SAN DIEGOSAN DIEGO — County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher’s surprise decision to seek immediate treatment for post-traumatic stress and alcohol abuse leaves his constituents temporarily without a representative — and renders wide open the race for Toni Atkins’ state Senate seat.
In a Sunday night announcement that shocked many San Diegans, Fletcher said he was going on medical leave and abandoning his run to succeed Atkins, despite being a heavy favorite in that race.
“With the recommendation of my therapist and the insistence of my wife, this week I will be checking into an extended inpatient treatment center for post-traumatic stress, trauma and alcohol abuse,” Fletcher said. “It is clear I need to focus on my health and my family and do not have the energy to simultaneously pursue a campaign for the state Senate.”
The absence of Fletcher, a Democrat, from the five-member county board could create deadlocks on ideologically charged issues between the board’s two other Democrats and two Republicans.
And his departure from the race to succeed Atkins, who faces term limits, opens things up for other possible contenders — including Assembly Chris Ward and Akilah Weber, former San Diego City Council President Georgette Gomez and veterans advocate Janessa Goldbeck.
Ward and Weber could be early favorites based on their previous success winning state office and the need to have broad political to win a seat in the state Senate, where districts are larger than districts for U.S. Congress.
Ward represents the 78th Assembly District and Weber the 79th. Atkins, whose term ends in 2024, represents the 39th Senate District.
Weber and Ward have not previously declared themselves candidates and declined to Monday, but neither ruled out entering the race.
“My sincere thoughts are with Supervisor Nathan Fletcher following his brave announcement last night to seek treatment for his trauma,” Weber said. “I am carefully considering what is best for Senate District 39 and Assembly District 79, and I have not yet made a decision.”
Ward focused on Fletcher’s military service, which the supervisor said was a factor in his urgent need for medical attention.
“My immediate interest is for the recovery and for Nathan and his family,” Ward said. “Today isn’t the day for political maneuvering, it’s for reflection on the price our service pay.”
Ward, who is gay, could get the same strong from the local gay community that helped Atkins, a lesbian, take the seat in 2016. If voters prioritize having Atkins be succeeded by another woman, Weber could benefit.
Gomez, another potential candidate, lost the 2020 race for the 53rd Congressional District to now-Rep. Sara Jacobs and lost to David Alvarez last year in a race for the 80th state Assembly District.
Goldbeck announced her candidacy last month for Fletcher’s supervisor seat, based on the expectation that he would leave it in 2024 to succeed Atkins. His shift could prompt Goldbeck to change course and run for Senate.
Fletcher, 46, was considered a heavy favorite to win election to the 39th district, partly because he had amassed more than $1 million in campaign cash and had secured many key endorsements.
Fletcher’s announcement prompted a statement of from his wife, Lorena Gonzalez, a former Assemblywoman who is now the top official at the California Labor Federation.
“I love my husband and appreciate his willingness to put our family first,” Gonzalez said on Twitter Sunday night.
Fletcher said the problems he is facing aren’t new but have worsened recently.
“For many years, I have been suffering from devastating post-traumatic stress associated with combat piled on top of intense childhood trauma that has been exacerbated by alcohol abuse,” he said.
“While I have shared some of these challenges publicly, they run much deeper than I have acknowledged,” he said. “Outwardly, I have projected calm and composure. Internally, I have been waging a struggle that only those closest to me have seen.”
Before he was elected to the Assembly in 2008, Fletcher served combat tours in Iraq, the Horn of Africa and the Middle East, according to his office biography.
Fellow County Supervisor Joel Anderson, a Republican, praised Fletcher for seeking help.
“It takes immense strength and courage to ask for help, so I am proud of everyone who takes the first step in getting their mental health on track,” Anderson said.
Fellow Supervisor Nora Vargas, a Democrat, wished Fletcher a swift recovery.
“Thank you Supervisor Fletcher for your leadership and for openly sharing your personal struggles,” she said. “I am sure that with the help of healthcare professionals and the love and of your family, you will heal.”
U.S. Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, said on Twitter that it was painful to learn about the challenges Fletcher is facing.
“I’m 100 percent behind you as you take care of yourself and your family,” Peters said.
Fletcher said that his staff will continue to to serve constituents of his district while he is on leave. He said he would enter “an extended inpatient treatment center,” but gave no estimate when he would return.
A county spokesperson said Monday afternoon that Fletcher could be out a significant period without facing consequences.
“Bottom line is that Supervisor Fletcher is out sick, and while supervisors don’t carry leave balances, there is no limitation on how long he can be out sick,” said the spokesperson, Michael Workman. “And per the Government Code, an elected official cannot lose his/her Board of Supervisors seat due to sickness.”
