A group seeking to remove Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton has submitted to county election officials their petition to recall her and are waiting to find out if it’s approved.
In a statement on its web site, the “Recall Diana Becton” group said it was still waiting from officials to determine if a subsequent petition that follows the Notice of Intent is approved or needs to be modified. They submitted the Notice of Intent to election officials and gave Becton a copy on March 18th. That notice had the required 100 signatures to advance the process to the petition stage.
Once they receive approval for the petition, the group has 160 days to gather about 72,000 signatures — or 10% of the county’s population of registered voters — for the initiative to reach the ballot and an election to be held.
Becton’s reply to the Notice of Intent is part of the process, and District Attorney’s Office officials said it will stand as her public statement..
“The recall against DA Becton is an effort to undermine the will of the people of Contra Costa County,” Becton’s statement read. “In 2018 and 2022, the voters chose decisively chose DA Becton, because they agree with and trust her steadfast dedication to public safety, fairness and justice for all.”
The group leading the recall effort does not agree, saying that they have become “increasingly concerned about the persistent cycle of unaddressed criminal activity. We are frustrated by her continuous empty promises to victims and their families that justice will prevail while she permits criminals to roam free.”
They say they have lost faith in her.
In her response, Becton wrote that she “has taken bold actions to protect our communities — aggressively prosecuting violent offenders, addressing organized retail theft, human trafficking, hate crimes and eliminating backlogs of untested sexual assault kits. Becton expanded victim support services and pioneered proactive crime prevention programs to reduce crime before it happens.”
The reply by Becton also calls the effort a “politically motivated attack that misrepresents her record and undermines the will of Contra Costa voters.” She urged voters to reject the recall.
The group on its website listed 10 people as the top 10 proponents of the campaign, a list that included the families of Alexis Gabe, Damond Lazenby Jr., and Thomas Arellano, three notable homicide victims.
Becton is the not the first Bay Area District Attorney to face a recall possibility. Voters removed Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price during a recall election in November. San Francisco voters in 2022 recalled District Attorney Chesa Boudin.