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Barry Jantz

The Rostra/FlashReport San Diego General Election Contest — Make your selections!

Didn’t we just do one of these? Or two? It’s that time again!

A reminder of the so-called “rules”…

  • Read the questions closely.  No tricks, just read the questions.
  • Send your guesses to info@sdrostra.com ONLY. The Sab Diego Rostra TAs, interns and miscellaneous other rabble are assisting, so don’t send to my email.
  • Do NOT post your answers here.
  • Deadline to submit guesses: Election Day — Tuesday, November 4, 2014 — 7 p.m., PST. No exceptions.
  • If you’re reading this on FlashReport and don’t follow San Diego politics, don’t complain. Just DON’T ANSWER.
  • I have been asked in the past to note the candidates’ party affiliation, including in non-partisan contests. So be it.
  • I can’t ask about every race. Don’t take it personally.
  • I’m once again embarrassed to state this rule, but after doing a few of these, it’s needed. Please guess the final election results in each contest, not the results at 10 p.m. on Tuesday or 8 a.m. on Wednesday. The final results in the election, when the vote count is complete.
  • In the case of any close races, the contest winner may not be determined until the Registrar of Voters is done with their work.

The Questions

Select the winner or as noted for each question. In each case your answer should be one of the options named or referenced in bold. Last names are fine.

1. Congress, 52nd CA Congressional District — Congressman Scott Peters (D) or challenger Carl DeMaio (R)?

2. San Diego City Council, District 6 (open seat) — Chris Cate (R) or Carol Kim (D)?

3. Mayor, City of Chula Vista (open seat) — Jerry Rindone (R) or Mary Salas (D)?

4. Mayor, City of Escondido — Mayor Sam Abed (R) or Councilmember Olga Diaz (D)  — ok, or Stephen Siaw?

5. Other Mayoral contests — In two cities, incumbent Republican mayors are facing what may be considered spirited challenges from Republican opponents.  In La Mesa, Councilmember Mark Arapostathis is taking on Mayor Art Madrid.  As well, Councilmember Steve Vaus is running to unseat Mayor Don Higginson in Poway. In those two cities, the incumbents will win in BOTH, ONE or NEITHER of the elections?

6. City Council, Seat #1, City of Chula Vista (open seat) — Former Mayor Steve Padilla (D) or former Councilmember John McCann (R)?

7. State Legislature — In the June primary, State Senator Joel Anderson (R) received 71.05 percent of the vote running in the 38th District. In the 40th District, State Senator Ben Hueso (D) garnered 71.16 percent. Both faced one challenger in the primary (the same challengers in the general). Which incumbent will receive the highest percentage of the vote, Joel Anderson of Ben Hueso?

8. Local Measures — Seven school bond measures (one of them a bond re-authorization) appear on the ballot, in the Cajon Valley Union, Escondido Union, Lakeside Union, Lemon Grove, National, Ramona Unified, and Vallecitos school districts. Each one requires at least 55 percent of the voters for passage.  A majority of these will pass, TRUE or FALSE?

Two rounds on the tie-breakers:

Tie-Breaker A (only if needed).  Pass that J or F it? — The municipal codes in the cities of La Mesa and Encinitas both currently prohibit medical marijuana dispensaries. La Mesa (Prop J) and Encinitas (Prop F) will both vote on measures that would authorize and regulate dispensaries. Medical MJ dispensaries will achieve victory in BOTH, ONE or NEITHER of the cities?

Tie-Breaker B (only if still needed).  How could it not be the 52nd Congressional? — Pick the exact difference in percentage of the vote between Scott Peters and Carl DeMaio. How you answered question 1 doesn’t matter; the candidates’ order of finish doesn’t matter. The final margin between the two is what is being asked. Answer to at least a tenth of a point, if not a hundredth, please.

Enough?  Eight questions, a dead heat in the number of correct answers results in a tie breaking question, another tie breaker if still needed.

Re-read the rules above if it helps. Find the list of candidates here, if it assists.

The winner gets bragging rights, most importantly, as well as a meal on me at an Albondigas luncheon, if you catch me at one.

BTW, some have found it’s pretty simple to copy the questions, paste in an email, and hi-lite the guesses for each question.

Past Winners

June 2014 — Andy Berg

February 2014 (San Diego Mayoral Runoff) — Tony Krvaric

November 2012 — Miriam Raftery

June 2012 — Christine Moore

2010 — The strike year, apparently. Tony Gwynn would have batted .400, no doubt.

November 2008 — Geoff Patnoe

June 2008 — Katie Hansen

# # #

This article also appears at SD Rostra.