"[1][2][3] Municipal elections in California are officially non-partisan, and although most candidates do identify a party preference, their party affiliations do not appear on the ballot.

If no candidate wins a majority of votes, a runoff election will be held on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, between the top two vote-getting candidates.

[4][5] On December 20, 2024, Chair Nora Vargas announced that she would not take the oath of office for a second term, despite having won 62.5% of the vote just weeks beforehand in the 2024 San Diego County Board of Supervisors election, citing "personal safety and security reasons.

"[1][3] Vice chair Terra Lawson-Remer became acting chair of the board, and on January 14, 2025, the board voted to hold a special election to fill the vacancy left by Vargas' resignation.

[4][6] Top election issues include immigration,[7][8][9] homelessness, sewage in the Tijuana River,[10] and housing affordability, part of a broader housing crisis statewide.