Monica Montgomery Steppe
Montgomery Steppe in December 2023
Member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors from District 4
Assumed office
December 5, 2023
Preceded byNathan Fletcher
President Pro Tem of the San Diego City Council
In office
January 10, 2022 – December 5, 2023
Preceded byStephen Whitburn
Succeeded byJoe LaCava
Member of the San Diego City Council from the 4th district
In office
December 10, 2018 – December 5, 2023
Preceded byMyrtle Cole
Succeeded byTBD
Personal details
Born1978 (age 45–46)
San Diego, California
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Steven Steppe
​
(m. 2020)​
Alma materSpelman College (BA)
California Western School of Law (JD)
ProfessionAttorney
WebsiteSan Diego County District 4 website

Monica Montgomery Steppe (born 1978) is an American politician in San Diego, California. She currently serves as a member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors representing District 4 after winning a special election to succeed Nathan Fletcher. Previously, she served on the San Diego City Council representing Council District 4. She is a Democrat, although county board positions are officially nonpartisan per California state law. She serves on the board of the California Reparations Task Force.

Life and career

Monica Montgomery was born in San Diego in 1978 to Clifford and Patricia Montgomery. She attended Bonita Vista High School. While in high school, she fought with school officials over a ban on wearing bandannas that she felt unfairly targeted the three percent of students who were black.[1] She earned a Bachelor of Science from Spelman College and a Juris Doctor degree from California Western School of Law.[2]

Montgomery worked as a San Diego City Hall staffer for Councilmember Todd Gloria during his term as interim mayor, Mayor Kevin Faulconer, and Councilmember Myrtle Cole.[1] She resigned from her position in Cole's office the day after Cole made remarks arguing police officers were justified in racially profiling black residents.[3] After leaving the City, Montgomery joined the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties as a criminal justice advocate.[2]

She married Steven Steppe on August 22, 2020.[4]

In April 2023, Steppe began running to replace Nathan Fletcher in a special election for District 4 of the San Diego County Supervisors.[5][6][7] She had a plurality of votes on August 15, but since she did not surpass 50%, there will be a runoff election in November.[8][9]

San Diego City Council

In 2013, Montgomery was a candidate in the special election to represent District 4 of the San Diego City Council following Tony Young's resignation to lead the local Red Cross Chapter. District 4 includes the neighborhoods of Alta Vista, Broadway Heights, Chollas View, Emerald Hills, Encanto, Greater Skyline Hills, Jamacha, Lincoln Park, Lomita Village, North Bay Terrace, Oak Park, O'Farrell, Paradise Hills, Redwood Village, Rolando Park, South Bay Terrace, Valencia Park, and Webster.[10] Montgomery was eliminated in the primary, coming in last in a field of nine candidates with three percent of the vote.[11]

Montgomery ran again to represent District 4 in the 2018 San Diego City Council election, challenging her former boss Myrtle Cole. Montgomery cited wanting to guide policy around development in District 4 as well as Cole's previous comments on racial profiling as the two primary factors that led to her decision to run again.[3] Montgomery came in a surprise first place in the June primary, six votes ahead of the incumbent Cole.[12] Montgomery went on to win election to the City Council in the November 2018 runoff. This marked the first time that an incumbent had failed to be reelected to the City Council since 1992.[13]

In 2023, she voted against a housing initiative to encourage construction of low-income housing in various San Diego neighborhoods, including those near UC San Diego college campuses.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 Garrick, David (December 7, 2018). "Montgomery will bring 'no-excuses' attitude, policy expertise to San Diego City Hall". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  2. 1 2 "About Monica". Monica Montgomery for City Council, District 4. Archived from the original on 2018-12-26. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  3. 1 2 San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board (September 20, 2018). "Q&A with City Council candidate Monica Montgomery". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Monica Montgomery Steppe". City of San Diego Official Website. 2019-02-15. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  5. ↑ "Monica Montgomery Steppe Looking to Replace Fletcher on County Board of Supervisors". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  6. ↑ Weil, Madison (2023-04-27). "Councilmember Montgomery Steppe discusses historic run for Fletcher's supervisor seat". ABC 10 News San Diego KGTV. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  7. ↑ Candelieri, Dominick (2023-04-25). "San Diego councilmember seeks Fletcher's District Four seat". FOX 5 San Diego. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  8. ↑ "Montgomery Steppe and Reichert headed to runoff in District 4 election". KPBS Public Media. August 17, 2023. Retrieved 2023-08-18.
  9. ↑ Mueller, Pat (2023-08-17). "San Diego County District 4 Supervisor race will go to runoff election". ABC 10 News San Diego KGTV. Retrieved 2023-08-18.
  10. ↑ "Council District 4 Communities". City of San Diego. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  11. ↑ "Election History - Council District 4" (PDF). City of San Diego. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  12. ↑ Keatts, Andrew (July 10, 2018). "One Group That Wasn't Shocked by the Primary Upset in D4: D4 Residents". Voice of San Diego. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  13. ↑ Garrick, David (November 7, 2018). "Cole, Zapf lose re-election bids in two rare instances of San Diego council incumbents being rejected". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  14. ↑ "At odds over where low-income homes must be built, City Council rejects sweeping package of housing incentives". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2023-11-14.
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