• San Francisco voters successfully ousted District Attorney Chesa Boudin from office last night in a recall election with 60 percent of the vote in favor.
• Boudin implemented some of the most progressive measures nationwide regarding criminal justice, including the elimination of cash bail, increased accountability for police and efforts to reduce the number of people sent to prison.
• Asian Americans, many of whom were from the city’s Chinese community, have been a leading force for the recall, with 67 percent voting in favor of ousting Boudin.
• The recall undoubtedly sends a message on where Asian Americans stand on issues of crime and punishment, especially to Democratic candidates building their strategies.
• San Francisco’s recall of its progressive DA will also influence the coming elections, demonstrating what can happen to progressive ideas in even the most liberal corners of the nation.

San Francisco voters successfully ousted District Attorney Chesa Boudin from office last night in a recall election.

The recall passed with roughly 60% of the vote in favor of Proposition H. 

During his two-and-half-year tenure, Boudin implemented some of the most progressive measures nationwide for criminal justice reform, as he had promised, including the elimination of cash bail, increased accountability for police and efforts to reduce the number of people sent to prison. 

The election came down to a battle between progressive Democrats who credited Boudin as championing a key movement against mass incarceration, and Democrats and Republicans who blamed the surge of hate crimes during the pandemic on the DA. 

Asian Americans, many of whom were from the city’s Chinese community, have been a leading force for the recall, citing the District Attorney as ineffective in his efforts to reform the justice system.

Bay area Asian Pacific Democratic Club member Edwin Lee posted his public endorsement of Proposition H on his Twitter. 

Go Vote! Today is Election Day in California.
Bring this SF voter guide to the polls and get in line by 8pm to cast your ballots! Find your nearest voting site at https://t.co/QULlJ5fwCQ#GOTV #Election2022 pic.twitter.com/hl3wSZdPlz

— Edwin M. Lee Asian Pacific Democratic Club (@EdLeeDems) June 7, 2022

“We are tired of having attacks on our seniors dismissed, delegitimized, ignored” Lee had written in a tweet prior to the election outcome. “It’s not progressive or Democratic to talk at, instead of listen to, communities of color.” 

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) member Mary Jung urged voters on Monday to “vote in memory of Hanako” so that they could “bring back a safer SF and still have CJR (Criminal Justice Reform).” 

Vote in memory of Hanako. And let’s not forget Jace, Emma, Vicha, Elizabeth, Synciere, and so many others. Together, we can bring back a safer SF and still have CJR. https://t.co/ESziMR5nM7

— Mary Jung (@maryjungsf) June 7, 2022

Hanako Abe, 27, was hit and killed on a crosswalk on New Year’s Eve of last year by 45-year-old Troy McAlister, who was out on parole for a series of serious charges.

Her family filed a wrongful death claim against San Francisco and the District Attorney’s Office, with her mother commenting that “it is a mistake not to be punished and to be a person who is not ashamed of committing a crime.”

Despite Boudin’s efforts to prove his support for the AAPI community, including the unveiling of a new victim service unit, they ultimately fell short. 

San Francisco’s recall of its progressive DA will inevitably influence the coming elections, showing what can happen to progressive ideas in even the most liberal corners of the nation. 

With 67 percent of AAPI voting in favor of ousting Boudin, the election also undoubtedly communicates where Asian Americans stand on issues of crime and punishment, something unlikely to go unnoticed for Democratic candidates building their campaigns. 

Featured Image via TedxTalks

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