County Supervisor Jim Desmond Spends $249,470 in Public Funds on Social Media Ads
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond spent $249,470 in public funds during the first eight months of the year to expand his social media presence and run digital advertisements, public records revealed, according to the Voice of San Diego. Desmond, a Republican who is termed out of his District 5 seat, used the money from his allocated office budget to pay for high-definition video promotions across platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and X, as well as streaming services including Hulu and HBO Max.
While supervisors receive a budget of approximately $3.6 million for the 2025-2026 fiscal year—typically used for office supplies, printing, and event registrations, as confirmed by county communications director Tammy Glenn—Desmond’s office directed a substantial portion of those funds toward marketing. Records show about $62,000 went directly to Target River, a Salt Lake City marketing agency, with the remaining advertising expenditures paid directly to Google, Meta, Disney, and X. Invoices were billed either to Desmond or Miles Himmel, his supervisor communications director. Glenn stated via email that public funds are spent in accordance with board policy and state law, but did not comment specifically on Desmond’s expenditures or office spending restrictions.
How the Digital Campaign Unfolded Across Platforms
The paid promotions significantly boosted viewership for Desmond’s official office content. Records indicate his office began paying for YouTube advertising in late April. Prior to that, his YouTube videos drew views in the hundreds, but subsequent videos posted over the final six months garnered between 140,000 and nearly 600,000 views. A recent video addressing first-responder funding reached 236,000 views, while another criticizing a county-funded poll on Measure B reached 352,000 views.
Desmond’s subscriber and follower counts outpace those of his colleagues on the Board of Supervisors. He maintains 4,500 YouTube subscribers, 27,000 Instagram followers, 19,000 Facebook followers, and 21,000 X followers. Among the other four board members, only Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer used allocated funds for advertising between January and early September, spending about $11,300 on Facebook ads. Other supervisors recorded significantly lower social media engagement, with follower counts across platforms generally remaining in the hundreds or low thousands.
Stakes in the 48th Congressional District Race
Desmond enters the final stretch of the congressional race against San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, a Democrat, to replace longtime Republican Congressman Darrell Issa in the 48th Congressional District. Issa dropped out of the race in April after California voters passed Proposition 50, a redistricting measure creating five new Democrat-leaning districts. With control of the House of Representatives at stake, Desmond campaigns with an established digital audience built in part through his county office accounts.
In comparison, von Wilpert’s official councilmember accounts reflect smaller follower totals, including 1,900 on Facebook, 2,200 on Instagram, 2,300 on X, and 20 subscribers on YouTube. Darren Gretler, Desmond’s chief of staff, defended the officeal communications in an email statement, noting that keeping North County constituents informed during emergencies, floods, and local policy debates has been a top priority. Voters will decide the seat in less than three weeks.
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