Earlier this month, a lawyer for Chavez threatened to sue her San Diego counterparts for the way she claimed she was treated as an applicant for the $400,000 post.

Lawyers for the Santa Clara County supervisor cite irregularities, including breaches of confidentiality and discrimination, in San Diego County’s search for a new top administrative officer.

The fortunes of Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez in San Diego appeared to have dimmed, as business and community leaders and county Republicans advocated for a local administrator with knowledge of San Diego County and no ties to the organized labor and partisan Democrat connections that had initially pushed Chavez for the job a year ago.