Chula Vista Mayor John McCann Remains Invincible
Political observers for years have marveled at the seeming invincibility of Republican John McCann in city politics. Though Democratic voters dominate in Chula Vista, McCann has won decades’ worth of races for City Council, school board and mayor.
His Teflon coating took a ding last year when he lost a hard-fought race for an open seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.
He bounced back on Tuesday, cruising to re-election as mayor. His Democratic rival in the race, Chula Vista Elementary School District Trustee Francisco Tamayo, conceded late Tuesday evening.
McCann struck a magnanimous tone after the race, pledging to serve all city residents and emphasizing his focus on nuts-and-bolts governing.
“I’m here to represent everyone from Democrats to Republicans to independents. [I’ll] make sure that we are there to fill the potholes, make sure we have the best police and fire [department], and I’m focused solely on doing the mission of the city and increasing the quality of life for citizens.” —Chula Vista Mayor John McCann
His victory stems in part from a moderate, pragmatic public persona, along with a near-ubiquitous presence at city events that many residents say gives them the impression of knowing him personally.
Also a factor was deep, behind-the-scenes division among Democrats who otherwise might have united behind Tamayo.
Tamayo essentially conceded the race earlier this year. He stopped fundraising and pulled back from all-out campaigning. He admitted McCann is hard to beat.
Tamayo could have given McCann a run for his money. In a Voice of San Diego Politifest debate between the two candidates, Tamayo hammered McCann with sharp criticism of his record on affordability and immigration, two top concerns for voters.
McCann fired right back with equally trenchant criticism of Tamayo’s school board performance. It could have been a hard-fought, close contest.
But many Democrats were not sold on Tamayo. Some were still raw from his sharp-elbowed tactics on the Chula Vista school board. Others resented what they said was his allies’ manipulation of the Democratic Party’s endorsement process.
A deep-pocketed labor union that powered Tamayo through a June primary then turned around and offended voters by trying to ram through an unpopular overhaul of city government.
For Democrats, the race became a symbol of wider problems plaguing the party in South County: Disagreements, tribal vendettas and a growing belief that powerful labor unions are manipulating politics to back pliant candidates who care more about union bosses than everyday voters.
It should be noted that voters’ unpredictable streak extended beyond the mayor’s race.
Councilmember Jose Preciado, who for years has been a prominent figure in the city’s Democratic establishment, remains in an unexpectedly tight race with Republican challenger Angelica Martinez.
Preciado leads Martinez, but only barely. Just 402 votes separate the candidates out of nearly 12,000 cast as of Wednesday.
Other Notable Elections
In Imperial Beach, where a powerful labor union spent tens of thousands of dollars to unseat conservative-leaning independent Mayor Mitch McKay, McKay kept his seat.
And in the Chula Vista Elementary School District, a scorched-earth, union-backed effort to boot Republican Delia Cervantes from the school board appears to have failed. Cervantes, a thorn in the side of the district’s pro-union majority, holds a wide lead over five other candidates vying for her seat.
Written by Jim Hinch | November 5, 2026 | Voice of San Diego
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