Monica Montgomery Steppe
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Monica Montgomery Steppe
| image = Supervisor_Montgomery_Steppe.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Montgomery Montgomery Steppe in December 2023
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1978}}
| birth_place = San Diego, California
| children =
| spouse = {{Marriage|Steven Steppe|2020}}
| residence =
| profession = Attorney
| alma_mater = Spelman College {{small|(BA)}}
California Western School of Law {{small|(JD)}}
| office = Member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors from District 4
| term_start = December 5, 2023
| term_end =
| predecessor = Nathan Fletcher
| office1 = President Pro Tempore of the San Diego City Council
| predecessor1 = Stephen Whitburn
| successor1 = Joe LaCava
| 1blankname1 = {{nowrap|Mayor}}
| 1namedata1 = Todd Gloria
| 2blankname1 = {{nowrap|Council President}}
| 2namedata1 = Sean Elo-Rivera
| term_start1 = December 6, 2021
| term_end1 = December 5, 2023
| office2 = Member of the San Diego City Council from the 4th district
| term_start2 = December 10, 2018
| term_end2 = December 5, 2023
| predecessor2 = Myrtle Cole
| successor2 = Henry Foster III
| party = Democratic
| religion =
| website = [https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/district4/ San Diego County District 4 website]
}}
Monica Montgomery Steppe (born 1978) is an American politician serving as a member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors since 2023, representing District 4. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as a member of the San Diego City Council from 2018 to 2023, representing District 4, including as president pro tempore of the city council from 2021 to 2023, and 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. She earned a Bachelor of Science from Spelman College and a Juris Doctor degree from California Western School of Law.{{cite web |title=About Monica |url=https://www.voteformonica.org/about |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226040225/https://www.voteformonica.org/about/ |archive-date=2018-12-26 |accessdate=January 6, 2019 |website=Monica Montgomery for City Council, District 4}}
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.{{cite news |last1=Garrick |first1=David |title=Montgomery will bring 'no-excuses' attitude, policy expertise to San Diego City Hall |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2018/12/07/montgomery-will-bring-no-excuses-attitude-policy-expertise-to-san-diego-city-hall/|accessdate=January 6, 2019 |work=The San Diego Union-Tribune |date=December 7, 2018}} 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.{{cite news |author1=San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board |title=Q&A with City Council candidate Monica Montgomery |url= https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2018/09/20/qa-with-city-council-candidate-monica-montgomery/|accessdate=January 6, 2019 |work=The San Diego Union-Tribune |date=September 20, 2018}} After leaving the City, Montgomery joined the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties as a criminal justice advocate.
She married Steven Steppe on August 22, 2020.{{Cite web |date=2019-02-15 |title=Monica Montgomery Steppe |url=https://www.sandiego.gov/citycouncil/cd4/staff/montgomery |access-date=2023-08-22 |website=City of San Diego Official Website |language=en}}
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. The district included 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.{{cite web|title=Council District 4 Communities|url=http://www.sandiego.gov/citycouncil/cd4/communities/index.shtml|publisher=City of San Diego|accessdate=21 August 2013}} Montgomery was eliminated in the primary, coming in last in a field of nine candidates with three percent of the vote.{{cite web|title=Election History - Council District 4|url=http://www.sandiego.gov/city-clerk/pdf/cd4results.pdf|publisher=City of San Diego|accessdate=March 17, 2018}}
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. Montgomery came in a surprise first place in the June primary, six votes ahead of the incumbent Cole.{{cite news |last1=Keatts |first1=Andrew |title=One Group That Wasn't Shocked by the Primary Upset in D4: D4 Residents |url=https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/politics/one-group-that-wasnt-shocked-by-the-primary-upset-in-d4-d4-residents/ |accessdate=January 6, 2019 |work=Voice of San Diego |date=July 10, 2018}} 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.{{cite news |last1=Garrick |first1=David |title=Cole, Zapf lose re-election bids in two rare instances of San Diego council incumbents being rejected |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/sd-me-san-diego-council-20181106-story.html |accessdate=January 6, 2018 |work=San Diego Union-Tribune |date=November 7, 2018}}
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.{{cite web |date=2023-11-14 |title=At odds over where low-income homes must be built, City Council rejects sweeping package of housing incentives |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2023-11-13/at-odds-over-where-low-income-housing-must-be-built-city-council-rejects-sweeping-package-of-housing-incentives |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |language=en-US}}
San Diego County Board of Supervisors
In April 2023, Montgomery Steppe began her campaign to replace Nathan Fletcher in a special election for District 4 of the San Diego County Supervisors.{{Cite web |title=Monica Montgomery Steppe Looking to Replace Fletcher on County Board of Supervisors |url=https://www.nbcsandiego.com/videos/monica-montgomery-steppe-looking-to-replace-fletcher-on-county-board-of-supervisors/3216588/ |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=NBC 7 San Diego |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Weil |first=Madison |date=2023-04-27 |title=Councilmember Montgomery Steppe discusses historic run for Fletcher's supervisor seat |url=https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/councilmember-montgomery-steppe-discusses-historic-run-for-fletchers-supervisor-seat |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=ABC 10 News San Diego KGTV |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Candelieri |first=Dominick |date=2023-04-25 |title=San Diego councilmember seeks Fletcher's District Four seat |url=https://fox5sandiego.com/news/politics/san-diego-councilmember-seeks-fletchers-district-four-seat/ |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=FOX 5 San Diego |language=en-US}} She had a plurality of votes on August 15, but since she did not surpass 50%, a runoff election was held in November,{{Cite web |date=August 17, 2023 |title=Montgomery Steppe and Reichert headed to runoff in District 4 election |url=https://www.kpbs.org/news/local/2023/08/17/montgomery-steppe-and-reichert-headed-to-runoff-in-district-4-election |access-date=2023-08-18 |website=KPBS Public Media |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Mueller |first=Pat |date=2023-08-17 |title=San Diego County District 4 Supervisor race will go to runoff election |url=https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/san-diego-news/san-diego-county-district-4-supervisor-race-will-go-to-runoff-election |access-date=2023-08-18 |website=ABC 10 News San Diego KGTV |language=en}} which she won. She became the second Black county supervisor after the retirement of Leon Williams in 1994.{{cite web|url=https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/03/05/leon-williams-san-diego-first-black-council-supervisor-dies|title=Leon Williams, San Diego's trailblazing Black leader, dies at 102|last=Keatts|first=Andrew|publisher=Axios San Diego|date=March 5, 2025|access-date=April 7, 2025}}
References
External links
- [https://www.sandiego.gov/citycouncil/cd4 City of San Diego: Monica Montgomery website]
- [https://www.voteformonica.org/about/ Montgomery for City Council website]
{{SDCouncil}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montgomery, Monica}}
Category:San Diego City Council members
Category:Women city councillors in California
Category:California Western School of Law alumni
Category:Spelman College alumni
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:21st-century California politicians
Category:21st-century American women lawyers
Category:21st-century American lawyers
Category:21st-century African-American politicians
Category:American women lawyers
Category:21st-century African-American women politicians
Category:African-American city council members in California