Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton, the only remaining progressive DA in the Bay Area, is now facing a recall effort led by a coalition of victims’ families and backed by right-wing interests seeking to dismantle the movement for prosecutorial reform in California.
The petition, filed last week, marks the latest attempt in a coordinated campaign to oust reform-minded prosecutors across the state. It follows the successful recalls of San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin in 2022 and Alameda County DA Pamela Price in 2023, as well as the electoral defeat of Los Angeles DA George Gascón, who narrowly survived a recall before losing his reelection bid.
Becton, the first Black and first female DA in Contra Costa’s 167-year history, now stands as the last progressive DA still in office on the advisory board of the Prosecutors Alliance of California.
The group behind the recall effort alleges that Becton has failed to deliver justice to crime victims and has allowed “a persistent cycle of unaddressed criminal activity.” The campaign’s website accuses her of offering “empty assurances” to victims’ families and “permitting offenders to roam free.”
Becton forcefully rejected those claims, calling the recall effort “a politically motivated attack that misrepresents her record and undermines the will of the people of Contra Costa County.”
In her official response to the petition, Becton pointed to her “decisive” electoral victories in 2018 and 2022, winning by 9 and 13 points respectively, as evidence that voters “agree with and trust her steadfast dedication to public safety, fairness, and justice for all.”
The Contra Costa DA’s office highlighted several accomplishments under Becton’s leadership, including aggressive prosecution of violent offenders, proactive responses to organized retail theft, human trafficking, and hate crimes, as well as the elimination of backlogs in untested sexual assault kits. She also cited her expansion of victim services and investment in crime prevention efforts.
Cristine Soto DeBerry, executive director of the Prosecutors Alliance, praised Becton’s leadership as principled and even-keeled: “Becton is an exceptional leader—extremely balanced—with the benefit of having been a judge. She brings that judicial temperament and balance to the role,” she told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Still, the political climate may prove challenging. The campaign to recall Becton must gather more than 70,000 valid signatures from registered voters within 160 days to qualify for the ballot. If successful, a special election could be held as early as March 2026.
As Becton faces this test, the outcome will be closely watched—not just in Contra Costa, but across the country. With each recall of a progressive prosecutor, the right-wing campaign to roll back criminal justice reform gains steam. For Becton and her supporters, the stakes are not only personal, but symbolic of the broader fight over the future of public safety, justice, and democracy in America.
“For Becton and her supporters, the stakes are not only personal, but symbolic of the broader fight over the future of public safety, justice, and democracy in America.”
I think the same can be said for Becton’s detractors. I’m sure they feel they’re fighting for the future of public safety, justice, and democracy in America.
This one is pretty strange, Becton is far from Boudin or Price. We’ll see what happens.
“Becton is far from Boudin or Price”
You mean less “out there” ?