San Diego County Supervisors Vote To Keep Lawson-Remer As Chair

SAN DIEGO, CA — The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Tuesday to select Terra Lawson-Remer as chair for a second time, with Monica Montgomery Steppe serving as vice chair and Paloma Aguirre as chair pro tem.

The board voted following a motion by Aguirre to nominate the leadership roster, which Montgomery Steppe seconded.

Aguirre on Tuesday praised Lawson-Remer for her "steady, clear hand" in managing board meetings.

Supervisor Jim Desmond was absent due to illness, the board clerk said.

Lawson-Remer thanked her colleagues for their support, adding she appreciated Montgomery Steppe for her partnership over the last "extremely tumultuous" year.

"We spent the first half of the year (2025) without a voted-in chair, vice chair and pro-tem," Lawson-Remer said, adding and the board did an excellent job of navigating those difficult waters.

Lawson-Remer served as acting board chair following the departure of Nora Vargas in January 2025.
After Aguirre won the July 2025 special election in District 1 to replace Vargas, the board voted 3-1-1 several weeks later to have Lawson-Remer lead the governing body, along with Monica Montgomery Steppe and Paloma Aguirre to serve as vice chair and chair pro tem, respectively.

Jim Desmond opposed the appointments. Joel Anderson, who previously served as chair pro tem, abstained.

However, on Tuesday he voted in favor of the leadership roster, but did call on the board to revert to its previous policy of having a one-year term for the positions, as it did before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anderson proposed that Aguirre serve as the chair and made a motion, which appeared not have a second.

Anderson, whose term ends in 2027, said while Lawson-Remer has done a great job in her role, every district supervisor should have a chance to lead the board.

During public comment, the president of the Service Employees International Union local chapter said she supported the leadership roster.

Crystal Irving said Lawson-Remer has lead "through an incredibly challenging time, both here at the county level, and everything we've seen federally."

Irving described Montgomery Steppe for being "a voice for the people," who ensures policies are beneficial to constituents and said Aguirre "has rolled up her sleeves and hit the ground running," on pressing topics such as the sewage crisis and county fiscal reserves policy.

Irving added that she appreciates Anderson's candor, perspective and dedication to serving his constituents.

Several callers opposed Lawson-Remer serving as chair, saying unincorporated residents are denied a voice.

Poway resident Kathleen Lippitt, who credited Anderson for wanting equal representation, said the current process was not fair.

"This is absolutely the most partisan process you could find," she added.

County resident Ann Riddle said those living in Desmond's and Anderson's districts -- which are 5 and 2, respectively -- would appreciate a chair who is kind, considerate and willing to be transparent.

She added that residents were "deeply offended" by former Supervisor Nathan Fletcher serving a second term as chair in 2022.

— City News Service