Later today, FR friend Nathan Fletcher will announce his bid to replace termed-out Assemblyman George Plescia in the 75th AD. This is a safe Republican seat that takes in the 
northern portions of the City of San Diego, Poway, and a portion of Escondido.
Fletcher is a long-time Republican activist and business owner who does more than simply ‘talk the talk’ about patriotism and values…he’s a United States Marine who recently returned from combat tours in Iraq and Northeast Africa. This will work strongly to his advantage in a very military-friendly district, which lies between the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. AD 75 communities are packed with active duty and retired military members.
I’ve known Nathan for some time, and I can fairly dub him a “Conservative Reagan Republican." Since his return to civilian life, he has not been shy about his disappointment (or disgust) with the lack of ethics and wholly irresponsible fiscal behavior of many of our own GOP officeholders. Nathan has made the rounds as the keynote speaker for Republican groups in San Diego County and has been very well received. He has been a tireless advocate of the growing internal reform movement within our own Party, so as to place values, ethics and fiscal responsibility at the top of the GOP’s list. He has also added to his resume some impressive community service and private sector business experience.
I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to put Fletcher in immediate ‘front-runner’ status. He’s a hard worker and it clearly appears Nathan has a substantial head start in fundraising. Several key endorsements are rumored to be announced in the weeks ahead.
For those local elected officials and others who may just be champing at the bit for AD 75 to open, let’s not forget that George Plescia won this seat’s primary in 2002 as a GOP activist (and district director to Senator Bill Morrow) in a field including a popular sitting local mayor and former SD County sheriff. I can say from experience that local elected and SANDAG service is fine, but it doesn’t necessarily motivate ground troops.
I also understand Nathan has on tap San Diego’s dominant political consulting firm of Coronado Communications (including fellow FR correspondent Duane Dichiara) and Assemblyman Plescia’s former chief of staff and direct mail guru Brandon Waters. Those are pretty good signs as to where the important endorsements and money are going to flow in the weeks and months ahead.
I’ll rein myself in from gushing too much, but I have to say from both a credentials and an ability-to-generate-dedicated-volunteers standpoint, Nathan Fletcher is one of most promising legislative candidates to come out of San Diego in many years.
[Check out Nathan’s announcement video here – Flash]