SAN DIEGO — Democrat Monica Montgomery Steppe has been elected to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors’ District 4 seat over Republican Amy Reichert, per updated unofficial election results.
Montgomery Steppe had maintained her lead from election night, with around 61%, or 60,226 votes, as of Nov. 9 night compared to Reichert’s 38%, according to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters. Around 750 ballots remain to be counted, eliminating the possibility of a comeback for Reichert.
Montgomery Steppe, a member of the San Diego City Council, celebrated the results on social media on election night.
“As your supervisor, I look forward to teaming up with you to tackle homelessness, promote holistic public safety, and invest in our county,” Montgomery Steppe said. “It has been the honor of my life to serve the community I grew up in as its City Councilmember. It will be an honor to represent the county I grew up in as the first Black woman supervisor in San Diego’s history. Thank you for trusting me with our shared vision for our county. I look forward to serving you.”
Reichert acknowledged her loss on election night, when 30,000 votes still remained to be counted, but said she is committed to continuing to serve San Diego residents.
“Entering this race with a clear vision for a brighter future for our community, I acknowledge that our current path has fallen short. However, this setback only amplifies my determination to contribute significantly to our betterment,” Reichert said.
The seat was left empty in May following Nathan Fletcher’s resignation due to allegations of sexual assault and harassment by a former transit employee.
District 4 is the smallest geographically of the county’s five districts, consisting of central San Diego, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, as far north as Clairemont Mesa and portions of Kearny Mesa, as far south as Paradise Valley, as far east as southern El Cajon and as far west as Mission Hills.
The special election runoff for the seat came after Montgomery Steppe and Reichert were named the top two vote-getters out of four candidates in the August primary election.
Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-San Diego) congratulated Montgomery Steppe on an “incredible and historic win” on X, along with other elected officials and state leaders.
Voter turnout was 22.7% for the special election, according to the Registrar of Voters.
Aside from the supervisor race, the Special Election also included the Chula Vista City Attorney race — with Marco Verdugo holding an approximately 270-vote lead over Bart Miesfield — and measures in Fallbrook and Rainbow to detach from the San Diego County Water Authority, both of which received overwhelming support upwards of 94%.
The next update in election results is expected by 5 p.m. on Nov. 22, per the Registrar of Voters.
