I keep getting asked, can Dean Johansson beat Jeff Reisig? History runs against Dean Johansson. This remains the case, despite the fact that on paper Yolo County would seem to be receptive to a more liberal, reform-minded district attorney.
Yolo County in 2012 voted for Barack Obama by a 65-31 margin. Last November it voted for Hillary Clinton 66.7 percent to 25.3. You have to go back to 2006, when Yolo County went for Governor Schwarzenegger, to find the last time Yolo County voted as a whole for Republican candidate. That includes a 53-38 margin for Kamala Harris in 2010 over Republican AG candidate Steve Cooley.
On criminal justice reforms, Yolo County has gone right down the line for them: That includes two go-arounds of the death penalty reform, AB 109 (realignment to reduce the state prison population), three strikes reform, Prop. 47 (reducing certain drug possession charges to misdemeanors), and Prop. 57 (increasing parole chances for felons convicted of nonviolent crimes) this last time.
But when it comes to the district attorney, it is a different matter. The only elected Republican countywide in Yolo County is Jeff Reisig.
Jeff Reisig opposed all of the major criminal justice reforms except for three strikes, where he stayed neutral.
“Prop. 47 was the biggest public safety disaster in the last several decades in my opinion and in most law enforcement officers’ opinions,” Jeff Reisig said in 2016.
And when it comes to a DA, Jeff Reisig is not the anomaly, he is the rule. So when I’m asked if Dean Johansson can beat Jeff Reisig, it’s a difficult question.
There have been two contested DA’s races in the last 40 years in Yolo County. In 1984, Dave Henderson faced Bob Black. On the surface that would seem to be a formidable match – after all, Bob Black became the surprise mayor of Davis as a student and then became a county supervisor.
But he couldn’t beat Dave Henderson – even in Davis, where he lost in a 51-49 split. Mr. Henderson remained in the office until 2006 when his hand-picked successor Jeff Reisig fought a bitter race against fellow Deputy DA Pat Lenzi. Ms. Lenzi managed to narrowly win in Davis and West Sacramento, but got blown out in Woodland.
The key to winning in Yolo County is that you have to win Davis by a large enough margin to offset the more conservative rest of the county.
Mr. Johansson is not going to have the resources in terms of money, but he already has a strong organization that can do a lot of the work on the ground. If they can get students and people of color registered and out to vote, they might have a chance.
The political landscape is such that it might be conducive to a criminal justice reform platform. We saw what happened with Larry Krasner in Philadelphia.
Jessica Pishko writes, “In the past few years, a new breed of district attorney has risen to power. In places like Chicago, Orlando, and St. Louis, prosecutors have committed to making the American criminal justice system less punitive and more humane.”
She notes that “elected prosecutors have sensed the change in tides and adapted their message even as they’ve refused to scrap their outdated methods. These district attorneys talk about reform and perhaps make incremental changes, but they vehemently resist anything resembling a true overhaul of a broken system.”
And it is not just in Philadelphia. At the beginning of the year, the American Prospect ran a story, “The New Reformer DAs.”
It notes: “As cities grow more progressive, a new breed of prosecutors are winning office and upending the era of lock-’em-up justice.”
As the article notes: “District Attorneys ‘are in many ways the most important figures in the system,” says David Alan Sklansky, a Stanford law professor who studies DAs. “They are crucial gatekeepers between the police and the courts. They get to decide who gets charged and what they get charged with. They are the ones who recommend sentencing and negotiate plea agreements. And since the vast majority of criminal convictions in this country are the result of plea agreements, they are the ones who are negotiating sentences.”
There are other opportunities as well. Last week I noticed that none other than Shaun King had followed Mr. Johansson’s Twitter account. Then came the news this week, “Activist Shaun King Creates New PAC That Plans To Elect Progressive Prosecutors To Help Reform The Justice System. The prominent activist and writer wants to get ‘reform-minded prosecutors’ on all levels of local government.”
Last Thursday, Mr. King “announced the Real Justice Political Action Committee that will help elect reform-minded prosecutors, sheriffs and judges that will be passionate about reducing the number of nonviolent offenders imprisoned.
“No position in America, no single individual has a bigger impact on the criminal justice system ― including police brutality, but the whole crisis of mass incarceration in general ― than your local district attorney,” King said. “They are the gatekeepers of America’s justice system.”
According to a release: “The Real Justice PAC has set objectives that will make this a reality. The first is to elect prosecutors who will actively push back against discriminatory policing, limit and/or eliminate money bail that has been proven to keep poor people in jail longer, and help roll back other practices that lead to mass incarceration.
“That’s a smarter way and a safer way for us to make an assessment,” King said. “Many people are running under the guise of being Democrats in these DA races and that has next to no value.
“All of this will be achieved with enthusiastic field organizing, an increased social media presence, small-dollar fundraising, candidate recruitment that will prevent an estimated 84 percent of county prosecutors running unopposed and a true commitment to criminal justice reform.
“If we are perpetually on the outside, our message might be right, but it won’t have the effectiveness that it deserves,” he said. “We can mobilize in some really amazing ways locally and just get these races in the front of the mind for people so that they understand it’s everything.”
But can Mr. Johansson knock off the three-term incumbent? It is definitely a long shot, but you never know.
—David M. Greenwald reporting
Meanwhile learn more next Wednesday…
On February 28, the voters will have a chance to meet Dean Johansson.
The Vanguard is sponsoring a meet the candidates event. Both Jeff Reisig and Dean Johansson were invited. (Mr. Johansson confirmed, Mr. Reisig did not respond).
Dean Johansson will speak for about 15 to 20 minutes and take questions from the audience.
The free event will be held at Bryte Cafe in West Sacramento located at 637 Todhunter Ave.
Why would Mr. Reisig ever show up to an event that the Vanguard is sponsoring considering the treatment he has received from the blog over the years?
I know if I were him I’d stay away.
Except, one doesn’t became a DA without having, or at least convincingly pretending to have, a very thick skin…
One of the many reasons I’d never seek that office…
What’s he afraid of? Tough questions? He has to face the electorate, if he hides from people who are going to be critical of him, is he really effectively representing him?
Who said Reisig is “afraid”?
Was an invite even made? Has he responded to the invite? Did he decline?
Let’s back up the bus here…
I have no dog in this ‘election’, but strongly suspect the vast majority of YC voters are unaware/don’t care about the DA office. They will see the name /label “incumbent”, and will very likely default to that… Johansson has a tough row to hoe.
It is somewhat ironic that some who want no change in the status quo in Davis, are ‘actively’ urging change of DA…
“. Both Jeff Reisig and Dean Johansson were invited. (Mr. Johansson confirmed, Mr. Reisig did not respond).”
Reisig is probably counting on the fact that, ” the vast majority of YC voters are unaware/don’t care about the DA office. ” Mr Johansson has to be out and stirring the pot. Hopefully it will get hot enough to make Reisig sweat a little and come out for a fight.
Thx… missed that in the main piece… thought I checked twice… apparently wrong…
Agree with your second paragraph on what Mr J needs to do to actually make it a race…. sooner than later would be to his advantage…
Since you asked David here’s the way I see it. If I were running, being that the Vanguard would obviously like to see Mr. Johannson as DA I woud be very skeptical of stepping into any venue that was set up by my opposition. But that’s just me. I’m not saying that the Vanguard would do it but we all saw what happened at the recent CNN town hall about the Florida school shooting when a student said that CNN wrote his question for him to ask of the speakers. Also, let’s not forget when Donna Brazille fed Hillary the questions before a CNN presidential debate.
On top of that I’d guess that any Vanguard event audience would tend to be hostile toward any conservative leaning candidate. If I’m Mr Reseig, why take the chance?
I think an elected official has a positive duty to face his critics and answer tough questions.
I’m sure Mr. Reisig has no problem with that but I would think he would want to make sure the deck was evenly stacked before he made any such appearance at any venue.
Reisig was at yesterday’s crab feed, so maybe there just needs to be crab at the venue. 😉
LOL, but was the crab feed sponsored by the Vanguard?
“I’d stay away.”
Cowardice in the face of scrutiny would be most unseemly for a DA. Wouldn’t it be something if you got rid of the sheriff and DA in a single night?
“the vast majority of YC voters are unaware/don’t care about the DA office.”
This is exactly my experience while tabling for Dean. Many of the Yolo County residents aren’t aware of who the DA is, that any DA will be on the ballot, and that there is an opposition candidate since there has not been one since 2006.
“Was an invite even made?”
Not only was an invite made to the current forum, but to multiple forums and events over a matter of years on many different issues. DA Reisig has always declined.
“It is definitely a long shot, but you never know”
As a former inline hockey mom, I used to advise my son who was more comfortable as a defenseman, “you miss every shot you do not take”.
“the vast majority of YC voters are unaware/don’t care about the DA office.”
This is exactly my experience while tabling for Dean. Many of the Yolo County residents aren’t aware of who the DA is, that any DA will be on the ballot, and that there is an opposition candidate since there has not been one since 2006.
“Was an invite even made?”
Not only was an invite made to the current forum, but to multiple forums and events over a matter of years on many different issues. DA Reisig has always declined.
“It is definitely a long shot, but you never know”
As a former inline hockey mom, I used to advise my son who was more comfortable as a defenseman, “you miss every shot you do not take”.