More than 40 percent of Chula Vista residents say embattled City Councilmember Andrea Cardenas should drop her re-election bid and resign, according to a poll released Tuesday.
The poll, conducted Dec. 5-10 by SurveyUSA for The San Diego Union-Tribune and KGTV-TV, also found that 23 percent of the 500 respondents strongly approve of the job being done by Mayor John McCann, 40 percent somewhat approve of his performance, 15 percent disapprove and 22 percent are unsure.
Seventy percent of respondents said the quality of life in the South County city was good or excellent, and 21 percent said it was fair, according to the poll. As for the top issue, 40 percent cited the cost of living as their chief concern, with homelessness and the economy following at 19 percent and 18 percent respectively. Seven percent said crime was their top issue and 5 percent cited immigration.
While 41 percent say Cardenas should end her campaign and 42 percent say she should step down, more than 30 percent remained unsure about the future of the first-term District 4 representative, who is facing felony charges of conspiracy, money laundering and fraud. Her brother, Jesus Cardenas, is facing similar charges. Andrea Cardenas is also charged with two counts of failing to file tax returns.
Prosecutors are accusing the pair of defrauding the U.S. government in February 2021 — two months after Andrea Cardenas was elected — of $176,227 in COVID-19 relief funds provided to Grassroots Resources, the firm Jesus Cardenas started and that employed his sister.
