San Diego voter guide 2026: Propositions, candidates and races

🏛️ The local races

County Board of Supervisors District 5: San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones, a Republican, faces Democratic small business owner Kyle Krahel. The winner will replace termed-out Supervisor Jim Desmond.

City Council District 2: Former Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey faces San Diego deputy city attorney Nicole Crosby for the open coastal council seat.

City Council District 4: Incumbent Henry Foster III faces NICU nurse and small business owner Martha Abraham.

City Council District 6: Incumbent Kent Lee faces business owner and educator Mark Powell.

City Council District 8: San Ysidro School District board member Antonio Martinez faces District 8 chief of staff Gerardo Ramirez.

💰 San Diego County Measure B

Measure B: Would raise the countywide sales tax by half a cent, generating an estimated $400 million-$450 million a year for health care, childcare, food security, wildfire prevention and public safety, and the Tijuana River sewage crisis.

• Supporters say dedicated local funding is needed amid federal and state cuts.
• Opponents argue the county should reprioritize existing spending before imposing a new ongoing tax with no sunset.

👥 Other races

48th Congressional District: Republican Jim Desmond, a San Diego County supervisor, faces Democratic San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert for the open seat being vacated by Rep. Darrell Issa.

• The redrawn district stretches across inland San Diego and Riverside counties.

Governor: Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton are running to succeed termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom.

• Becerra is a former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and California attorney general and has emphasized affordability, housing and health care.
• Hilton is a former Fox News host and adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron and has campaigned on cutting taxes, regulations and the cost of living.

🗳️ State propositions

Prop 1: Would authorize $11.25 billion in bonds for affordable housing programs, including rental housing, veterans mortgages, supportive housing and down-payment assistance.

Prop 2: Increases the size of California's Rainy Day Fund, building larger reserves for economic downturns.

Prop 3: Would make permanent an existing income tax increase on high earners that is currently scheduled to expire in 2031.

Prop 4: Allows state and local governments to create publicly funded election campaign programs, repealing an existing prohibition.

Prop 5: Would change how California replaces statewide officials who are recalled, using a later special election or appointment instead of electing a replacement on the recall ballot.

Prop 37: Would authorize $25 billion in bonds for a mortgage loan program aimed at eligible middle-income Californians buying newly constructed homes.

Prop 38: Would authorize $8.4 billion in bonds for immunology and immunotherapy medical research.

Prop 39: Would require voters to provide government-issued identification for in-person voting, and write the last four digits of their government ID on mail ballot envelopes.

Prop 40: Would impose a one-time 5% tax on people with more than $1 billion in assets, with the revenue primarily going toward health care.

Prop 41: Would make new special taxes harder to pass by requiring an audit and counting their revenue toward the state spending limit. If it wins more votes than Prop. 40, it would void it.

Prop 42: Makes wealth taxes harder to enact by banning taxes on simply owning assets. Also would void Prop. 40 if it gets more votes.

Prop 43: Raises the approval threshold for citizen initiatives that put local special taxes on the ballot from a simple majority to two-thirds beginning in 2027.

Prop 44: Would require nonprofit community health clinics to spend at least 90% of revenue on program services or face penalties.

Prop 45: Speeds up environmental review and legal challenges under CEQA for certain housing, transportation, water and health projects.

Need more information? CalMatters lists supporters, opponents and funding.

• And here's the state's guide.

What's next: Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.