Voters Will Decide Fate of San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin This June

The recall effort against San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin has qualified for the ballot. The election will take place on June 7, 2022.

Boudin is part of a wave of progressive prosecutors who have swept into large jurisdictions in recent years. They champion criminal justice reform measures like eliminating cash bail, reducing sentencing enhancements, downgrading offenses for non-violent crimes, and supporting other acts of decarceration.

At the center of the recall effort against Boudin is a rise in crime, particularly thefts and burglaries. A number of retail chains have closed storefronts in San Francisco as a result. Open drug use and overdoses are also on the rise (the city will open safe consumption sites in response). The problem largely mirrors that in other big cities.

Two former San Francisco prosecutors who resigned from their roles to protest Boudin’s policies are publicly supporting the recall. The effort is backed by Neighbors for a Better San Francisco, which is based in San Rafael.

The recall will be an uphill battle. San Francisco remains a very liberal city and many of the people most opposed to Boudin's progressive criminal justice policies have left. In the event that Boudin is recalled, however, his replacement would be selected by Mayor London Breed. That would allow the mayor to further solidify her political control over the city and its district attorney's office.