Recall vote looms for Oakland mayor, Alameda County District Attorney over crime, public safety concerns
Voters in Alameda County will be deciding whether to recall two women from high-profile public offices - Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. Both have faced political pressure about how their respective offices have handled crime issues and the perception that some areas of the East Bay have become more dangerous.
The use of the recall process has changed over time in California - leading many to question whether these recalls have more to do with gross misconduct or simply voter's remorse.
"Voters use that as a way to give voice to their angst," said Sonoma State University political science professor David McCuan who has done extensive research specifically around recalls and how they've been used in California.
The 2003 recall of then-Governor Gray Davis in favor of Arnold Schwarzenegger is the perfect example of that voter angst - as Davis became the scapegoat for the public's anger over the energy crisis and Enron blackouts.
"People always say, 'I really feel sorry or you got a bad deal,'" said Davis. "And I say, I did get a bad deal, and I believe that things do even up over time, so in my case, I got a good break or else I wouldn't have been governor and I wouldn't have had five years of signing what I think is good legislation, so good break in the beginning, not so good break at the end, but I'd rather have had the opportunity to be governor than not at all."
Even though Davis was a direct casualty of the recall process, two decades later he still believes in the principle that voters have the right to change their minds.
"Someone said, 'I wanted a progressive DA and now I don't,' hey, that's life," said Davis. "If you're thinking of running for office and you don't like the fact that the public has these three powers, initiative, referendum and recall, then I respectfully suggest some other state to run for office."
With the gift of hindsight, he has one piece of advice for those in Northern California facing a recall.
"Instead of railing against the process, saying how unfair it is, make the case as to why Oakland or Alameda County are better off keeping you in office," says Davis.
These questions are now in the hands of voters: Are they better served by Thao and Price and their respective offices, or should they be replaced?
The recall effort against Price began before she hit the 100-day mark in office. She ran on criminal justice reform and not using enhancements to beef up jail sentences that she said disproportionately impacted people of color. Once she was elected and made good on her promises, critics immediately started saying she was soft on crime and was contributing to a rising crime rate by not coming down hard enough on repeat offenders.
The recall effort against Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao started in January with critics saying she contributed to the public safety crisis in Oakland partly through budget mismanagement. The drumbeat only got louder after an FBI raid at the mayor's home in June of this year. She has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. More recently she's been under fire for the city's ongoing budget crisis and the Oakland Coliseum deal.
McCuan worries there could be a snowball effect with recalls as we are seeing more and more hit the ballots.
"Recalls like this if they become successful can be an important learning moment for all sides, about what works and what doesn't work and the threshold it takes to pay to play," said McCuan.
It has been more than 100 years since the Oakland mayor has faced a recall on the ballot, and the Alameda County district attorney has never had a recall on the ballot before. Both of these recalls only need a simple majority to pass.
Here is what would happen if the recalls are successful:
In the case of Price, it would be up to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to appoint a replacement district attorney until voters elect a new DA in 2026.
In Thao's case, the answer is a little more complicated. The protocol would be for the president of the City Council to become mayor. But in this case, the current council president, Nikki Fortunato Bas, is running for a seat on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, so she might not be on the council after this election. In that case, it would be up to the remaining council members to choose a mayor until a special election could be held in the spring.
