Chair Nora Vargas is unexpectedly resigning from the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, she said Friday — a stunning departure that appeared to come as a surprise to other county officials and staff, including some in her own office.
In a statement released Friday, Vargas announced her decision to conclude her tenure at the end of her current term, on Jan. 6.
“Due to personal safety and security reasons, I will not take the oath of office for a second term,” Vargas said.
“It has been my honor to serve in public office during unprecedented times, including the past four years on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors,” she continued. “My priority has always been our community, ensuring that everyone can be seen, heard and have a chance to thrive.”
Her office declined to provide further information Friday.
Vargas was re-elected to the board just last month to serve another four-year term. She had spent the last two years serving as chair, and previously was vice chair for two years.
Her unexpected resignation comes just a year and a half after her former colleague Nathan Fletcher resigned from the board following sexual misconduct allegations.
The supervisors have the option of appointing a replacement for Vargas, calling a special election or both.
Vargas was re-elected to the board just last month to serve another four-year term. She was the first Latina elected to the board in 2020 and became its first Latina elected board chair last year.
She spent the last two years as chair and previously was vice chair for two years.
She was only the second person in recent decades to have been chosen to lead the board for two consecutive terms. Typically, the position rotates annually; that changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Fletcher was named to the post two years in a row.
In announcing her resignation, Vargas named as some of her proudest accomplishments “spearheading disaster response and recovery efforts, navigating the complexities of the pandemic, and driving systemic change so that our government serves all members of our community, not just a select few.”
“I’ve worked tirelessly to address the inequalities that have plagued our community for far too long. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made together,” Vargas said. “As a ‘guerrera’ at my core, I remain committed to continuing the fight for equity, justice, and human rights — just in a different capacity. I look forward to staying whole-heartedly engaged and active in the pursuit of a more equitable society. Thank you for the privilege of serving as your representative.”
Vargas has openly discussed the challenges she’s faced as supervisor, including her own health issues this past year.
In April, Vargas announced that she’d been diagnosed with a medical condition that had created painful nodules on her vocal cords and has since given Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, vice chair of the board, control of some meetings while she rested her vocal cords in the hopes of preventing the need for surgery.
But while addressing hundreds of outreach workers at a homelessness conference downtown earlier this month, Vargas again alluded to those health struggles.
“I’m actually having surgery tomorrow,” she told the crowd on Dec. 4. “Some of you know that I couldn’t speak for about 10 weeks — you ever heard of that, a politician that can’t speak?”
Vargas didn’t provide more details at the time, beyond saying that the day was supposed to be spent on bed rest. “But I decided it was really important to come and chat with you, and have a conversation with you, because there’s a lot of s— going on,” she said.
The supervisor promised that day that the county would go toe to toe with the incoming Trump administration, especially when it came to possible funding cuts. “We have to keep fighting together,” Vargas told the crowd.
Staff writer Blake Nelson contributed to this report.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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