Alameda Co. Board of Supes vote to approve DA. Pam Price recall election in November
Pamela Price, Alameda County District Attorney, talks to the Chronicle editorial board on Wednesday, May 23, 2018 in San Francisco, Calif. (Photo By Lea Suzuki/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
ALAMEDA COUNTY, Calif. - Pamela Price, the Alameda County District Attorney who ran her campaign on a platform of social justice reform, will face a recall election in November's general election.
At a special meeting on Tuesday, Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted 3-0 to set the recall election Nov. 5.
"The board of supervisors did the right thing and decided not to waste 20 million dollars trying to overturn the Nov. '22 election," said, Price, who spoke alongside her supporters at a news conference Wednesday morning at Everett & Jones BBQ on 126 Broadway in Oakland.
"What am I going to do now? I'm going to work on public safety, as we have been," Price said. "For those who will try to overturn the election, you need to understand we are ready for you."
More than 100 people signed up to speak during the more than two-hour Alameda County Board of Supervisors meeting, both for and against the recall effort.
"DA price should not face voters again, until she nears the end of her first term... recalls should be a last resort," said one commenter.
"There are so many businesses shutting down because the DA is not prosecuting criminals," said another person during the public comment period.
Price became the county's first Black D.A. in 2022. A representative for Price called the board's decision a win, saying that consolidating the vote with the general election will turn out more voters, "and provide more time for the electorate to be informed with the facts."
The county's registrar of voters told the board a special election would have cost up to $20 million, whereas the consolidated election would be more cost-efficient, priced at $4 million, which Registrar of Voters spokesman Tim Dupuis said would break down to $4-$6 dollars per voter.
Alameda County has 940,000 registered voters. The board followed the registrar's advice to opt for the less expensive election.
The recall effort called Save Alameda For Everyone procured enough valid signatures to recall the D.A. in March. The registrar of voters certified a recall election would move forward in April.
Critics say the DA's progressive policies are jeopardizing community safety.
"We are here today representing the 123,387 citizens of Alameda County that entrusted in us to help with the safety of our citizens, we're asking for a special election," recall supporter Brenda Grisham said before the supervisors' vote. "All we want is justice, accountability for the citizens of Alameda County."
Price's supporters are framing the recall effort as anti-democratic and have formed The Protect the Win for Public Safety.
Bay City News contributed to this report.