In a four-way race for Alameda County DA, Pamela Price’s campaign of compassionate justice won over the voters, outpacing her closest opponent by 10 points.
Special to the Vanguard
OAKLAND, CA – Pamela Price, a trailblazing civil rights attorney with a 30-year record of challenging the status quo and making real change within the justice system, is posed to be Alameda County’s next District Attorney. Pamela is the first person to challenge the status quo in Alameda County’s criminal justice system since 1966. Since 1939, the DA has been appointed by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. This passing down of an elected seat has created a total lack of transparency, equity and accountability in the DA’s office.
Price’s win is a signal that the voters of Alameda County are fed up with the status quo of the criminal justice system that over-criminalizes Black and Brown youth, people of color, the poor, the unhoused and people suffering with mental illness and/or addiction issues.
“I am thankful and inspired, said Price. “Over the 20 months of our campaign, we have heard again and again that people know that the system is broken and not working for our community.”
“I am ready to fix the DA’s office—from building a transparent and public database of our casework, to creating a public integrity unit to address misconduct of law enforcement, to implementing broader methods of diversion courts and creating proven and cost-saving innovations like neighborhood courts. When these changes have been implemented elsewhere, they have led to greater public safety—because public safety begins with public trust.”
“I look forward to sharing my vision of justice with compassion against my opponent’s record of maintaining the broken status quo.” As stated in a recent SF Chronicle article, “while Wiley was adept at pointing to flaws in the system during our interview, he fell short on proposing solutions.”
“It was very obvious in the DA forums that Mr. Wiley has a problem telling the truth and lacks vision on how to lead the DA’s office. After 32 years of supporting and profiting from the status quo, all of a sudden, he claims that he is the person to make changes.” stated Price.
“We know that Mr. Wiley is a carpetbagger who has lived in Solano County for 30 years, and his campaigning clearly showed that he doesn’t know or understand the residents of Alameda County. He has not ever lived here to know what we are dealing with—he has been living in a Solano suburbia bubble.”
Price’s win is particularly impressive given the amount of money her opponents raised compared to her campaign and the numerous IE groups that formed to defeat Price in the primary. Despite their expensive efforts, Price’s message of rebuilding public trust, creating transparency and accountability, embracing successful programs to address the root causes of crime, and administering justice with compassion resonated with Alameda County voters. They want real change.
Price built a broad coalition of support across Alameda County and has an impressive list of endorsers she will take with her into the November election. She is supported by actor and humanitarian Danny Glover, activist and scholar Angela Davis, the families of Oscar Grant, Christian Madrigal and Jacob Bauer, and leading civil rights lawyers such as Howard Moore Jr., Carl Douglas, Charles Bonner, Gary Gwilliam, Dan Siegel, Anne Weill, Jayme Walker and Leslie Levy. She earned endorsements from elected officials and political leaders around the County, including former Assemblymember Sandre Swanson, former Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, former Berkeley Mayor Gus Newport and former California Superintendent of Public Instruction and Assemblymember Delaine Eastin as well as Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.
Endorsements also came from the faith community with prominent support from Rev. Dr. J. Alfred Smith, Sr., Rev. Edwin Brown and Bishop JW Macklin. Her organizational endorsements include the California Nurses Association, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Mar Monte, Fund Her, Elect Black Women PAC, Oakland Rising Action and Bay Rising Action, Real Justice, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO, and numerous labor unions and local Democratic Party Clubs. Price’s campaign also earned favorable distinctions from Mom’s Demand Action Gun Sense and AOC’s Courage to Change.
“The DA must be accountable to the people. My commitment to this community as well as my values and integrity have been front and center in this race, and it was a magnet for people and organizations that want real justice to be a reality in Alameda County. We are on our way to making it happen.”
