Incumbent Mayor John McCann and challenger Francisco Tamayo emerged as the early frontrunners in Chula Vista’s primary mayoral race Tuesday, with Yair Gersten trailing in third, according to unofficial results from the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.
Council incumbents Carolina Chavez in District 1 and Jose Preciado in District 2 led their respective races, according to early results, with certified public accountant and small business owner Gregory Martinez running second in District 1 and Chula Vista Elementary School District employee Angelica Martinez running second in District 2.
McCann caputred 60.36% of the vote, or 19,170 votes, to Tamayo’s 35.51%, or 11,278 votes as of this report. Gersten finished a distant third with 3.91%, or 1,243 votes.
Early results show Chavez led the District 1 field with 42.20% of the vote, or 3,998 votes. Gregory Martinez finished second with 25.42%, or 2,408 votes, advancing alongside Chavez to the November general election. Joy Emmanuel placed third with 16.80%, or 1,592 votes, followed by Sergio Vargas at 7.84% and Chuck Sanfilippo at 7.45%.
Preciado led the District 2 field with 45.55% of the vote, or 3,489 votes, unofficial results show. Angelica Martinez finished second with 28.02%, or 2,146 votes, advancing alongside Preciado to the November general election. Russ Hall placed third with 14.99%, or 1,148 votes, followed by Jesse Navarro at 11.06%.
The top two finishers in each race will advance to the November general election.
The mayoral race pits McCann, a Republican and the council’s longest-serving active member, against two Democratic-leaning challengers. Tamayo, 45, is a technology director and Chula Vista Elementary School District trustee running on housing affordability and economic development. Gersten, 34, is a San Diego County analyst making his first run for office.
Tamayo acknowledged finishing behind McCann but framed the combined challenger vote share as a sign of opportunity, saying 35% of voters want change in the city’s direction.
“Obviously, more of our Democratic base comes out in the general, so we are excited for that,” he said.
Tamayo said he plans to consolidate support, reach out to the labor movement, and compete against what he characterized as McCann’s developer money. He noted those fundraising conversations were already underway and would accelerate now that he has advanced.
In District 1, which covers the northeastern part of the city, Chavez is seeking a second term. Her challengers are Emmanuel, a family physician with 23 years of practice in the district; Gregory Martinez, a certified public accountant and small business owner; Sanfilippo, a planning commissioner; and Vargas, a community activist and 20-year Chula Vista resident.
In District 2, which covers northwestern Chula Vista, Preciado is seeking re-election to the seat he has held since 2022. He faces Hall, a retired educator with more than 32 years of city commission service; Angelica Martinez, a school district employee; and Navarro, a retired public safety consultant.
“I look forward to having all votes counted and preparing for the November run-off,” Preciado said following the initial round of results. “Thank all candidates and their families for their willingness to run. Our democracy is a gift — we should all value our right to vote and have free and fair elections.”
Chula Vista, San Diego County’s second-largest city, is navigating a period of significant growth, all while residents grapple with rising housing costs and a rapidly expanding population.