It’s hardly news at this point, but San Francisco voters will almost certainly oust District Attorney Chesa Boudin next week.
A new Examiner poll of 541 likely voters conducted by Change Research from May 26-29 shows 56% in favor of recalling the DA, who has a disapproval rate of 62%.
Even the much-vilified policy of eliminating cash bail — a signature Boudin policy — has support from 50% of voters, with only 31% expressing opposition. If anything, Tuesday’s election will deliver a resounding defeat for some of criminal justice reform’s loudest opponents. Just watch and see what happens to Michael Shellenberger and Anne Marie Schubert, who are running “tough on crime” campaigns focused on drugs and homelessness.
Smith pointed to Vice President Kamala Harris as an example of a DA who balanced reform and enforcement, keeping the faith of local voters who overwhelmingly supported her 2010 bid for state attorney general. Boudin clearly failed to connect with voters in a similar way, but Smith said Boudin also had the misfortune of being in office at a time when DAs are under attack nationwide.
The recall will devastate Boudin’s elected career and set back the movement to elect ultra-progressive DAs, but it would be a mistake to conflate Boudin’s fate with that of criminal justice reform in general. The Examiner poll also asked voters about policies they support to solve The City’s most pressing problems.