Fewer Than a Third Vote as Chula Vista Elects Nader

Fewer than a third of Chula Vista’s registered voters turned out to elect the city’s new mayor, the San Diego County registrar’s office reported Wednesday.

With a turnout of 28.14% of the registered voters, City Councilman Tim Nader was chosen from among 10 candidates vying in a special election to fill the unexpired term of Gayle McCandliss. McCandliss died in January shortly after being sworn in for the top political job in San Diego County’s second-largest city.

Of the 57,394 registered voters, 16,152 cast their ballots Tuesday, according to semi-final results released Wednesday by the registrar’s office. Remaining absentee ballots turned into the polls Tuesday will be counted today but are not expected to change the election results.

Nader, who has 17 months remaining in his term, received 5,763 votes, 36.05% of those cast.

Nader, a state criminal prosecutor, will be sworn in as mayor June 18. Nader has said he will take a permanent unpaid leave from the state attorney general’s office.

After Nader’s swearing in, the council will have 30 days from June 19 to appoint a replacement for Nader’s City Council seat under City Charter guidelines.

Finishing second was former city councilman Frank Scott, who received 3,313 votes, 20.73%.

Chris Chase, executive director of the South Bay Family YMCA, came in third with 2,707 votes, 16.94%.

Nick Aguilar, an attorney and Sweetwater School District Board of Trustees member, placed fourth with 2,110 votes, 13.20%.

Other contenders were Bob Beyerle who received 465 votes, 2.91%; Robert Piantedosi, 457 votes, 2.86%; David Campbell, 440 votes, 2.75%; Fred Drew, 320 votes, 2%; G.L. (Jerry) Forbes, 248 votes, 1.55%, and Joseph Albert, 111 votes, .69%.

Mark Boltz, who was on the ballot but had dropped out of the race, received 50 votes, .31%.