SAN DIEGO (CNS) – Veterans advocate Janessa Goldbeck Wednesday announced her candidacy for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors seat being vacated by Nathan Fletcher as he seeks a state Senate seat.
Goldbeck is the first person to formally declare candidacy in the Democratic-leaning 4th District — which includes the urban core of San Diego from Clairemont all the way to the College Area, along with the cities of La Mesa, Lemon Grove and portions of El Cajon.
She is the nonprofit CEO of Vet Voice Foundation, a national veterans’ advocacy group with more than 1.5 million members. Goldbeck previously served as a combat engineer officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and as a uniformed victim advocate providing care to military service members who experienced sexual assault.
Born and raised in San Diego, Goldbeck said she cut her military career short to return home after her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
“After years of backward policies at the county, a new crop of leaders are delivering change to move San Diego forward in a new direction — but we need to keep up the pace,” she said in her candidacy announcement Wednesday. “Whether it’s fighting for economic opportunity, our veterans and military families, climate justice, workers’ rights, or public safety, we have much work to do to ensure the county truly lives up to the values we all share.”
Never in the 134-year history of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors has a woman been elected to represent the 4th District, but Goldbeck said she hopes to break that barrier.
“This campaign is really my next mission — and I’m starting early so I can run a true grassroots race in every part of the district because change starts from the bottom up,” she said.
Before Fletcher won the District 4 seat in 2019, Ron Roberts had served in the position since 1996 — concurrently with fellow Supervisors Greg Cox, Dianne Jacob, Pam Slater-Price and Bill Horn, all of whom served more than 20 years in their respective districts.
