Now a leader on San Diego’s city council, Monica Montgomery Steppe says she’s ready to lead the county with experience.
Montgomery Steppe is running in the closely watched race for a seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in District 4, which opened up for special election after former supervisor Nathan Fletcher resigned amid sexual assault allegations.
The district is home to about 700,000 residents and includes the cities of La Mesa and Lemon Grove and several central and southeastern San Diego neighborhoods.
If she wins the election on Nov. 7, she would take over the rest of Fletcher’s term, which ends in January 2027, and tip the five-member board to Democratic control.
Montgomery Steppe would also become the first Black woman to serve on the board if elected.
Montgomery Steppe’s candidacy has been backed by a coalition of San Diego labor unions, which have spent roughly $1 million on flyers and other advertisements supporting her. She outperformed three other candidates in the primary election in August with 42% of the vote and will face Republican Amy Reichert in the November runoff.
Born and raised in San Diego, Montgomery Steppe has represented the city’s District 4 since late 2018. She unseated former Councilmember Myrtle Cole after she learned of Cole’s controversial comments suggesting racial profiling by law enforcement was justified in communities of color.
Current City Council President Pro Tem, Montgomery Steppe said her priorities have focused on a list of issues including the region’s ongoing homelessness crisis, affordable housing, wages and changes to local criminal justice systems.
inewsource asked each candidate questions about pressing issues in San Diego County and the causes they are focusing on in the leadup to the election. Montgomery Steppe’s answers have been summarized in the full article linked below.
Read the full article on inewsource.org.
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