Slim margin in race for Chula Vista mayor

A week after Chula Vista incumbent John McCann secured his spot on the November ballot to compete to become mayor, two hopefuls looking to take second place remained fewer than 900 votes apart, according to Monday’s update from the registrar of voters.

McCann, the lone Republican candidate in a pool of six, kept his steady lead with 31 percent of the votes. He will move on to the general election against the the candidate who finishes second.

Since the primary election, Ammar Campa-Najjar, a former congressional candidate, and Chula Vista Councilmember Jill Galvez have held a vote difference between 460 to nearly 600 over the past week. On Monday, the margin widened to 898 votes, strengthening Campa-Najjar’s path toward the runoff. He was at 22 percent and Galvez was at 20 percent.

The mayoral race to replace Mary Casillas Salas, who is barred from re-election after first being elected in 1996, included both newcomers and familiar faces. Monday’s vote update showed the following: Southwestern College executive Zaneta Encarnacion at 13 percent, followed by former Councilmember Rudy Ramirez with 6.9 percent, U.S. veteran Spencer Cash with 6.6 percent, and write-in candidate Christine Brady at less than 1 percent.

Voters also took to the polls to elect officials for seats in council District 1, currently held by McCann; District 2, which Galvez represents; and a city attorney, who is currently Glen Googins. Ahead of certified results, the top two vote-getters in those three races have apparently been clear since last Tuesday.

In the District 1 race, which had five candidates, Carolina Chavez, an economic development director, led with 34 percent. Business owner Marco Contreras, with 27 percent, will challenge her in November. Francisco Rivera, a principal civil engineer, came in third with 18 percent.

The District 2 race will move forward with retired firefighter Steve Stenberg, who earned 39 percent, and Jose Preciado, a Sweetwater Authority director, with 35 percent. Patti Groulx, a budget manager, had 10 percent.