Geneviéve Jones-Wright facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Geneviéve Jones-Wright
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Geneviéve LaChelle Jones-Wright
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| Occupation | Attorney, Public Defender |
| Political party | Democratic |
Geneviéve LaChelle Jones-Wright is an American lawyer and activist. From 2006 to 2019, she worked as a public defender in San Diego County. A public defender is a lawyer who represents people who cannot afford to hire their own.
As a member of the Democratic Party, she ran for San Diego County District Attorney in 2018. She also ran for mayor of San Diego in 2024. In 2016, she was mistakenly stopped by a police officer, which brought attention to law enforcement practices in her city.
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Early Life and Education
Geneviéve LaChelle Jones-Wright was born and raised in southeastern San Diego. She was raised by her single mother, who worked in a school cafeteria.
She went to Patrick Henry High School. For college, she earned a bachelor's degree from the University of San Francisco. She then went to law school at Howard University School of Law and later earned an advanced law degree from California Western School of Law.
Career as a Lawyer
Jones-Wright started her career as a public defender in San Diego in 2006. She helped people who were accused of crimes but could not pay for a lawyer.
She also served on San Diego’s Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention. This group works to find ways to reduce gang-related problems in the community. She also volunteered for the California Innocence Project, an organization that works to free people who have been wrongly convicted of crimes.
In March 2021, she was added to the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame for her work as an activist.
Police Incident in 2016
In January 2016, Jones-Wright was pulled over by a police officer. The officer handcuffed her at gunpoint because of a mistake with her car's license plate information. She recorded the event and posted it on her Facebook page. The incident made people discuss how police officers do their jobs in San Diego County.
Political Campaigns
Jones-Wright has run for public office twice. She wanted to use her experience as a lawyer to make changes in the justice system and city government.
2018 District Attorney Campaign
In 2018, Jones-Wright ran for San Diego County District Attorney. A District Attorney is the top lawyer who prosecutes, or brings legal cases against, people accused of crimes in a county. She ran against the temporary District Attorney, Summer Stephan.
During her campaign, Jones-Wright talked about wanting to reform the criminal justice system. She believed in focusing on public safety and helping people get back on track, rather than just punishing them. She also wanted to make sure all evidence from serious crimes was tested to help victims.
She was supported by many well-known people, including then-Senator Kamala Harris and then-Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom. However, Jones-Wright lost the election to Summer Stephan.
2024 Mayoral Campaign
In December 2023, Jones-Wright announced she would run for Mayor of San Diego against the current mayor, Todd Gloria. As a candidate, she criticized the city's rules on housing and its policies for helping homeless people.
Some leaders who supported her in 2018, like Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom, decided to support Todd Gloria instead. However, she was endorsed by San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe. Many local groups also chose to support Gloria.
In the primary election on March 5, 2024, she came in third place. Only the top two candidates, Todd Gloria and Larry Turner, moved on to the final election.
