Republican Amy Reichert, who ran against Nathan Fletcher in 2022, announced her candidacy Wednesday to succeed the disgraced supervisor in a special election on Aug. 15.
“I am excited to officially announce my candidacy for the County Board of Supervisors for District 4,” Reichert said. “I am committed to rebuilding the trust in our elected officials and strengthening our communities.
She joins Democrats Monica Montgomery Steppe, a member of the San Diego City Council, and Janessa Goldbeck, a Marine veteran who ran for unsuccessfully for Congress against Sara Jacobs.
Reichert was raised in San Diego and graduated from San Diego State University. She gained political influence during the pandemic through her work with ReOpen San Diego, which advocated for the reopening of schools and small businesses, and against vaccine mandates.
Fletcher, who is in an out-of-state treatment facility for treatment of post traumatic stress, is planning to officially step down from his seat on May 15. He also faces sexual assault allegations by a former employee of the Metropolitan Transit System.
He has denied the allegations.
The Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 on Tuesday to advance a resolution calling a special election to fill the seat after Fletcher resigns. Supervisors will formally consider the resolution at their May 23 meeting.
Goldbeck is the nonprofit CEO of Vet Voice Foundation, and previously served as a combat engineer officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and as a uniformed victim advocate.
Montgomery Steppe is a San Diego city councilwoman representing District 4 who was first elected in 2018. Both Goldbeck and Montgomery Steppe are San Diego natives.
If no candidate receives a majority in the Aug. 15 primary election, a special general election would be held Nov. 7, according to county officials. Costs for the election could range from $3 million to $5.2 million.
— City News Service contributed to this report.