Alameda DA race to continue in November runoff
ALAMEDA -- The race to succeed outgoing Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley will continue to a November runoff, after none of the four candidates vying for the position garnered a majority of votes in Tuesday's primary elections.
Civil rights attorney Pamela Price won the most votes in the contest but failed to break the 50% mark needed to avoid a runoff. She recorded 40% of the votes cast, and in November will face Terry Wiley, who won 31% of the vote.
O'Malley has served as district attorney for Alameda County since 2009 but opted not to run for reelection. She endorsed Wiley, who currently serves as the third top prosecutor in the county as an Assistant II district attorney.
Price was the only candidate in the race without prosecutorial experience. She touted her experience as a former public defender and private civil rights attorney in a bid to sway voters. Price was the only candidate to run against O'Malley in the previous election, coming up short in the race.
Wiley has been with the district attorney's office since 1990. He highlighted his own experience confronting violations by law enforcement, including the trial of police in a case. That case ended without any convictions.
The district attorney is a nonpartisan position. Wiley has promoted his endorsements from multiple law enforcement unions as well as Oakland NAACP President George Holland and civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump.\
Price pledged not to prosecute a single juvenile as an adult if elected, according to her campaign website. She highlighted a 10-point plan detailing her priorities, which include holding police accountable for misconduct and establishing prosecutorial accountability by releasing more data from the district attorney's office.
A graduate of UC Berkeley School of Law, Price said on her website that "her particular passion is suing the California Department of Corrections on behalf of employees, particularly women subjected to sexual harassment."
Jimmie L. Wilson, an assistant district attorney in the county, placed third, with 21%, and Seth Steward finished fourth, with 9% of the vote.
