Pamela Price Launches 2026 Campaign for Alameda County District Attorney

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• “We have seen the invasion of Alameda County by federal agents and a political establishment and a district attorney who has said nothing.” – Pamela Price

HAYWARD, Calif. – Pamela Price formally launched her 2026 campaign for Alameda County District Attorney on Thursday, returning to the political stage less than two years after being recalled from office. Surrounded by supporters, faith leaders, and justice reform advocates, Price framed her bid as a fight for fairness, accountability, and what she described as a justice system no longer influenced by wealthy interests or political pressure.

Price, who made history as Alameda County’s first Black woman district attorney, said her campaign would focus on restoring public trust, addressing gun violence, pursuing corporate accountability, and ensuring equal treatment under the law. She said she remains committed to what she called people-centered justice.

“Gun violence in Alameda County continues to surge, and too many families are grieving losses that should never have happened,” Price said in a campaign announcement circulated earlier in the day. “I am fighting for real solutions that stop the shootings, strengthen prevention efforts, and protect every neighborhood in this county.”

She also highlighted her personal background. “As someone who survived the juvenile justice and foster care system, I carry the truth of those experiences with me,” she said. “I have made it my life’s mission to confront youth violence and juvenile crime head on and to drive down recidivism by giving young people real paths forward instead of letting the system write them off.”

Speaking at a press conference in Hayward, Price said she did not initially plan to run again.

“I was not prepared to run,” she said. “I was not contemplating to run. And a lot has changed since then. We have seen the invasion of Alameda County by federal agents and a political establishment and a district attorney who has said nothing. We’ve also seen increasingly the slide of our democracy. We cannot continue to be silent and let it happen.”

She referenced an October protest in which Oakland pastor Jorge Bautista was hit in the face with a chemical irritant when federal agents were deployed to the region. Price cited the incident as an example of the current administration’s unwillingness to hold federal officials accountable.

Outlining her platform, Price told reporters, “I will be the district attorney who puts people first. I will go after corporate criminals and I will hold law enforcement officers accountable when they harm the residents of this county.”

She also spoke about personal trauma. “I understand the trauma and the pain that women and survivors and victims go through,” she said, before criticizing President Donald Trump, ICE, and her successor, District Attorney Ursula Jones-Dickson.

Price again blamed her recall on what she described as wealthy interests. She referenced what she called a “single billionaire and his wannabe wealthy friends” who she said funded the recall campaign. “Today, we say no, Alameda County is not for sale,” she said. “Alameda County wants real justice.”

Civil rights attorney Walter Riley stood beside Price during the announcement and condemned the recall effort as driven by wealthy elites. “The working people in this country have to not allow the political and economic elite to determine who’s in office, how much money’s being spent on campaigns, and who’s going to win,” he said.

In another appearance, Price said, “We need to show Donald Trump and his billionaire friends — whether they’re in Washington or Piedmont — that justice is not for sale in Alameda County.” She also criticized Jones-Dickson, accusing her of refusing to hold law enforcement and federal agents accountable.

Price referenced the Oct. 23 protest incident again, saying she believes the Oakland Police Department should investigate and that the district attorney should charge the involved federal agent. “I will say to ICE and any other federal agents who violate state law, ‘Eff around and find out,’” she said.

In response to these criticisms, Jones-Dickson issued a statement saying she “inherited a demoralized office and a charging backlog of more than 2,000 cases” and emphasized that Price had been recalled by a large majority of voters.

“Former District Attorney Pamela Price was recalled by 63% of Alameda County voters. She’s welcome to make the case, less than a year after that recall, that they were wrong. I trust the judgment of Alameda County voters,” Jones-Dickson said.

Critics were swift and pointed in their response to Price’s reentry into the race. PR consultant Sam Singer, speaking for the group Save Alameda For Everyone (SAFE), reiterated that Price was recalled by a strong margin. SAFE called her return bid “an insult to victims, a threat to public safety, and a delusional bid to reclaim power she abused.”

Oakland Chinatown leader Carl Chan said, “Under Pamela Price, violence exploded across every neighborhood. Our seniors were attacked, our businesses terrorized, and our community lived in fear. Since the recall, crime is finally falling. Her comeback attempt is dangerous, and we will fight it.”

Victims’ rights advocate Brenda Grisham criticized Price as well. Grisham said that Price “abandoned victims and betrayed families. We fought to recall her because people were dying while she protected violent offenders. Crime is finally going down because she’s gone. The community will never allow her back in power. My commitment has never changed, my priority has always been, and will always be, to protect the victims.”

SAFE members also highlighted past allegations that Price allowed her boyfriend to inappropriately participate in case discussions.

Price criticized Jones-Dickson for reversing several of her policies, including reviews of older death penalty cases involving allegations of racial and religious bias. “When our DA refuses to look at cases we know were infected with racism and antisemitism, she is holding hands with racists and antisemites,” Price said.

Price also condemned Jones-Dickson for dismissing criminal charges against Radius Recycling related to a 2023 industrial fire. “We cannot afford to have a DA who stands with corporate polluters,” she said.

Price’s tenure and recall remain defining issues in her campaign. She won office in 2022 on a platform focused on criminal justice reform and police accountability, but within months, opponents launched a recall citing concerns about leniency, workplace issues within the DA’s office, and her prosecutorial decision-making. Nearly 63 percent of voters supported her removal in 2024.

Her supporters maintain that she confronted systemic racism and over-incarceration and say the recall was fueled by wealthy opponents resistant to reform.

As Price attempts a political comeback, the 2026 race is poised to become one of the most watched prosecutor elections in the state, unfolding against national debates over public safety, democratic norms, and the role of progressive prosecutors.

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