San Diego County supervisors re‑elect leadership slate, defenders and critics weigh in

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 13 approved its leadership slate for 2026 after a short nomination period and more than an hour of public comment.

Clerk Andrew read the board’s rules of procedure for officer selection and explained that nominations required a second. A slate put forward by the chair pro tem was moved and seconded on the dais. Opponents during public comment urged the board to return to a rotating one‑year term model to give all five districts an opportunity to serve as chair.

“Every district should have an opportunity to have a chairman represent them,” one caller said during public comment, urging rotation rather than repeating multi‑year terms.

After hearing from union leaders who urged continuity and from residents who called for greater rotation and representation for unincorporated communities, the clerk called the vote. The board approved the slate with all supervisors present voting aye; Supervisor Desmond was noted as absent earlier in the meeting.

The chair thanked colleagues for their support and said the leadership would prioritize inclusive deliberation and bipartisanship. The board recessed to reconvene later that morning.

The procedural action is an internal governance matter of the Board of Supervisors; no ordinance or budgetary change was adopted as part of the leadership vote.