Former Alameda County DA, Oakland mayor support recalls of successors

OAKLAND, Calif. - The former Alameda County District Attorney and the former mayor of Oakland are both supporting the recalls of their successors.

Nancy O'Malley, who was DA from 2010 to 2022, is holding a rare 10:30 a.m. news conference on Wednesday to announce her support for the recall of Pamela Price, who won the seat two years ago. 

Price's critics argue that she has been soft on crime. Supporters say Price has been targeted by conservatives, who are opposed to her efforts to reform the criminal justice system.

Meanwhile, former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf has come out against Mayor Sheng Thao, who is also facing a recall, mostly over crime, a missed retail theft grant and a pending FBI probe of her home, which has yet to yield any charges. 

Shaaf said as an Oakland resident herself, she supports the recall. 

"We've all been waiting for two years to see evidence of this mayor leading," Schaaf said on Tuesday. "Not of being the lucky recipient of CHP officers that the governor, out of frustration, sent to us." 

Despite her criticism, Schaaf said she sees Thao as a hard worker, but that ultimately she is unable to grow into the job.