San Diego Councilmember Monica Montgomery Steppe is expected to win the county supervisor special election on November 7, 2023 to replace Nathan Fletcher. If so, she would leave her job as a councilmember representing District 4, which includes the communities of Chollas View, Emerald Hills, Encanto, Lincoln Park, Mountain View, Paradise Hills, and others.

Her constituents need a strong voice at the table. Otherwise, she said, they will be overlooked.

While the challenges Councilmember Montgomery faces as a black woman representing Southeastern San Diego are long, she draws on her hope and her faith while pursuing her goal of ensuring opportunities are available to everyone who wants them.

Tony and Juan discuss all that and more on this episode of Dear San Diego with Councilmember Montgomery. They also talk about Tony’s dad, Bobby George Manolatos, who passed away October 5. This episode is dedicated to him.

The key moments in this episode are:

00:00:00 - Introduction and Background of the Guest
00:09:21 - Reflections on personal loss
00:11:03 - Campaign and Election
00:14:27 - Readiness for New Position
00:14:32 - Conclusion
00:14:39 - Making Tough Decisions
00:15:19 - Advocacy for Racial Equity
00:18:29 - Monica's Advocacy and Vision
00:25:35 - Unraveling Institutional Racism
00:30:35 - Staying True to Your Values in Politics
00:34:14 - Standing Up for What's Right
00:37:23 - A Day in the Life of Monica
00:39:56 - Monica's Humanity and Hope for the Future