All eyes were on the Bay Area election night to see what would happen with the San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin recall effort. And now, with the recall having been successful, the question focuses on whether the progressive movement for justice reform is alive or if it’s on life support.
Some may want to make an argument that the S.F. recall should be read like tea leaves by Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon and his campaign advisors. Gascon may be facing his own recall in November. However, a strong Election Day showing for progressive district attorneys in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties along with judicial candidates in Los Angeles, known as the Defenders of Justice, only muddies that theory.
Is there a shift in the minds of voters on how crime should be handled or were there other factors in the Boudin recall that should be considered? For example, should we be looking at the $7.2 million dollars raised by pro-recall advocates, of which $4.7 million came from Neighbors for a Better San Francisco Advocacy, which also helped fund the city’s school board recall in February?
With the recall vote now behind San Francisco, we’ll be watching to see who Mayor London Breed appoints to be the city’s next district attorney and how progressive that individual will be.