SAN FRANCISCO – Supervisor Jackie Fielder’s staff on Sunday announced that the District 9 representative will be taking a medical leave as she “navigates a mental health situation and needs time and space to recover before making major decisions.”
“(Fielder) said he wants to regain stable health so he can think carefully and responsibly consider his options,” a release from his staff stated.
The release said Fielder had asked his staff to share the information, following speculation on Friday that the 31-year-old supervisor had been hospitalized and could resign from his position.
Information available at the time stated that Fielder was experiencing an “acute personal health crisis.”
“… The District 9 Office will remain dedicated to serving the needs of our constituents, neighbors and community members,” the release stated. “We urge everyone to treat this situation with the same respect and sensitivity as if he were recovering from another medical emergency. Mental health conditions affect one in five adults nationally. Breaking the stigma cycle of this human experience and our health priorities are critical, and no different for those who have the opportunity to serve their communities in government.”
Background:
Fielder was one of the more progressive voices on the Board of Supervisors during his tenure. She is a former San Francisco State University teacher who has described herself as a “Latina tenant and Democratic Socialist.” He also represents the neighborhoods of Portola and Bernal Heights in District 9. He is a self-described climate and environmental justice advocate.
From 2018 to 2020, Fielder teaches “Race, Women and Class” at SFSU in the College of Ethnic Studies.
Before becoming comptroller, Fielder was co-director of Stop the Money Pipeline, a national coalition and campaign focused on disrupting the flow of money to fossil fuel companies, where he worked on climate finance regulation.
What’s next:
If Fielder resigns, Mayor Daniel Lurie will make an appointment to fill his position. This could be an opportunity for Lurie to install a more moderate politician in a historically progressive district.
What they say:
Mayor Lurie on Friday issued a statement regarding Fielder’s health.
“I am sending Supervisor Fielder my best wishes for a speedy recovery. She is a dedicated advocate for her community,” Lurie’s statement reads. “I encourage everyone to give him time and space to get better so he can do the job to the fullest, and I wish him strength and all the best for his health.”
Several of Fielder’s Board of Supervisors colleagues have issued statements wishing him a speedy recovery.
“This is not the first time a member of the Board of Supervisors has been incapacitated for a long period. Michela Alito-Pier was out for three months, and we were able to facilitate the representation of the district while she was out and her staff continued to work,” said Supervisor Myrna Melgar in a statement. “I have full confidence that the staff of District 9 can and will do that as well.”
Local perspective:
“Sadly, I have never met the supervisor for this neighborhood during the time we have been here. We have many outdoor community events … I know that we just had a merchant meeting this week, really invited him to attend and we provided it with the hope that he would be there, and he did not come without a word,” Renee DeCarlo, founder of the Drawing Room on Friday. “I am very sad and very worried that he is sick and that something bigger could happen.”
Salu Ribiero, founder of BayPLS & member of Unidos en Salud, said his organization worked with Fielder during the pandemic.
“We work a lot on Capp Street, doing vaccinations and testing, so I’ve been working in the Mission District since the pandemic, since 2019,” Ribiero said. “I want to make sure that we protect his safety and whatever happens with him, it’s up to him to make that decision and that call, and for us, we just pray that he recovers and we’ll see what happens.”
Source: Soup. Fielder’s office, a statement from the SF Mayor and Board of Supervisors, reports from the San Francisco Standard, Local Mission and Bay City News. Interview by KTVU’s Betty Yu.
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