About That San Francisco Supervisor That Stepped Away...

She’s back. Rep. Tom Kean (R-NJ) isn’t the only elected official who took an extended leave of absence due to health reasons. San Francisco Supervisor Jacqueline Fielder is back on the job after stepping away in March to address mental health concerns.

The key difference is that Kean’s health issues appear to be more serious. There’s palace intrigue with Fielder, as her office was the focus of an investigation by the city attorney over a leaked memo about a sobering center that ended up in the local papers. Yeah, when I get in trouble, I wish I could run away and claim mental health issues, too (via NY Post):

San Francisco Supervisor Jacqueline Fielder tearfully explained that she went on leave earlier in the year because her “mental health demanded it.” She also said that she is set to return to work at City Hall next Monday. https://t.co/UjeQdrStM9 pic.twitter.com/FfYMFFo7uq
— California Post (@californiapost) June 24, 2026

San Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder will return to City Hall next week after taking a three-month leave of absence, saying she stepped away from the job because her mental health demanded it. "This leave, and even my whole adult life, has been an entire journey on mental… pic.twitter.com/e0e4TTsZAl
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) June 24, 2026

A member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors who abruptly went on leave earlier this year is set to return to work next Monday, according to her colleagues.
Supervisors Myrna Melgar and Rafael Mandelman claimed Jacqueline Fielder has told them she plans to return from leave earlier than her scheduled June 30 end date.
At the end of March, Fielder, a left-leaning member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors representing District 9, began an unexpected absence before later publicly announcing she would be taking additional time away from her duties to focus on stabilizing her health.
Her office said in a March statement she wanted to “regain stable health so she can thoughtfully and responsibly consider her options,” while also addressing speculation that she might resign.
Days later, her staff clarified that she was not planning to step down at that time, but would instead temporarily step back from the day-to-day management of the District 9 office for a three-month period while focusing on her recovery.
[…]
Her decision to take a temporary leave came amid heightened scrutiny of her office, which was being reviewed as part of a City Attorney investigation into a leaked internal memo.