After going without a city attorney for more than a year, Chula Vista will finally have a replacement after the California Primary Election on March 5, 2024.
Bart Miesfeld and Marco Verdugo were the top two vote-getters in a Special Election last year and -- since neither got 50% of the votes plus one -- the candidates face off this election cycle to determine who will represent Chula Vista in legal matters.
The winner will be Chula Vista’s first city attorney since 2022 when Simon Silva won the race despite dying from cancer a few weeks before Election Day.
What is a city attorney?
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The city attorney is the legal adviser for all city departments, including the city council and the mayor. The person who holds this role is an attorney and their department is the legal arm for the city.
Where do the candidates for Chula Vista City Attorney stand on the issues?
Both are concerned about what will happen with Chula Vista’s District 4 seat, which was held by former Councilwoman Andrea Cardenas, who resigned on Feb.19.
“We need to get this city back on track,” said Miesfeld, who had previously been appointed as City Attorney and served for two years.
“We've got a long way to go to restore trust,” added Verdugo, a current deputy city attorney.
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Cardenas is facing eight felony counts, stemming from fraud accusations tied to her political consulting business. However, Cardenas was taking the first step towards reelection on the same March primary ballot.
“It is too late to get her name off the ballot,” explained Verdugo. “She's going to be on the ballot in March, and we could have a situation if she ends up in one of the top two positions.”
California election code says a candidate who wins a primary must be left on the general election ballot. It may not matter that Cardenas’ attorney said she stopped campaigning and resigned her post. Verdugo and Miesfeld disagree with that decision.
“I was calling for Andrea Cardenas to resign last year,” Verdugo said. “My opponent thinks that she should have stayed on and continued her term.”
“That's accurate,” countered Miesfeld. “And here's why: I was city attorney when one of our councilmembers was indicted by the district attorney's office. Well, that played out. He went to trial, and he was acquitted.”
Miesfeld said Cardenas could still be acquitted.
Oddly enough, Cardenas supported Verdugo in the race for city attorney, not Miesfeld.
“He listed her as one of his key supporters in his campaign materials,” Miesfeld said.
“I think that she made the right decision. She's been a distraction to the city,” Verdugo concluded.
