Story by Nohea Cacatian and Heather Christian

SAN MARCOS–It was neck-and-neck between David Vincent and Roberto Rodríguez for District #3 of the Palomar College Governing Board race as of Wednesday morning.

The two candidates are running for the Governing Board seat for District #3, which includes Vista and the outskirts of Escondido.

The San Diego County Registrar of Voters reported Rodríguez in the lead with 51.02% of votes (over 29,000), and Vincent with 48.98% (over 28,000).

The San Diego Union Tribune and the candidates’ websites gave insight into the two candidates:

Vincent has been an Escondido resident for over 20 years. He has his bachelor’s degree in industrial microbiology and a master’s and Ph.D. in public health. His main running points are fiscal responsibility, COVID-19 and opportunity for all.

Vincent hopes to make a positive impact, and believes that there is opportunity for improvement. He stated that he would like to be a part of that opportunity to help the college.

Rodríguez has been a Vista resident for 15 years. He has his bachelor’s degree in International relations and Spanish, and a master’s degree in international relations from University of San Diego. His main running points are fiscal responsibility, student focus and building trust.

Rodríguez hopes to be the bridge between colleagues on the Board, faculty and students on campus because “it’s a community.”