North County Report: Out With the Old, and in With the New  

On Tuesday, millions of voters across California weighed in on a statewide redistricting measure, and thousands in Poway’s District 2 decided the fate of Councilmember Tony Blain.  

If you haven’t heard: Proposition 50 is in, and Blain is out. 

Here’s what went down at the ballot box yesterday, and what it all means going forward. 

A Recall and a Resignation 

This time last year, Tony Blain was celebrating his election to the District 2 City Council seat. On Tuesday, 80 percent of District 2 residents voted to remove Blain from office. And today, Blain officially resigned, the city announced, effective immediately. 

The recall came just days after the District Attorney charged him with four felonies and a misdemeanor, including perjury, bribery and destruction of public records. Blain’s arraignment, which was scheduled for this past Monday, was postponed to January. 

Blain’s controversies began even before he was elected. I previously reported that city staff accused Blain of harassment, bullying and threats—allegations that were confirmed in an independent investigation and led to the first two censures in Poway’s history. Earlier this year, the city also took the unprecedented step of suing Blain for destroying public records, marking the first time it has sued a sitting elected official. 

His misconduct prompted residents to launch a recall effort against him, led by two former Poway councilmembers, John Mullin and Anita Edmondson. 

“It’s a huge sense of relief,” Mulllin told Voice of San Diego. “When we gathered enough signatures to put the recall on the ballot, we figured Blain wouldn’t serve again, but it’s not over until it’s over, so yeah, it’s like a weight off our shoulders.” 

What’s next: The Poway City Council will hold a special meeting at 11 a.m. this Friday “to discuss the schedule and process for moving forward consistent with California state election code,” a press release from the city said. 

District 2 residents can expect another special election to fill Blain’s vacant seat. A policy approved earlier this year requires a special election for any vacancy occurring within the first 18 months of a councilmember’s term.  

“The special election will ensure that voters in District 2 select their next councilmember,” the press release said. 

Related: Read my full story detailing Blain’s tumultuous time in office here. 

Prop. 50 Will Shake Things Up 

After months of buildup, Proposition 50, one of the most expensive ballot measures in California history, passed with almost 64 percent of the vote as of Wednesday afternoon. 

California residents voted in favor of redrawing political boundaries to create five additional Democratic-leaning seats, a move Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed in response to efforts by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the Trump administration to add more Republican seats in Texas. 

Now that Proposition 50 has passed, California will adopt a new congressional map more favorable to Democrats in the 2026 midterms. The maps will also be used for the 2028 and 2030 elections. 

Newsom called on leaders in other Democratic-held states, like Illinois, Virginia, Maryland and New York, to redraw their congressional districts, too.  

The 48th District, which includes central and eastern San Diego County and is represented by Rep. Darrell Issa, will see some of the biggest changes. Before the change, the 48th District included Bonsall, Poway, Santee, Fallbrook, portions of Escondido, Romona and Temecula. The new map will bring in Vista, parts of Oceanside and portions of Palm Springs while cutting out Poway, Romona, Santee and Lakeside.  

Under the new map, voter registration will strongly favor Democrats, which will make Issa’s 2026 re-election bid much tougher. 

Several Democrats have already announced plans to run, including San Diego City Councilmember Marni Von Wilpert and Ammar Campa-Najjar, who lost the seat to Issa in 2020.  

Brandon Riker, a Democrat economist and a former staffer in the Obama administration, also confirmed on X that he’s now officially running in the new 48th District. He was previously running to unseat Rep. Ken Calvert in the 41st District, but he told Voice in September that if Proposition 50 passed, placing his hometown of Palm Springs in Issa’s district, he would pivot to challenge Issa instead. 

Democrat voting rights attorney Anuj Dixit will also take on Issa in a run for the 48th. 

Issa issued a statement on X, calling Proposition 50 “the worst gerrymander in history,” and promising to keep fighting. 

“Voters get to pick their representatives. Not the other way around,” Issa said. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll continue to represent the people of California — regardless of their party or where they live. I’m not quitting on California. And neither should anyone else.” 

In Other News 

• The Encinitas City Council is weighing three options to remove elements of the controversial changes to Santa Fe Drive that a previous Council approved in 2022. The three options range in price from $2.8 million to $3.6 million, and all three options also include an additional $1.2 million on project costs. (Union-Tribune) 
• Details of the Tri-City Medical Center deal with Sharp HealthCare reveal that Tri-City would transfer all of its assets and obligations to Sharp for 30 years, operating as Sharp Tri-City Medical Center. Restoration of Tri-City’s labor and delivery services are not guaranteed. (Union-Tribune) 
• Geotechnical work is underway for the Del Mar rail realignment project, a plan to move a section of the train tracks that run along the Del Mar cliffs, into an underground tunnel. The engineering firm leading the project has started collecting samples along the proposed tunnel routes to assess soil and groundwater conditions. (Coast News) 

The post North County Report: Out With the Old, and in With the New   appeared first on Voice of San Diego.