Figures released by the San Diego County Registrar of Voters show a shift in voter registration, with registered Democrats jumping ahead of Republicans countywide by more than 100,000 voters, a nearly 7% registration gap — by far the largest ever.
Democrats now outnumber Republicans in 10 of the 18 cities in the county, with Vista and Solana Beach shifting into the “blue” column after the recent surge. Even more, the registration gap has narrowed to just a few hundred voters in several historically Republican strongholds, including El Cajon, Oceanside, and San Marcos.
“After this long and turbulent election year, San Diego County voters have taken a good look at the major parties and their presidential nominees — and in record numbers, they’re aligning with the Democratic Party,” said Francine Busby, Chair of the County Party. “I’m confident that in our local races — from Congress to City Councils — voters will reject Trump Republicans and elect Democrats who share their values.”
Early voting throughout the county reinforces that trend, with Democratic turnout exceeding Republicans by more than 10,000 voters so far. In the hotly contested 49th Congressional District, where Rep. Darrell Issa (R) is in the fight of his political life against Colonel Doug Applegate (D), Democrats are slightly outpacing Republicans in the percentage who have returned their ballots.
Meanwhile, the San Diego County Democratic Party is doing more than ever to get out the vote. Volunteer SDCDP canvassers are active in more than 600 precincts; the County Party has sent 330,000 mailers with its slate of endorsements; and digital ads targeting Democrats and linking to the County Party’s Official Voter Guide are running through Election Day in English and Spanish.
