It’s one incumbent and three challengers for two San Marcos council seats (original) (raw)

One incumbent and three challengers will seek the District 3 and District 4 city council seats in San Marcos this fall.

Alan Geraci and Danielle LeBlang, both attorneys, will vie to replace incumbent Sharon Jenkins in District 3, which is mainly south of state Route 78, including Cal State San Marcos. A limit of no more than three consecutive terms specified by San Marcos municipal code prevented Jenkins from running in 2024.

First elected in 2020, Councilman Ed Musgrove seeks his second four-year term in District 4, which is the city’s northernmost political subdivision, taking in most of the ground north of 78, including Palomar College. He is challenged by Natasha Zander Hilmes, a finance educator and city traffic commissioner.

Musgrove retired after 25 years serving as a San Diego County deputy sheriff and, in a campaign statement filed with the city clerk’s office, says that emptying public open spaces of illegal encampments will be his focus if re-elected.

“I will act to shut down illegal encampments and remove hazards that endanger safety or negatively impact our quality of life,” Musgrove said.

Zander Holmes’ statement focuses on promoting better fiscal management amid concerns with development activities in San Marcos.

“Our roads, sewers, and emergency response times suffer while developers profit,” Holmes said.

Geraci, who is a consumer attorney based in San Marcos since 2004, cites improving public safety and housing supply, as well as strengthening the city’s climate action plan, as key priorities.

LeBlang, who lists her specialty as litigation, also lists support of law enforcement, and of keeping “San Marcos free of encampments and hazards that threaten public health” as her priorities.