Group submits petition to recall Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price
The group trying to recall Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price said Monday morning it has submitted enough signatures to the county registrar of voters to qualify for the November 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 to qualify for the fall election.
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors approved the public vote on the recall last November.
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."
"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.
The recall has become a contentious issue in East Bay politics, with families of crime victims clashing with Price supporters at public forums. Last month, Price herself faced some pointed questions from Oakland business owners and residents who told her crime in the city has made living and working there next to impossible.
Price has faced severe criticism for her office's handling of high-profile cases, including in the murder of toddler Jasper Wu and Home Depot loss prevention employee Blake Mohs. The district attorney has faced pushback among residents frustrated about crime during town hall meetings in Oakland and Fremont.
Oakland pastor Bishop Bob Jackson has said Price is not doing enough to hold criminals accountable for their actions.
"It's been evident that she hasn't been prosecuting these perpetrators that are doing these heinous crimes and it seems like she's giving them a free pass," said Jackson.
A spokesperson for the campaign to defeat the recall said Monday that they have their doubts about the number of valid signatures being submitted for verification.
"We're asking for the California Secretary of State to independently verify and check every signature," said Protect the Win spokesperson William Fitzgerald. "We've received hundreds of complaints about fraud, deception, and bait-and-switch tactics."
Last week, Price supporters also sent a letter to California Attorney General Rob Bonta asking his office to investigate "potential widespread voter fraud in connection with signature gathering for the recall of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price."
Opponents say the effort to recall Price is supported by wealthy real estate interests and would, if successful, result in an appointed district attorney rather than an elected one.
"The other side has no solutions just money and loud mouths and they're weaponizing people's real pain trying to oust a democratically elected leader," Fitzgerald said.