Heather Marie Ferbert[1] is an American lawyer and educator serving as the San Diego City Attorney since 2024. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as Chief Deputy City Attorney under her predecessor, Mara Elliott.
Heather Ferbert | |
|---|---|
| City Attorney of San Diego | |
| Assumed office December 10, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Mara Elliott |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Heather Marie Ferbert[1] California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | California State University Long Beach (BA) University of San Diego School of Law (JD) |
| Profession | Lawyer Professor |
Early life and education
editFerbert was born in California. She attended from California State University, Long Beach, where she was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2002. She then obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law in 2006.[2]
Career
editFerbert began her legal career in private practice, working for a firm that handled property transactions and policymaking with the San Diego Housing Commission.[3] In 2014, she joined the San Diego City Attorney's Office, eventually rising to the position of Chief Deputy City Attorney. In this role, she led the legal team advising the San Diego City Council and ensuring compliance with the law across city departments. Her work encompassed women's rights issues, facilitating the opening of emergency homeless shelters, and prosecuting real estate fraud cases.[4] She wrote the city's temporary eviction moratorium in 2022 and the unsafe camping ban in 2023.[5] She has also taught at the University of San Diego School of Law, her alma mater, since 2018.[2]
Ferbert ran for San Diego City Attorney in the 2024 election. She was endorsed by outgoing City Attorney Mara Elliott, the Deputy City Attorneys Association of San Diego, and the San Diego Union-Tribune.[5][6][7] Ferbert and California state assemblymember Brian Maienschein advanced from the March 2024 primary with 53.2% and 46.8% of the vote, respectively. Ferbert went on to defeat Maienschein in the general election with 56.8% of the vote.[8]
Electoral history
edit| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Heather Ferbert | 122,894 | 53.2 | |
| Democratic | Brian Maienschein | 108,264 | 46.8 | |
| Total votes | 231,158 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Heather Ferbert | 282,912 | 56.8 | |
| Democratic | Brian Maienschein | 214,872 | 43.2 | |
| Total votes | 497,784 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
edit- ^ a b "State Bar of California Licensee Detail - Heather Ferbert". State Bar of California. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ a b Heather Ferbert on LinkedIn
- ^ Bowen, Andrew (October 7, 2024). "San Diego City Attorney Race Explainer". KPBS. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "Speaker Profile: Heather Ferbert". Voice of San Diego. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ a b Garrick, David (December 9, 2024). "San Diego's New City Attorney is a Housing Expert and Nerd Who Loves Messy Issues". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ Editorial Board (February 8, 2024). "Heather Ferbert for San Diego City Attorney". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ Editorial Board (October 3, 2024). "Endorsement: Heather Ferbert the Clear Choice for San Diego City Attorney". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ City News Service (November 8, 2024). "Ferbert secures victory over Maienschein in San Diego City Attorney race". ABC 10 News San Diego. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "San Diego County Primary Election Results, March 5, 2024". April 4, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "San Diego County Live General Election Results". San Diego County Registrar of Voters. December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.