THREE RUNNING FOR CHULA VISTA CITY ATTORNEY IN NOVEMBER SPECIAL VOTE

Council declared special election after voters chose man who had died

Three people have formalized their bids for the Chula Vista city attorney seat up for grabs in the Nov. 7 special election.

Candidates had until Friday to submit their nomination papers and disclosure filings.

Last year, the City Council declared the city attorney seat vacant after voters elected Simon Silva even though the longtime Chula Vista deputy city attorney had died in September. His name could not be removed from the November 2022 ballot.

Silva would have replaced termed-out Glen Googins, the city’s first-ever elected city attorney who served for over a decade. Googins continued in his role until he moved to Santa Clara to start a new job in March.

Lounsbery Ferguson Altona and Peak, LLP, a municipal law firm the city hired in late February for $350,000, has been providing services on a temporary basis. Jill Maland is serving as the acting city attorney.

Whoever is elected will serve through December 2026. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, a runoff will be held next year. The special election is estimated to cost the city up to $2 million, with an additional $180,000 for a runoff, according to City Clerk Kerry Bigelow. These are the candidates:

• Dan Smith Diaz, a federal criminal defense lawyer, is running again after trailing Silva last year. He lost by more than 750 votes or 1 percent. He owns and operates the San Diego Defenders firm on Third Avenue in Chula Vista. On his campaign website, he said his top priorities include reducing red tape for local businesses, creating safer streets and schools and representing job-creating projects.

• Bart Miesfeld, a lawyer in private practice, is a familiar face at

City Hall. Via appointment by the City Council, he served as city attorney from 2008 to 2010 after first joining the City Attorney’s Office in 1998 as a deputy. He decided not to run for the position when Chula Vista voters decided to elect their city attorneys. Googins would end up taking the seat. In his candidate filing, Miesfeld said, “Real experience matters at Chula Vista City Hall. I promise I will do everything

in my power to make Chula Vista safer and more prosperous.”

• Marco Verdugo is a deputy city attorney with Burke, Williams and Sorensen, LLP, serving the cities of Coronado and Solana Beach. He was previously a deputy city attorney with the city of San Diego. He said in his candidate filing that he will enforce strong gun safety laws, support community policing and “help our city stop downtown San Diego’s homeless crisis from taking root here.”

Election Day is Nov. 7, the last day to vote in person at a vote center or drop off a ballot in the mail or drop box. Registered voters in Chula Vista can expect to receive a ballot in early October and will have the option to drop off a ballot at a drop box starting Oct. 10, according to the county Registrar of Voters Office. Early, in-person voting will begin on Oct. 28.

A list of vote center and ballot drop box locations are expected to be available by Sept. 1 on the city or county website.