
- Krahel-Frolander, an Oceanside resident and district staffer for Rep. Mike Levin (D-Dana Point) told Axios he was "considering some personal stuff" before determining whether he will return from leave.
What they're saying: Krahel-Frolander did not want to discuss whether he is stepping aside because he's weighing a run for the county's District 5 seat, which opens in 2026.
- "I don't want to talk about that right now," he said. "We are laser-focused on (the special election in) District 1, and doing everything we can to make sure (Imperial Beach Mayor) Paloma Aguirre wins that race."
The intrigue: Will Rodriguez-Kennedy, a past party chair and staffer for Rep. Scott Peters (D-San Diego), told Axios he would be interested in replacing Krahel-Frolander if the departure becomes permanent.
- "If Kyle were to seek something else and there's an opening, I obviously would be in the running to return to the chairmanship," Rodriguez-Kennedy said.
Friction point: Rodriguez-Kennedy resigned as chair in 2022 after a sexual misconduct allegation from which he was ultimately exonerated.
- "Our focus is on the July 1 special election, but I can see how I would have a lot to offer to the party, especially after being exonerated," Rodriguez-Kennedy said.
The latest: Sara Ochoa, a long-time Democratic activist and the party's former vice chair for south county, told Axios her first priority is winning the special supervisor election, but she too would run for chair if there's an opening.
- "I look forward to having an open dialogue, and to working to support the long-term health of our party," Ochoa said.
Between the lines: Former Assemblymember and central committee member Lori Saldaña objected to Krahel-Frolander's departure being discussed in a closed session Tuesday, noting party bylaws don't explicitly allow for such sessions.
- "Kyle is trying to pick the next chair," she alleged.
How it works: The county party determines candidate endorsements, which carry significant weight in local elections.
- Parties can raise money above local campaign donation limits, as long as they spend it communicating with registered party members, such as through direct campaign mail.
- Aguirre, for instance, received more than $100,000 from the local Democratic Party ahead of the April special election.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a comment from Sara Ochoa.