On Tuesday, the board had the options of a special election, an appointment, or an interim appointment and then a special election.Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
At a little before 1:30, the board began to discuss its options. Vargas, a Democrat, as is Fletcher, quickly made a motion to start the special election process, saying she could not support an appointment process because of the length of time left in Fletcher's term:"We do have the funds to be able to do the special election.
After some discussion of Lawson-Remer's concern, the board voted, unanimously, to hold the special election. Fletcher was one of the most powerful politicians in the county when he announced March 26 that he was entering a treatment center outside the state for post-traumatic stress, trauma and alcohol abuse, and was abandoning a planned run for state Senate. It was unclear Tuesday whether Fletcher was aware of the board's decision.