Former Aide to Supervisor Bailey to Run for His District 2 Seat

Promising “a crusade to change county government,” Dianne Jacob, former chief of staff to county Supervisor George Bailey, announced her candidacy for Bailey’s East County seat Wednesday.

Jacob, 52, a member of the Jamul-Dulzura school board and a longtime East County activist, said at a campaign kickoff rally that, “after seven years working in the innards of county government, I can tell you one thing with authority: county government is broken.”

Jacob cited San Diego county’s proportionately small share of tax revenue, state and federal mandates that she said are consuming the county budget and “a bloated, self-serving county bureaucracy” as the key defects in the government where she worked before resigning earlier this month to run for office.

Jacob is the first major candidate to formally announce her candidacy for the 2nd District supervisor’s post, whose occupant represents a sprawling chunk of East County that includes El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Poway, Santee, Lakeside, Ramona, a small slice of the city of San Diego and other areas.

Santee Mayor Jack Doyle is exploring the possibility of a run for the office.

Jacob’s announcement came despite the fact that incumbent Supervisor Bailey has yet to announce whether he will seek a third four-year term. Bailey, 72, said in an interview Wednesday that he does not expect to reveal his intentions until after Jan. 1.