By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher, The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint
This week the San Diego County Board of Supervisors heard from the people and approved a special election to fill the vacant seat anticipated with the scheduled resignation of Supervisor Nathan Fletcher. It is expected that the election itself will cost the county between 3 and 5 million dollars. There will be no interim appointments. The staff of Supervisor Fletcher, according to the County Chief Administrative Officer, will carry on the duties of that until the special election set for August 15, 2023. If there is a run off between the two highest vote getters, then the matter will go to a November Special General Election.
While many African American residents of the Fourth Supervisorial District would like to see a Black person once again fill that position, the reality is that it will take a coalition of the voters including all races represented to win the seat. While the City Council’s Fourth District is located within the Fourth Supervisorial District, that will not be enough to elect any Black candidate without a cross section of support. There will have to be major improvements in voter registration between now and August 15th if a Black candidate is to have a chance to win. The Voice & Viewpoint is endorsing Council Member Monica Montgomery Steppe for the position since she already represents a portion of the Supervisorial District in which her present District is located.
The real issue is not who is running, but who is going to vote and how many of those who are not currently registered, will do so to allow their votes to make a difference.
Now would be a good time for everyone to start talking to each other in preparation for making a collective impact with this special election. It is also a time to send a message that we will be voting and that our votes will make a difference. The question is: will you be involved in the process or will you be another one of those persons who thinks our votes do not matter? The reality is, every vote counts, including yours.
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