Vote NO on H to reject the recall of DA Chesa Boudin: Keep San Francisco on the right track

Proposition H asks voters whether or not they want to recall San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who was elected November 2019 and has served in this office since January 2020. His current term ends 2024. 

If a majority of voters chooses to recall DA Boudin, Mayor London Breed will appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of his original term. Voters will vote for District Attorney again in November 2023. 

Why voting NO on Prop H matters:

• During his time in office, DA Boudin has successfully created a Post-Conviction Unit to review innocence claims, eliminated cash bail for criminal cases, and has moved to file charges in three cases of police use of force. He has successfully used a grand jury to clear a significant case backlog in an effort to reduce the jail population during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• In response to local crime, DA Boudin has launched a now state-wide prosecution effort against the manufacturers of untraceable “ghost guns,” often used in the commission of crimes. He has also initiated a partnership with ALTO, a loss prevention organization and coordinates action between retailers, police, and prosecutors, to address retail theft in San Francisco. 
• As DA Boudin implements the method of criminal diversion that he touted during his campaign against more tough-on-crime opponents, crime statistics in the city have not spiked. Violent crime is low, and has remained low throughout his time in office, and property crime is as high as it was prior to his election. Recalling DA Boudin without giving him a full term to implement his vision of a rehabilitative approach to criminal justice would cut short an important experiment that could ultimately reduce crime rates for San Franciscans in the long term. 
• DA Boudin was elected in November 2019 with 51% of the vote in a rank-choiced election. Republicans have been trying to remove Boudin from office since March 2021. This initial recall effort failed to garner enough signatures, but was followed by this current effort that qualified for the ballot in October 2021.

Top Funders in Support

The effort is primarily funded by Neighbors for a Better San Francisco Advocacy and San Francisco Common Sense Voter Guide. Neighbors for a Better San Francisco Advocacy has received substantial support from GOP donor William Obendorf, who has spent more than $1 million on Senate Republicans, is an outspoken advocate of charter schools, and is allied with Betsy DeVos. San Francisco Common Sense Voter Guide is run by lobbyists for the Board of Realtors. 

Recall proponents have also received donations from early investors in DoorDash, against which DA Boudin is currently taking legal action for the misclassification of employees as independent contractors. The DA’s office argues that the misclassification has blocked workers from receiving the workplace protections that they are entitled to under California law. The committee San Franciscans for Public Safety Supporting the Recall of Chesa Boudin has received donations from Gustaf Alstromer, Kanu Gulati, and Brook Byers, all of whom are investors in the delivery app. 

Proposition H has been formally endorsed by Eastern Neighborhoods Democratic Club, United Democratic Club, Grow SF, and San Francisco MarinaTimes. 

Top Funders in Opposition

San Franciscans Against the Recall of Chesa Boudin, the committee in support of the district attorney, has received $343,000 from the Real Justice PAC, which works to elect reform-minded prosecutors. The committee has also received significant donations from Smart Justice California Action Fund, which identifies its mission as statewide criminal-justice reform through progressive prosecutorial leadership. Smart Justice is comprised of four donors with a history of various philanthropic efforts to reform criminal justice across the state. Other donors include ACLU of Northern California and Dignity California SEIU Local 2015.

In total, the campaign to retain Chesa Boudin has raised over $2.2 million and is not funded by fossil fuel, police, real estate, or corporate PAC money. 

Propositions H has been formally opposed by the San Francisco Democratic Party, San Francisco Chronicle, ACLU of Northern California, San Francisco Rising Action Fund, Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, Sunrise Bay Area, Chinese Progressive Association Action Fund, UNITE HERE! Local 2, several SEIU locals, and many local unions and community groups. Dr. Angela Davis, Patrisse Cullors, Eddy Zheng, Assemblymember Phil Ting, Assemblymember Matt Haney, Supervisor Hilary Ronen, Supervisor Connie Chan, San Francisco Democratic Party Chair Honey Mahogany, and many retired judges, former police commissioners, and former San Francisco supervisors have also come out against Proposition H.

Misinformation about Prop H:

• Chesa Boudin’s reforms are NOT responsible for the recent rise in crime in San Francisco. Research has shown that the uptick in crime during the pandemic has demonstrable ties to a widening economic gap in the city, greater job insecurity, and a more fractured social safety net. These disparities have affected the instances of crime more heavily than any individual policy decisions. 
• Boudin IS prosecuting crime at the same rate as his predecessor. A midyear evaluation showed that Boudin had filed charges at a higher rate than former SF Attorney General George Gascon, including for sexual assault and narcotics crimes.
• Boudin’s restorative approach to criminal justice is NOT to blame for crime waves. Statistics show that increases in crime around the country are tied to economic instability, social inequality, and a lack of resources across communities. Mega-donors, many of whom are associated with tech and sharing economy companies that have corrupt employment practices, are contributing to this narrative to reject the will of the voters in favor of their own self-interest.

Link to Campaign Website: https://www.chesaboudin.com/

Link to Endorsements Page: https://www.chesaboudin.com/supporters

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