Nathan Fletcher
Nathan Fletcher (born on December 31, 1976) is an American politician and professor serving on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors for the 4th District since 2019 and as the Chair since 2021. Previously, he served two terms in the California State Assembly and is a professor of practice in political science at the University of California, San Diego. Early life and education. Fletcher was born and spent the early years of his life in Carson City, Nevada. His parents divorced when he was two years old, and his mother Sherrie Morgan moved with him to Smackover , Arkansas. There she met and married Danny Farley, who worked at an International Paper factory. His biological father, Randy Fletcher, a former deputy sheriff, obtained a custody decree in Nevada. Randy Fletcher then drove to Arkansas, where he took Nathan from his mother and returned to Nevada with him. A Nevada judge granted custody to Randy Fletcher with visitation rights for Sherrie. Nathan describes his father as abusive and said this period of his life was "a living hell". Fletcher was sent back to live with his mother when he was eight years old; he remained with her and Danny  Farley for the rest of his childhood. He says that when he talks about his dad, he is referring to his stepfather Danny Farley, whom he counts as his only father figure. His childhood and family background became an issue during his campaign for mayor, when opponents accused him of dishonesty because of apparent inconsistencies in talking about his father. He had tried to keep the details of his background private, but faced with the accusations, he and his mother gave an interview to KPBS in which they explained the apparent contradictions as resulting from the difference between his father  and his stepfather. He graduated from Smackover High School and moved to California, earning a Bachelor of Science in political science from California Baptist University. Career. After graduating from college, Fletcher worked for the International Republican Institute, a nongovernmental organizations seeking to build and improve democracies around the world. This included time abroad working with non-governmental organizations in Myanmar, East Timor, Cambodia, and Serbia. Military service. Fletcher joined the United States Marine Corps as a reservist in 1997 and became an active duty Marine in 2002. He served as a counterintelligence/human intelligence specialist. In 2007, he was honorably  discharged, with the rank of staff sergeant. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne Course and Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center. In 2004, he served eight months in the Sunni Triangle region of Iraq. Among his awards from that tour of duty are the Navy–Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat "V" a combat distinguishing device, Combat Action Ribbon, and Iraqi Campaign Medal. He worked in the Horn of Africa on his final deployment, and earning the Joint Service Commendation Medal and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. During his time in Iraq, Fletcher worked to build  relationships with the native population, leading his supervisors to describe him as "compassionate and focused." On April 9, 2004, Fletcher and three other Marines fended off an enemy ambush when participating in a Quick Reaction Force to aid a VIP convoy. He was responsible for authorizing 150 intelligence reports, which amounted to 31 percent of the reports generated by the team of six Counter Intelligence Marines. Politics. District Director for United States Congress. Fletcher got his start in San Diego politics serving for two years as the District Director for Congressman Duke Cunningham. "But for most of that time, Fletcher  didn’t work there. Fletcher was on active duty in the Marines," according to an investigative report by the "Voice of San Diego" published in 2012 on Fletcher's relationship with the jailed former Congressman. State Assembly. In 2008 he was elected to the Assembly representing the 75th Assembly District, which includes the City of Poway, portions of Escondido, La Jolla, University City, Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Peñasquitos, and Carmel Valley, and the communities of Fairbanks Ranch, and Rancho Santa Fe. He won with 52.2% of the vote. He was re-elected in 2010 with 60.5% of  the vote. In his first term, Fletcher had a number of pieces of legislation signed into law, including legislation relating to veterans, job creation, water infrastructure, and health care. He was chosen as one of two Republican Party whips in 2010. As a legislator, he also authored Chelsea's Law, which toughened penalties and restrictions on violent sexual predators. On February 25, 2010, 17-year-old Chelsea King was murdered by John Albert Gardner when jogging at a local community park in Rancho Bernardo. Garner was a registered sex offender at the time of the murder and later admitted to  killing 14-year-old Amber DuBois in 2009. In response to the public outrage, Fletcher sponsored Chelsea's Law to prevent future tragedies by offering life without parole sentencing to criminal charged with violent sex offenses. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on September 10, 2010 In May 2010, Fletcher gave an Assembly floor speech in support of California Senate Joint Resolution 9, which called upon Congress and the President to repeal the U. S. Armed Forces policy known as "Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT). Fletcher, a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq  and other locations, was the first California Republican legislator to endorse ending this policy. His speech was described as "one of the most eloquent on the floor for some time." That same year, Fletcher opposed AJR 15, the "Uniting American Families Act," that sought to "support the removal of legal barriers to immigration by permanent same-sex partners" and "allow gay and lesbian citizens to sponsor their partners for United States citizenship." Fletcher was a proponent of implementing a Mandatory Single Sales Tax on out-of-state corporations that conduct business in California, but operate outside the state. The legislation , supported by Gov. Jerry Brown, would have closed a loophole in the tax code and used the savings to offer tax incentives to local industries in order to spawn job creation in California. Fletcher's vote was instrumental in obtaining a two-thirds majority vote to guarantee the bill's passage in the Assembly during the final meeting of the 2011 legislative session. The bill, however, failed in the California State Senate. Other notable legislation that Fletcher supported include the Corporate Tax and Middle Class Scholarship Fund, Assembly Bill 877 Prohibiting Discrimination Against Transgendered Individuals, and the Foreclosure Reduction Act . In 2012, Fletcher helped prevent a janitor's strike in San Diego by calling CEOs on behalf of workers to advocate for expanding health care coverage. San Diego mayoral election. In June 2011, Fletcher announced his candidacy for the mayorship of San Diego. Fletcher started the race as a registered Republican. However, a few weeks after the local Republican Party endorsed his opponent Carl DeMaio, Fletcher announced he was leaving the Republican Party to become an independent. Fletcher ultimately came in third in the June 2012 primary and did not advance to the general election. On August 20, 2013, Fletcher , now a Democrat, officially filed his intention to be a mayoral candidate with the City Clerk's Office—a day before a tentative agreement was reached for Mayor Bob Filner's resignation. Fletcher was endorsed by California Governor Jerry Brown and Attorney General Kamala Harris. However, in the election held November 19, 2013, he came in third with 24.3 percent of the vote and thus did not advance to the runoff election in February 2014. On November 20, he conceded and endorsed fellow Democrat David Alvarez. Change of political parties. Fletcher has repeatedly said that his departure from the Republican  Party midway through his first mayoral campaign was due to extreme partisan politics and to the party's shift away from his core values. and not because the local Republican Party endorsed his opponent. On May 4, 2013, Fletcher announced on his Facebook page that he was joining the Democratic Party. Fletcher was widely embraced by Democratic leaders, many of whom had been courting him for years to join the party. San Diego County supervisor. In 2018 Fletcher ran for an open seat representing District 4 on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. There were five candidates in the  June primary, with the top two advancing to the November general election. Fletcher was the first-place finisher and former District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis placed second. He was the Democratic candidate for the seat and Dumanis was the Republican, though the election was officially nonpartisan. During the campaign Fletcher touted various endorsements including now President Joe Biden, former Governor Jerry Brown, then-Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, the Sierra Club, labor unions, and the San Diego Democratic Party. Fletcher was also endorsed by the "San Diego Union-Tribune", stating "We think the county needs a wake-up call, and Fletcher is  far more likely to jolt it out of complacency." Fletcher won the general election, defeating Dumanis 67.37% to 32.63%. As a County Supervisor, Nathan Fletcher is working with mental-health experts to develop and implement comprehensive strategies to address the deficits and dysfunction in our behavioral health services system. He is raising the level of awareness about the effects of San Diego’s poor air quality and implementing policy to combat climate change. Supervisor Fletcher is also actively pursuing changes to the child welfare system to ensure every child has a loving and stable life. As Supervisor, Nathan Fletcher has  taken meaningful legislative action to help immigrants by introducing bipartisan solutions to address the migrant crisis in San Diego and take on the Trump Administration. His votes helped generate hundreds-of-millions of dollars for affordable housing, health care and community-based programs for seniors, low income families and children.  He is also working to prepare our region for its continued growth and prosperity by championing the expansion of our regional transit system, as well as new initiatives that help to attract and retain talent, as we approach the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supervisor Fletcher’s responsibilities to San  Diego, the region and state go beyond his role as Supervisor. He was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as a member of the California Air Resources Board. He is also a member of the Governor’s Council of Regional Homeless Advisors and Vice Chair of the Regional Task Force on the Homeless. Supervisor Fletcher is Co-Chair of the Child and Family Strengthening Advisory Board. He is also Chair of the Metropolitan Transit System Board and a member of the San Diego Association of Governments’ Transportation Committee. On January 7, 2019 Fletcher was sworn in as a member  of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. On January 28, during Fletcher's first Board meeting, Fletcher, along with Supervisor Greg Cox, put forth a policy to provide a facility for asylum-seeking families in San Diego. It passed with a 4–1 vote. On February 26 Fletcher partnered with Supervisor Dianne Jacob to present a community choice energy program for the County of San Diego. The proposal passed with a 5–0 vote. Fletcher was appointed to the California Air Resources Board by Governor Newsom on January 28, 2019. Fletcher was unanimously elected as Chair of the San Diego County  Board of Supervisors on January 5, 2021. Has also serves as the board chair of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. In that capacity, he has voiced support for the extension of the San Diego Trolley to San Diego International Airport. Non-political activities. Business. Following the end of his legislative term in December 2, 2012, Fletcher became a senior director of corporate development at Qualcomm. He said in a statement that his position would include developing global strategies for wireless health initiatives, mobile education, and the protection of intellectual property, but will not involve lobbying or government relations. His  title was later changed to Global Strategic Initiatives, and in 2017, he announced he was leaving Qualcomm to dedicate more time to UCSD and community issues. Fletcher also served as a television commentator for Fox 5 San Diego and paid contributor to San Diego Magazine. Education. In January 2013, Fletcher was appointed as the first Professor of Practice (officially an Adjunct Professor) at the University of California, San Diego. He teaches classes in the department of political science, as well as mentoring and advising students and helping to develop public policy projects. Professor of Practice was a new, privately funded  position at the University intended to "provid(e) students with a deeper understanding of the practical application of a particular field of study, and help promote the integration of academic scholarship with practical experience from applications professionals." In 2013, an investigative report by the "San Diego Union Tribune" noted that, unlike the other candidates for mayor, Fletcher did not make his college transcripts public, nor provide them to UCSD before his hiring. The university said it did not ask for his transcript and did not need it for the appointment as a professor of practice. Political and community activities. Fletcher remains  politically active; supporting Democratic candidates and progressive causes. He is a member of the national advisory board of Organizing for Action, the successor organization of President Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign. He is a member of the Statewide Leadership Council of the Public Policy Institute of California, and a member of the Aspen Institute Global Alliances Program Advisory Board. He is also a member of the National Advisory Board of the Truman National Security Project. He is a delegate of the California Democratic Party, member of San Diego Democratic Central Committee, was a 2016 delegate to the Democratic  National Committee, and has been active in supporting Democratic candidates and causes such as efforts to raise the minimum wage. He also remains involved in efforts to ensure implementation of Chelsea's Law. He is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Human Rights. He is a Kauffman Fellow and Tribeca Innovative Disruptive Fellow. On March 13, 2013, Fletcher brought together law enforcement, community, business, labor, and faith-based leaders to form San Diegans United for Common Sense Immigration Reform. The coalition came to an agreement to advocate for a pathway to citizenship, reform to the  immigrant visa system, smart border security, and basic human rights. Fletcher has served on the Board of Directors for the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Historical Society, a member of The American Legion, life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars, member of the board of directors of the San Diego Opera, Executive Committee of CONNECT, Community Advisory Council for Voices for Children, and the San Diego Regional Advisory Council of the California League of Conservation Voters Education Fund. Personal life. Fletcher is an Ironman Triathlete, marathon runner, alpine mountaineer, and mountain biker. In 2003, he married Mindy Tucker, who had served  as campaign manager and deputy chief of staff for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The couple has two adopted children. They separated on December 1, 2014, and filed for divorce in January 2015. In an NBC story they issued a joint statement, "We have made the best decision for our family. It is an amicable divorce and we remain good friends. Our first priority is our children and we hope that everyone will respect our privacy as we make this transition." In September 2015, Fletcher began dating Lorena Gonzalez, who currently serves in the California State Assembly representing California's 80th District . They were married January 1, 2017. In December 2018, Fletcher publicly acknowledged his 19-year-old son. Fletcher told the "Voice of San Diego" news site, "My 19-year-old son just came into our life and it is wonderful." At 4:00 AM on January 15, 2022, a "suspicious" fire broke out on the front of the couple's home. The family was awakened by smoke alarms and was able to leave the house through a side door. No one was injured, but the fire caused an estimated $36,000 in damage. A San Diego police investigation concluded that the  fire was deliberately set and offered a $1,000 reward for help in identifying the arsonist.