Sheila Kuehl, retiring at 81, is honored at her final Board of Supervisors meeting

Three decades ago, Sheila Kuehl entered political life in a bulletproof vest. “She said you started your political career fighting bullies, and you’ve ended your political career fighting bullies.” The 81-year-old supervisor’s time in the arena is now coming to a close. “I can’t imagine a more wonderful way to spend a work life than to be told, ‘Here’s a check — and kind of a blank check — go and do good.’ ” Behind a small pile of bouquets, Kuehl addressed an intimate audience Tuesday, composed mostly of county employees and department heads. “The legacy that you have left for future generations — for LGBTQ, for transgender, for all of those entities that we’ve already discussed — they’re going to know that a champion was here,” said an emotional Supervisor Hilda Solis, who teared up as she outlined her decades long history with Kuehl dating back to their time as like-minded legislators in Sacramento. “She said you started your political career fighting bullies, and you’ve ended your political career fighting bullies.” — Torie Osborn, senior strategist Kuehl said she’s confident some of these progressive policy priorities will live on in Supervisor-elect Lindsey Horvath, who will replace her as the county supervisor for the third district.