Nathan Fletcher, the Democratic San Diego County Supervisor who

After giving up his bid for a seat in the California State Senate, he seemed confident he would win days sooner

considered a shoo-in

for the California Senate seat as late as Sunday, before he was

mentioned in one

civil

sexual harassment and assault lawsuit

to announce

d late Wednesday that he would resign from the provincial board of supervisors.

the

notice of resignation

came

barely 12

hours after acknowledging inappropriate behavior with

Greece Figueroa,

a former public relations officer for the Metropolitan Transit System who accused Fletcher of kissing and groping her in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in San Diego Superior Court.

Fletcher, who said he was late on Sunday

ending his Senate bid and

treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol abuse, denied the assault and harassment allegations, but on Tuesday resigned from the MTS board, which oversees San Diego’s trolley and bus system, and of which he served as chairman.

But the scandal did not subside throughout the day on Wednesday, as political opponents criticized his behavior and called for his resignation from his supervisor’s chair.

The pressure on my wife and family over the past week has been immense and unbearable, Fletcher wrote in a statement posted on Twitter

just after 10:30pm released around 10:40pm

Wednesday A combination of my personal mistakes plus false accusations has created a burden that my family should not bear.

At least two staffers in his county office resigned Wednesday over the allegations, though Fletcher broadly denied the allegations in the lawsuit.

In his resignation notice, Fletcher thanked his supporters and voters.

I am proud of what we have achieved together, he said. My decision today is based solely on what is best for my family.

Fletcher’s wife, former state MP Lorena Gonzalez, declared her support for her husband in a social media post. I love my husband, Gonzalez said on Twitter. He has admitted his mistakes and I believe his name will be cleared of false accusations. Still, I asked him to step down to ease the strain on our family.

Fletcher said the resignation would take effect once he returns from his

medical leave treatment at an out-of-state facility, but no time frame was stated. But no date has yet been set for his return from an out-of-state treatment facility

.

Figueroa said in her lawsuit that Fletcher started

handle

her on social media in 2021. Within months

she said

he began inviting her to private meetings and kissing and groping her against her will.

Fletcher announced last month that he would seek to succeed Senator Toni Atkins in the Senate, and he immediately became the favorite in the 2024 campaign.

He said on Sunday he was ending his campaign to focus on his recovery.