With few votes left to count and double-digit leads, incumbent Christian Garcia and newcomer Judy Fitzgerald have won two open seats on the Escondido City Council.
Garcia, who was appointed to fill Escondido’s District 3 seat in 2023, handily handled challenges from Veronica Cigarroa and Christine Spencer, with 60.95 percent of votes counted. Cigarroa took 27.4 percent of votes cast; Spencer came in at 11.65 percent, according to Thursday results published by the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.
The retirement of incumbent Michael Morasco left an open field for Fitzgerald and Roderick “Rod” Howell. Fitzgerald took 68.4 percent of ballots cast and counted, earning 10,151 votes to her challenger’s 4,683.
Measure I, a one-cent sales tax referendum, passed with 61 percent of the vote, with 32,580 voters marking yes on their ballots. Passage should provide a significantly easier path for the council in 2025 as it seeks to preserve city services in the face of a structural budget deficit.
Garcia, a high school teacher and former Palomar College trustee, and Fitzgerald, a former Carlsbad and Oceanside police officer who founded Escondido’s CrossFit Xystum gym, listed similar priorities such as continuing the city’s ongoing fight against homelessness and increasing public safety resources.
Both winners led from the first batch of mail ballots posted on election night, sharing preliminary thoughts as the registrar began its long counting process.
“I look forward to continuing my service to our community as we work together to make Escondido a city that serves the needs of all,” Fitzgerald said.
“I believe my message of love and community resonated with people during a time of hate and division,” Garcia said.
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