Progressive San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin Recalled

The recall is expected to set back progressives’ plan for criminal justice reform.

QUICK FACTS:
  • San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin (D) is expected to officially be recalled on Wednesday, according to a report by The Hill. 
  • Boudin’s loss is being seen as an indication that the general public is less hungry for criminal justice reform due to a recent spike in violent crime nationally.
  • Voters in major cities nationwide are looking for changes to ensure their safety, and San Francisco’s teaming homeless population is believed to have exacerbated the issue.
  • San Franciscans have been grappling with burglaries and open-air drug markets in recent months, while Boudin has been struggling with a “tense” relationship with the San Francisco Police Department.
  • San Francisco Mayor London Breed (D) will choose Boudin’s replacement, and experts believe she will choose someone with a more moderate view on crime and punishment.
BOUDIN VERSUS CONSERVATIVES:
  • Boudin appears to have several conflicts with conservatives, including William Oberndorf, a conservative businessman, who was one of the biggest backers of his recall, a conflict which combined with his problems with, local police are likely partly to blame for his downturn in public opinion.
  • Conservatives praised the recall, including author and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza, who tweeted, “Chesa Boudin gets the boot! Even in progressive San Francisco, a Communist DA who openly sides with criminals over victims proved a bit too much! #ByeByeBoudin.”
  • Washington Post columnist James Hohman tweeted, “The recall of Chesa Boudin overnight is a watershed moment. It’s not just a rejection of a single DA. It’s a repudiation of the failed soft-on-crime approach that has made so many of our cities less safe.”
  • “Soros-Backed DA Chesa Boudin loses in San [Francisco],” tweeted TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk. He added, “Terrific news for America. Remove every single Soros DA in every single city and county he has planted them in across the country.”
  • Discovery Institute journalist Jonathan Choe gave his analysis of the election results, tweeting, “RECALLED: Chesa Boudin was too progressive even for liberal San Francisco. This is a cautionary tale for elected officials in Seattle, a city with similar sensibilities. Asian American voting bloc played massive role in recall. Boudin accused of botching response to #AsianHate.”
BACKGROUND:
  • Boudin became famous nationwide when he sentenced a 17-year-old male who pled guilty to a hit-and-run on a woman and her baby in 2021 to a “few months in a probation camp.”
  • The DA was elected in 2019 and lost Tuesday’s recall election by a margin of 61%-39%.

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