SAN DIEGO COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CHAIR REBECCA TAYLOR KILLED IN MOTORCYCLE CRASH
East County News Service
July 17, 2024 (San Diego) – Rebecca “Becca” Taylor, Chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party, has died of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in Utah. She was returning home from a trip when she was hit from behind.
Acting Chair Kyle Krahel-Frolander issued a statement which reads in part: ”Becca made an incalculable impact on so many and moved San Diego toward a brighter future. She was more than just a leader, she was a public servant. Becca was a Navy veteran, an advocate for victims of sexual assault, a member of the OB Town Council,and a volunteer finding resources for asylum seekers. She embodied the best of us.”
The county Democratic party announced her death today on its website and social media “with the heaviest of hearts and profound grief,” adding that her parents and most of her siblings were with her in the hospital.
Born in 1983 in Plano, Texas, Taylor graduated from San Diego State University in 2011. She served as an aviation electrician in the Navy, where she also volunteered as a sexual assault victim advocate. She founded and served as first chair of the Veterans Caucus for California Young Democrats in 2014. She also worked with Serving Seniors, on the board of directors of the Ocean Beach Town Council, and as secretary of the Metro West Area Caucus. In addition, she was a volunteer manager with the San Diego Rapid Response Network, helping asylum seekers.
Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-San Diego) posted on X, “I’m heartbroken about Becca Taylor’s passing. “Becca devoted her life to serving others—from the Navy to advocating for sexual assault survivors to getting more people involved in our democracy. She was kind, funny, sharp, and endlessly selfless. I’ll miss her.”
Will Rodriguez-Kennedy, former chair of the local party, called Taylor “a brilliant mind, a passionate advocate for the party, a servant of her community” as well as “a trusted friend and confidant” in a Facebook post, adding that he is heartbroken at the loss.
Congressman Scott Peters (D-San Diego) recalls Taylor cheering on his campaign workers when she worked as an organizer for his 2014 campaign. “Since that time, we’ve remained loyal friends and supporters of each other,” he said, Times of San Deigo reports. “Her infectious laugh, bright smile and twinkle were ever present...Today we are mourning a great one. This is a brutalizing loss for all of us.”