With election day about two weeks away, new polling launched Tuesday confirmed a decent race between Kelly Martinez and John Hemmerling to grow to be the subsequent San Diego County sheriff. However a 3rd of respondents mentioned they had been undecided.
Of the possible voters polled, 37 p.c mentioned they might vote for Martinez, who’s the undersheriff, and 31 p.c mentioned they might again Hemmerling, a retired chief prosecutor with the San Diego Metropolis Legal professional’s Workplace. The 2 candidates are shut sufficient — throughout the 6.6 percentage-point “credibility interval” — to be thought of in a statistical useless warmth.
About 33 p.c of the respondents mentioned they’d not but decided between the 2.
SurveyUSA performed the web ballot for KGTV 10News and The San Diego Union Tribune. It polled 668 registered voters between Thursday and Monday.
The election is Nov. 8, however early voting is below method. Of the registered voters surveyed, pollsters decided 529 respondents had been more likely to vote or had already returned their ballots. Barely greater than half who had already voted checked the field for Martinez.
Hemmerling leads by 6 factors amongst males; Martinez leads by 17 factors amongst girls. If elected, Martinez could be the county’s first feminine sheriff, however not the primary girl to steer a legislation enforcement company within the county. San Diego and Chula Vista police have already positioned a girl on the helm.
The race is nonpartisan, however help for the 2 sheriff candidates skews alongside celebration strains. Barely greater than half — 51 p.c — of the respondents who’re Republican backed Hemmerling, who has been endorsed by the celebration. Almost half — 46 p.c — of the Democrats polled help Martinez, who additionally has that celebration’s endorsement.
Martinez is up by 7 factors amongst independents. She additionally leads amongst Latino voters by 22 factors, with 40 p.c nonetheless undecided. White voters are cut up, with a little bit greater than a 3rd backing every candidate and practically a 3rd undecided, the polling discovered.
Martinez has been with the division for 37 years — working within the jails, on patrol and dealing with investigations — and was tapped as undersheriff by then-Sheriff Invoice Gore, who inspired her run for his seat.
Hemmerling spent 20 years with Metropolis Legal professional’s Workplace, main the legal investigations division for the final six. He additionally spent 9 years as a San Diego police officer and 30 years as a Marine (each lively obligation and reserves), retiring as a colonel.
The 2 candidates bested a discipline of seven within the June main.
Respondents to the 10News/Union-Tribune ballot had been additionally requested their ideas on essentially the most urgent concern the subsequent sheriff faces.
Twenty-one p.c mentioned crucial concern is find out how to deal with calls involving psychological well being crises.
That was adopted by 16 p.c who mentioned transparency is the highest concern and 16 p.c who pointed to police reform as the subsequent sheriff’s largest concern.
Martinez has the benefit amongst individuals who chosen a kind of three points because the main concern. She leads Hemmerling by 9 factors amongst respondents who chosen psychological well being calls as largest concern. She leads by 13 factors amongst these involved about transparency, and leads by 16 factors amongst those that cited police reform.
She can be up by 23 factors amongst individuals who mentioned the subsequent sheriff’s largest concern is incarcerated folks dying in jail.
The Sheriff’s Division runs the county seven jails, which have been plagued with a report variety of folks dying whereas in custody — 18 folks have died in custody this 12 months, and one died hours after his compassionate launch following a protracted sickness.
A state audit launched in February discovered that between 2006 and 2020, San Diego County jails had been the deadliest amongst California’s largest counties and known as for laws to make sure adjustments within the jails. Final month, Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected a invoice impressed by that audit, citing as problematic its requirement so as to add two extra seats to a 13-person board that units requirements for detention amenities.
Martinez has mentioned she embraces the auditors’ suggestions and is working in implement them. Hemmerling has mentioned he needs to go additional, citing improved know-how to trace medically weak inmates, and mentioned efficient change will solely include new management.
Hemmerling had an 8-point edge over Martinez amongst these involved about holding deputies from leaving the division, a problem cited by 14 p.c of the respondents because the main concern for the subsequent sheriff.
Earlier this 12 months, the Union-Tribune reported that San Diego’s largest legislation enforcement companies — the Sheriff’s Division and the San Diego Police Division — had been shedding officers and deputies sooner than they might rent them. Information from Sheriff’s Division confirmed that 70 extra deputies left the division than had been employed in fiscal 12 months 2020. And final fiscal 12 months, 28 extra deputies left than had been employed.
The Sheriff’s Division has greater than 4,600 staffers and an annual price range of $1.1 billion. It handles legislation enforcement in 9 cities, from Imperial Seashore to Vista, in addition to the county’s unincorporated areas. Along with working the county jails, it offers safety within the state courts.
