7 Candidates Face Off For County Sheriff: Encinitas Primary

ENCINITAS, CA — Tuesday is the last day to vote in California's primary, and the stakes are high in Encinitas, where voters will help choose who should lead the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

Seven candidates are vying to serve as county sheriff after Bill Gore retired in February. The candidates include retired sheriff's sergeant Charles "Chuck" Battle, police captain John "Gundo" Gunderson, chief criminal prosecutor John Hemmerling, undersheriff Kelly Martinez, combat infantry captain Juan Carlos "Charlie" Mercado, retired sheriff commander Dave Myers, and peace officer Jonathan Peck.

Established in 1850, the sheriff's department's patrol area covers 4,500 square miles including unincorporated areas of the county and those in nine contract cities, including Encinitas.

The top two vote-getters in this and most races will face off in the November election. Additionally, races with only two candidates will only appear on the Nov. 8 ballot. These include races for the Board of Supervisors' District 5 seat and county assessor-recorder-clerk position.

Other races to watch include the race for the District 4 seat of the Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, who chairs the board, has two challengers, Amy Reichert, a state-licensed investigator, and Sidiqa Hooker, a diversity inclusion coordinator. District 4 includes a large portion of the city of San Diego, as well as La Mesa, Lemon Grove and Spring Valley.

At the state level, voters will decide whether to give Gov. Gavin Newsom a second term and U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla his first full term in office after he was appointed to the position in 2021 to fill the Senate seat vacated by Vice President Kamala Harris. Attorney General Rob Bonta is also running for his first full term in office after being appointed to fill the position vacated by Xavier Becerra, who left to serve in President Job Biden's administration.

Voters will pick a new state controller, as Betty Yee is termed out. Other statewide races include secretary of state and lieutenant governor.

Voters have had the better part of a month to choose among the crowded field of contenders thanks to the state's new universal vote-by-mail system. Ballots were mailed out by May 9, and ballots will be counted if postmarked by election day or dropped off at a ballot drop box, voting center or county elections office by 8 p.m. Tuesday.

• CA Primary Election June 2022 Voter Guide: Profiles, How To Vote, More
• CA Ballot Tracking: How To Find Where Yours Is
• California Primary Elections 2022: Key Dates To Know

Early voting centers opened May 28, and in-person voting will be allowed until polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday. In-person voting locations will offer same-day voter registration, replacement ballots and voting machines to those who need it.

Voters can find their early voting centers and ballot drop boxes here. Voters can track their ballots here to make sure their vote is counted.

For a complete guide to statewide races, see the CalMatters California Election 2022 Voter Guide.