CBad council candidate drops out to run for school board in San Dieguito
Kevin Sabellico announced he will not continue his campaign in Carlsbad and turns attention to San Dieguito school board; other Encinitas candidates emerge
CARLSBAD — The musical chairs for this election season continues as one candidate in Carlsbad has opted to withdraw from his City Council race to run for school board in San Dieguito Union High School District.
On Monday, Kevin Sabellico announced his decision during an event with the Democratic Club of Carlsbad and Oceanside. He also announced his resignation on Monday as a Carlsbad planning commissioner after he was appointed to the San Diego County Environmental Health and Quality Advisory Board by Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer.
According to sources at the event, Sabellico told the audience that he plans to run against Michael Allman for the D4 seat on the SDUHSD Board of Trustees on Monday. Sabellico, who moved to D2 in Carlsbad several months ago, moved to Carmel Valley so he can run for the seat.
District 2 is the largest geographical district in the city covering the northeast and central parts of the city.
In a statement, Sabellico, who graduated from Canyon Crest Academy, said public education is the greatest force for upward mobility, scientific advancement and social harmony. As such, he ripped Allman for Allman’s actions on the board.
“So, when a trustee for the San Dieguito Union High School District calls free public education a ‘socialist policy’ and ‘empty promise,’ mocks transgender students who attend our schools, and costs the district tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees for acting inappropriately towards staff — I can’t sit back and watch,” Sabellico’s statement reads. “Not when Trump Republicans like Michael Allman bully everyone around them.”
Sabellico was appointed to the Planning Commission by Councilwoman Teresa Acosta in 2021 and was tapped as vice chair last year. He launched his City Council campaign in September followed by Kevin Shin and Maureen “Mo” Muir.
Shin, though, has secured key endorsements from the Carlsbad fighters and police unions, while Sabellico secured endorsements from State Sen. Catherine Blakespear and Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) among others.
As for the other race in Carlsbad, Acosta will face Greg Day, a pilot for United Airlines, in the D4 race.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, but I truly believe that it’s the best thing for our community,” Sabellico said about withdrawing. “Too many politicians these days are all about themselves, and that’s not the kind of candidate I want to be. The fact is we have a better chance of winning the City Council race with one candidate instead of two, and I want to be part of the solution, not the problem.”
While it is unclear how much traction Sabellico’s City Council campaign received, he raised more than $23,000 in 2023, which he can transfer to this race, according to the school district.
He also stumbled out of the gate with a robotext announcing his campaign, but with the photo of disgraced former San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher. Also, he was the center of unfounded claims by the county Democratic party of plotting against Carlsbad Councilwoman Priya Bhat-Patel by revealing an alleged affair unless she stopped bad-mouthing Sabellico’s campaign.
Allman, meanwhile, has been a polarizing figure on the board and the San Dieguito Faculty Association tried to have him recalled in 2021 but did not get enough signatures to qualify the recall. He was first elected in 2020 with 42% of the vote defeating two candidates.
“After a successful 40-year business career where I led multi-billion dollar businesses, I decided to run for school board in 2020 to promote and improve public education and get students safely back in the classrooms,” Allman said in an email. “I've been a staunch advocate for equal rights for all, public transparency, academic excellence, and financial responsibility while keeping politics out of the boardroom.
“I don’t know Mr. Sabellico personally, but I note that he is 26 years old, has spent his brief career working only in partisan politics, and until yesterday was running for Carlsbad City Council before he abruptly dropped out and declared his candidacy for our school board. He will now have to move into our school district to qualify for the ballot.”
In addition to Sabellico, Encinitas Planning Commissioner Kevin Doyle filed his candidate intention statement on Monday for the District 2 City Council seat in Encinitas. He will challenge Destiny Preston, who announced her candidacy in March after incumbent Kellie Shay Hinze announced she would not seek re-election.
Also, Allison Blackwell is running for election in D1 after she was appointed to the council in 2023, although no challengers have come forward yet.
Other action includes Encinitas Union School District Trustee Jodie Williams running for Katrina Young’s seat in Area 2 on the SDUHSD board as Young will not seek re-election, according to sources. Jillian Cocayne is running for Williams’ seat for Encinitas School District. Trustee Marlon Taylor and Tom Morton are also running for re-election.
Last week, Councilman Bruce Ehlers announced his candidacy for the mayoral race and takes on incumbent Mayor Tony Kranz.
In Vista, Deputy Mayor Katie Melendez kicked off her re-election campaign on Saturday. She is being challenged by Denisse Barragan for the D3 seat.