Chula Vista selects candidate to take over Andrea Cardenas’ seat

Zara Barker
·1 min read

CHULA VISTA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — The Chula Vista City Council on Thursday appointed Rachel Morineau the vacant District Four seat.

Morineau was sworn in on Thursday, but will have a more formal ceremony at council meeting on Tuesday.

The city held a special public meeting on Thursday to interview the eight finalists vying to take over former councilmember Andrea Cardenas’ District Four seat.

Cardenas resigned from her council seat in February, just shortly before she and her brother, Jesus Cardenas, entered into a plea deal for allegedly defrauding unemployment benefits and fraudulently obtaining a pandemic-era loan.

“Chula Vista has a high level of ethics and we are going to make sure we do that and to prove that we do, we are going to show and be as transparent as possible to the public,” McCann said.

Gate security barrier deployed at Naval Base San Diego

Here are the seven other finalists who vied for the District Four seat:

  • Christine Brady

  • Sharmane Estolano

  • Megan Moore

  • Guadalupe Ruiz

  • Nicholas Segura Jr.

  • John Volland

  • Daniel Zavala-Soto

Due to city rules, Morineau cannot be elected as the permanent District Four representative. In November, as the ballot stands, voters will have to choose between Cesar Fernandez and Rudy Ramirez.

But until then, the person who represents District Four for the next eight months is in the hands of city council.

The public comments portion of the meeting lasted two hours Thursday.

At the beginning of Thursday meeting, McCann laid out the rules for the special meeting. McCann said the eight candidates would be sequestered and without their phones during the other candidates public interviews.

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