The San Diego County Board of Supervisors punted a vote on who will succeed Nora Vargas as chair after competing motions to elevate either Terra Lawson-Remer or Jim Desmond to the role failed in votes down partisan lines.

The county Board of Supervisors should approve a special election rather than a political appointment to fill the District 1 seat vacated by Nora Vargas, a candidate said Tuesday.

A special election would cost taxpayers around $5 million, similar to the special election held after Nathan Fletcher vacated his Supervisor seat in 2023.

Terra Lawson-Remer will continue as acting chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, after a vote Tuesday to pick a new leader failed.

Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Joel Anderson were sworn in for their second terms. Vargas did not attend the ceremony. Her former employees said they had not heard from her.

Re-elected San Diego County supervisors were sworn in Monday morning — with the exception of Nora Vargas, who decided last month not to serve her second term. Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Joel Anderson both took the oath of office at a swearing-in ceremony at the County Administration Center after winning second terms in November.

San Diego County Supervisors Joel Anderson and Terra Lawson-Remer were sworn into office Monday to begin their second terms representing Districts 2 and 3, respectively.