Campaign to recall Pamela Price submits signatures
OAKLAND, Calif. - The group trying to recall Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price said Monday morning they've submitted enough signatures to the county registrar of voters to qualify for a recall on the ballot.
Save Alameda For Everyone (SAFE) said in a statement it gathered at least 127,387 signatures to qualify for the ballot - well above the necessary 73,195 valid signatures. A recall could prompt a special election.
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SAFE said it's a broad coalition of Alameda County residents, business owners, victims, victims' families, and concerned citizens who have come together in the face of rising crime and what it says is a "failure by DA Price to hold perpetrators accountable."
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"DA Price is jeopardizing the safety of every resident and business in Alameda County, by failing to enforce the law, prosecute criminals, and keep violent offenders off our streets," the group said.
"We shouldn’t have to do this but for the safety of our community, for the safety of our children, the safety of our businesses, this is something that had to be done," said Brenda Grisham, who has been leading the recall charge.
Now, the county has 10 days to validate the signatures.
Senior Research Fellow at Berkeley Law and recall expert Joshua Spivak said the recall has a strong chance of getting on the ballot, because usually only about 20%, or less, of signatures get thrown out.
"The amount of signatures looks very good for the recall effort. They need 73,000, and they have 123,000. That’s a 40% cushion," said Spivak.
For Price's supporters, nothing is set in stone. Late last week, a spokesperson with the "Protect the Win" campaign to keep Price in office, William Fitzgerald, sent a letter to Attorney General Rob Bonta, asking him to investigate deceptive tactics by recall effort organizers.
Monday morning, Fitzgerald said the organization sent another letter to Secretary of State Shirley Weber, "We’ve asked her to ensure that she dedicates resources immediately to ensure that each and every signature is both reviewed independently and verified."
While Carl Chan, community activist and organizer for SAFE, said there will be a special election in late April or early May with the recall on the ballot, Spivak said there's uncertainty around the timeline.
Super Tuesday results could play a big role in the future of the district attorney seat. Measure B is on the ballot in Alameda County for primary elections.
"It could be in two months, but it’s not clear. It certainly won’t be before two months from now, but with this Measure B, it could be pushed off further," said Spivak.
If Measure B passes, and Price is recalled, county supervisors might have to appoint a new district attorney, someone who is not elected.
"That’s not great because we live in a democracy," said Fitzgerald, who said Price is the first newly elected DA in Alameda County in more than 35 years. She also made history as the first Black woman elected to the position back in 2022, winning by 53% of the vote.
If Measure B does not pass and the recall is placed on the ballot, Alameda County could be looking at another election this year, on top of primaries and the presidential election.