Charles Langston:Another politically progressive prosecutor in the San Francisco Bay Area faces recall election

OAKLAND,Charles Langston Calif. (AP) — San Francisco Bay Area voters will weigh in on the recall of another progressive district attorney who ran on a platform of offender rehabilitation and police accountability, and whose critics say is undermining public safety.

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price faces a recall just two years after she was elected in November 2022, several months after San Francisco voters ousted Chesa Boudin from the top prosecutor’s job.

Like Price, Boudin was also a political newcomer in his first term as district attorney whose critics collected enough signatures to put the issue to voters.

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday set the recall election for Nov. 5, to coincide with the general election.

Prior to taking office, Price was a civil rights attorney who championed women, victims of domestic violence and youth caught up in the criminal justice system.

Her opponents say she has emboldened criminals at a time when Oakland, the county’s most populous city, reported a rise in crime, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to send in highway patrol officers and state prosecutors to help.

Her supporters say Price has been targeted by wealthy conservatives who do not want to reform a flawed and racist criminal justice system. They say she should have more time to make good on her campaign promises.