By the numbers, Chula Vista is a Democratic stronghold.

Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly two to one in San Diego County’s second-largest city. All but one member of the City Council is a Democrat. South San Diego County in general long has been considered a reliable part of Democrats’ voter base.

But numbers don’t tell the whole story. This week’s Chula Vista City Council meeting was a perfect illustration of an increasingly noticeable moderate-to-conservative tilt in city politics.

Before I explain, one more note about the numbers. Democrats might want to reconsider their assumptions about Chula Vista. In the past five years, even as the rest of San Diego County has turned more blue, Democrats’ voter registration advantage in Chula Vista actually shrank.

In September, 2020, acco

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