Ammar Campa-Najjar is running against John McCann in Chula Vista, California's mayoral race.
Polls closed in the state at 8 p.m. local time, or 11 p.m. EST.
2022 General EmbedsAfter serving for two consecutive four-year terms, incumbent Mayor Mary Salas is ineligible to run for a third term.
Campa-Najjar is the founder of ACN Strategies, a public affairs and communications firm. He previously served as a White House fellow, then as a public affairs executive director with the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He also worked as a public affairs officer in the US Labor Department for one year.
The San Diego State University graduate ran two unsuccessful congressional campaigns, one against Rep. Darrell Issa in California's 50th Congressional District.
Chula Vista, the second-largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area and the seventh-largest in Southern California, is just south of downtown San Diego and north of Tijuana, Mexico. The city will house San Diego State's expansion of its film school and is on the cusp of completing a billion-dollar bayfront development.
However, Chula Vista also faces a structural budget deficit and a growing homeless population.
Campa-Najjar is campaigning on addressing the city's homelessness and housing imbalance. He is endorsed by the San Diego County Democratic Party, Chula Vista Firefighters, and several high-profile elected officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Alex Padilla.
McCann is currently serving his fourth term as deputy mayor on the Chula Vista City Council. The Iraq War veteran also serves as a commander in the Navy Reserves and owns two property management businesses.
McCann is similarly running with a goal to tackle homelessness and crime. He is endorsed by the Chula Vista Police Officers Association, the Republican Party of San Diego County, and the San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
In the nonpartisan primary, McCann pulled past Campa-Najjar, securing 30.9% of the vote to 22.5%.