In the end, even San Francisco’s 91% Democratic voting bloc couldn’t save him.
Ushered into office two years ago on a promise to protect victims and hold police accountable for misconduct, District Attorney Chesa Boudin was ousted by 61% of the voters in a Tuesday recall election that was a referendum on violent crime.
“This election does not mean that San Francisco has drifted to the far right on our approach to criminal justice,” recall chairwoman Mary Jung said in a statement. “In fact, San Francisco has been a national beacon for progressive criminal justice reform for decades and will continue to do so with new leadership.”
The unprecedented recall is seen as a huge victory for crime victims, some of whose stories fill the website of the Recall Chesa Boudin Now campaign. It tells the stories of killers, hate crime offenders, and drug dealers who have received light sentences for crimes that terrorized the city.
Even though Boudin sought to reform the judicial system and cut down on the prison population, opponents say the really bad guys are still on the streets.
BOUDIN FEUDS WITH POLICE WHO WON’T SHOW UP TO HELP HIM IN A RAID
One segment of society that has suffered in silence has been businesses. Many have slowly withered due to uncontrollable thefts and robberies, often seeing the same offenders back in stores within days. Even big-name stores like Target and Walgreens have cut hours or disappeared altogether.
The California Retailers Association was staunchly behind the recall and now has a sense of vindication, their president says.
“[The] recall of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin makes clear what Californians’ attitude has been for months — if district attorneys won’t provide consequences to those who repeatedly violate the law, the voters will provide consequences for district attorneys,” said association CEO Rachel Michelin.
She said retailers have been terrorized by drug addicts stealing at will, in addition to the violent smash and grab robberies that started last summer, generating nonstop headlines.
“It’s a vicious cycle. The DA’s policies do not provide any consequences to stop it,” Michelin told the Washington Examiner. “Stores have to close early. Security guards lock things up. Not only the increase in theft but the increase in violence motivated the people in San Francisco to do this recall. People do not feel safe.”
Michelin met with Boudin several times last summer in an attempt to quell the violence, but she got nowhere. Instead of fixing the problem, Boudin blamed others, such as the police, the Board of Supervisors, the legislature, and even the voters, she said.
“It was never, ‘OK, Rachel, what can we do? How can we roll up our sleeves and work together?’” Michelin said. “It was everyone else’s fault and not his. There was no level of responsibility that he is the elected official and can help solve this problem.”
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Boudin appeared to take his loss in stride, although he did blame corporations for outspending him 3 to 1, Fox News reported.
“This is a movement, not a moment in history,” Boudin said. “The coalition that we built … is broad, it is diverse, it is strong. And it is a coalition that is deeply committed to justice.”
