UPDATE: Petition to Recall San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin Certified; Will Be Added to June 2022 Ballot
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The San Francisco Department of Elections on Tuesday certified a petition seeking the recall of District Attorney Chesa Boudin and confirmed the special election would be part of the June 2022 statewide primary.
According to a release issued by the San Francisco Department of Elections, the Director of Elections is required to "call a special municipal election upon certifying that a recall petition has a sufficient numbers of valid signers."
In response to the news, Friends of Chesa Boudin Opposing the Recall spokesperson Julie Edwards issued the following statement:
"After spending $1.4 million, and using shady and misleading tactics, it's no surprise that this radical recall has bought its way onto the ballot. We saw the exact same thing happen with Governor Newsom's recall. We are confident San Francisco voters will reject this Republican-funded and endorsed effort as well. The recall is an attempt to reverse the reforms DA Boudin has enacted to keep us safe and make the criminal justice system fairer. But this will not stop him from continuing to work for all San Franciscans."
Former State Senator Mark Leno told KPIX people have been trying to recall Boudin since the day he was sworn in.
"They lost the election. They're aggrieved, they are angry and they want you to be aggrieved and angry so you will vote to support the recall," said Leno. "But it's not good for San Francisco and it's an assault on our democracy."
The group Safer San Francisco Without Boudin claims a majority of the signatures gathered were from Democrats and that the recall is about public safety.
"This is a city that definitely believes in and supports criminal justice reform, but also understands that we can have both criminal justice reform and public safety. People don't feel safe in San Francisco. Residents do not feel safe in San Francisco," said Safer San Francisco Without Boudin representative Andrea Shorter.
The recall election won't happen until June 7, 2022, per the city charter.
"Since the election date falls within 105 days of the June statewide primary, we will consolidate this recall election of the district attorney with the June election," John Arntz with the Department of Elections told KPIX.
The embattled Boudin has faced criticism from residents who blame rising crime in the city on the District Attorney's policies, victims who argue Boudin has been lax in prosecuting criminals, and the San Francisco Police Officers Association.
Supporters of a recall campaign announced late last month that they had submitted more than 80,000 signatures, more than 30,000 signatures over the recall threshold by more than 30,000.
"Recalling an elected official should not be taken lightly, but we cannot stand by and watch our communities be increasingly threatened due to Chesa's lack of focus on the wrong priorities," said Mary Jung, a co-chair of the recall campaign.
The campaign also touted the support of former assistant district attorneys Brooke Jenkins and Don du Bain, who had recently resigned.
"My decision to leave my dream job in the District Attorney's Office after seven years is the result of Chesa's lack of desire to hold criminals accountable and protect public safety," Jenkins said.
Boudin appeared ready for a recall fight, staging an October rally with supporters and characterizing the recall effort as one bankrolled by out-of-town billionaires and conservative interests.
"So I want to speak directly to those billionaires, I have a simple message for you. We see you. We see you and you do not represent us. You do not represent San Francisco values and we will not be defeated," Boudin said in video posted on his Twitter account.
Andria Borba contributed to this story.
