Politics Report: Special Dem Chair Election

On Tuesday, the San Diego County Democratic Party’s central committee will choose its fourth chair in three years — a role regarded as critical for determining the party’s path forward.

But amidst anonymous smear campaigns, alleged conflicts of interest, and past scandals, one question emerges: Can the party achieve stability in time for upcoming political contests?

Ross Pike became acting chair after Kyle Krahel-Frolander took a leave of absence. He told me he intends to remain neutral but noted the stakes are high.

“San Diego County is the second-largest in California, and California is the largest Democratic state party in the country,” Pike said. He chose not to run because of an already busy workload. 

“When our region speaks, people across the country are watching.”

How we got here: The leadership vacuum traces back to 2022, when then-chair Will Rodriguez-Kennedy resigned following sexual abuse allegations by his ex-boyfriend. The committee then appointed organizer Rebecca Taylor, who led for about a year and a half before her death in a 2023 motorcycle crash — a loss members described as both personal and political.

Her passing elevated vice chair Krahel-Frolander, a staffer for Rep. Mike Levin, to the top job. But his tenure was brief: last month he stepped down to run for an open Board of Supervisors seat.

That turnover has amplified uncertainty and left members wary about the Aug. 19 vote.

The decision rests with the Central Committee — elected activists, operatives, and local officeholders who influence endorsements, spending, and priorities — whose choice will shape Democrats’ approach to the 2026 midterms and the 2028 San Diego mayoral race.

The Candidates

Two candidates have emerged: former chair Rodriguez-Kennedy, who held the position from 2019 to 2022, and former South Area Vice Chair Sara Ochoa, who served from 2019 to 2024. In interviews with the Voice of San Diego, both said they’re best suited for the job, though each faces detractors.

Rodriguez-Kennedy resigned in 2022 after his then-partner accused him of sexual assault. He’s mounting a comeback.. He said the allegation was false and politically motivated, noting he was never charged and the civil suit was withdrawn — adding he and his ex are now “friends.” (Read his Q&A here.) 

“It was a horrible situation, and what I did was step aside so that the party could move on and do its important work,” he said. “The reality is we live in a country where we are afforded the human rights of the presumption of innocence and due process. Due process occurred, and I was cleared.”

Rodriguez-Kennedy has centered his campaign on turnout losses, noting more than 124,000 voters who cast ballots in 2020 didn’t vote in 2024 — nearly all Biden voters — calling it an “existential threat” for Democrats. He argued the drop-off, concentrated in the South Bay, occurred under Ochoa’s leadership and must be addressed.

Rep. Scott Peters, his current employer, and Rep. Juan Vargas, endorsed Rodriguez-Kennedy saying he has the experience to rebuild the party. Ryan Trabuco, president of the San Diego Democrats for Equality, praised his prior success as chair, organizing and fundraising ability, and plan to win back the 124,000 voters.

“He knows how to go into communities that have been disadvantaged, given the fact that he comes from a disadvantaged community in the South Bronx,” Trabuco said. “Will’s an organizer, and he’s done this before.”

Ochoa, backed by Rep. Mike Levin, several local officials, and key labor groups, has pitched herself as a bridge-builder with experience mediating intraparty disputes. But her work as a consultant and lobbyist has raised questions about conflicts of interest. (Read her Q&A here.) 

“I haven’t worked in client work for several months,” Ochoa said, adding she has closed her lobbying account. “I was intending to jump back into consulting when my child started school in July, but instead I’m running for chair — so my commitment will be to the party.”

In 2022, while Ochoa was serving as South Area vice chair, about $220,000 was spent on mailers promoting Democratic candidates without the funds first going through the party, an episode some members said still raises unanswered questions about her oversight during the episode.

“People sent out mailers claiming to be from the Democratic Party, but they were paying for it out of some other pockets that have never really been identified,” said Central Committee member Lori Saldaña, adding it left members questioning who authorized and paid for them. 

Ochoa said the matter was resolved as a vendor dispute that required payment to reconcile records, emphasizing it was not under her oversight. She said she supports releasing the audit commissioned after the incident.

“I think my opponent and I agree that the financial audit needs to be revealed,” she said.

Recently, domestic abuse allegations surfaced against her husband, labor attorney Ricardo Ochoa, stemming from a previous marriage. She told Voice she considers the matter unrelated to her leadership, adding she has never met the accuser and appreciates her husband’s accountability.

“Our focus — and my focus — continues to be on investing in our community,” she said.

National City Vice Mayor Marcus Bush, though not a voting member, said the race matters to smaller cities like his. He’s supporting Ochoa, who managed his 2020 campaign, citing her collaborative approach.

“She encouraged us to share our campaign resources with other local efforts — like Measure J, the puppy mill ban, and a campaign for city clerk,” Bush said. “It wasn’t just about me, and that was because of Sara’s leadership.”

A Controversial Bylaw Change

Divisions have also surfaced over a recent bylaw change granting Central Committee voting rights to officers of the California Young Democrats and California College Democrats — a move that added four members and drew questions about its timing ahead of the chair’s race

Rodriguez-Kennedy, a former California Young Democrats president, called it “outrageous” to suggest the change was designed to help his candidacy. He said he abstained from weighing in on the voting change and has “always fought for inclusion of young Democratic leaders.”

“It’s offensive that anyone would suggest that we would make that rule change just solely for a chair’s election,” he said. “The Democratic Party is built on the labor and on the engagement of youth voters. We lost ground with youth voters in 2024 and we need to get them back.”

Malik Thornton is the president of the San Diego County Young Democrats.

“We should have some say on how our party operates and how we allocate resources,” he said. “These seats should have been given to young Democrats a long time ago.”

Stephanie Wells, who serves on the Administrative Committee, said she supports adding youth voices but did not realize the change would add voting members.

“I want to make that very clear: I’m not saying I think it was done to help Will or Sara,” Wells said. “But I don’t think people understood what they were voting for.”

Kelvin Barrios, chair of the Administrative Committee, acknowledged the timing now appears politically charged given the race’s polarization, but said he did not anticipate the contention.

“We followed our process, we followed our noticing requirements,” he said, emphasizing the change was transparent. “There was a public vote, we met the two-thirds threshold, and we gave a presentation showing the old and new language side by side.”

Thornton’s group has not endorsed a candidate and will not do so, he said, citing both lack of time and the fact that the new voting seats come from statewide officers, not the club itself.

More Factionalism

Labor is also split.

“Labor isn’t a monolith,” Bush said, noting that Ochoa and Rodriguez-Kennedy each draw backing from different corners of the movement.

Ochoa has endorsements from several labor leaders, including Crystal Irving of SEIU Local 221 and the County Building Trades Council. Rodriguez-Kennedy’s main support comes from LiUNA, which Bush described as “the one that has the most money and is one of the most powerful.”

Ochoa, whose husband is a labor attorney, said she is committed to maintaining independence.

“My husband’s clients are often on different sides of issues, and we all navigate these spaces in the light of day,” she said. “We have guardrails in place, and that’s how we operated even when I was active in my consulting business.”

Broader Concerns

Some members see the Central Committee itself as part of the problem.

“It’s not volunteers representing people,” said member Lori Saldaña, who is backing neither candidate. “More and more it’s the professional political class.”

Longtime activist John Loughlin expressed dissatisfaction with the process and both candidates, saying the election is being rushed by insiders..

“The nature of the Central Committee has changed over time,” he said. “There are a lot of staffers and elected seat-holders running for positions so they get to control the flow of money, control who gets endorsed, control which ballot measures get supported.”

Loughlin supports delaying the vote, saying it would allow more time for vetting or finding an alternative. Ochoa agreed it could promote transparency, while Rodriguez-Kennedy argued there have already been nine forums and that a chair must be elected in time for a possible Sept. 5 redistricting vote. 

“The one thing we do not have — the one commodity we cannot get back — is time,” he said. “If we push it back, we’ll have another month of negative attacks.”

Those attacks include a series of anonymous letters sent to members in recent weeks. Some target Rodriguez-Kennedy, calling him a “Trumpian narcissist,” while others suggest insiders are working to secure Ochoa’s election. 

Neither candidate has claimed responsibility, and both have condemned the letters.

Whether next week’s vote can stabilize the San Diego County Democratic Party remains uncertain. The next chair will inherit an organization that has cycled through three leaders in as many years, all while facing internal fractures, financial disputes, and competing visions for its future.

Beyond managing endorsements and campaign spending, the chair will be expected to restore cohesion ahead of a pivotal election cycle — one that includes looming redistricting battles and a 2028 mayor’s race many view as a test of Democratic strength in the region.

Pike, acting chair of the party until the vote, said his priority is ensuring the transition does not derail the party’s work. 

“We’re setting the tone for what leadership looks like in the face of Trump 2.0,” he said. “Whoever takes over needs to be ready to lead on day one — and I’m doing everything I can to make sure they’re prepared.”

Walker Armstrong is a freelance reporter from San Diego covering local issues through data-informed, accountability-driven journalism.

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