San Francisco District Attorney Recall Election: Overview and Live Results

Coinciding with Tuesday's California statewide primary, voters in San Francisco will decide on Proposition H. If it passes, District Attorney Chesa Boudin will be recalled.

Boudin, elected in 2019, is part of the 'progressive prosecutor movement'. According to the Wall Street Journal, "Progressive prosecutors have pursued such goals as sending nonviolent drug offenders to treatment instead of jail, sparing juveniles from being prosecuted as adults and spending resources looking at old cases to free wrongfully convicted people from prison."

The effort to remove Boudin grew out of his handling of specific cases, as well as the perception that crime was spiraling out of control. Last fall, recall advocates amassed enough signatures to have the question added to Tuesday's ballot.

The election has divided Democrats in this famously liberal city. However, polling has indicated that Boudin has an uphill fight to keep his job. The most recent survey, from Change Research, showed 56% of voters supported the recall, while 32% were planning to vote against it.

Live results are expected after the polls close at 11:00 PM Eastern Time. Boudin is recalled if 'Yes' is declared the winner. 

If the recall is successful, Mayor London Breed will appoint an interim District Attorney to complete Boudin's term. Who is willing to accept the role may depend on the outcome of another item on the San Francisco ballot, Proposition C. 

Proposition C is designed to limit the number of recall efforts. One of its provisions is that anyone accepting an interim appointment is ineligible to run for a full term in that position. Therefore, anyone considering a 2023 run for District Attorney would likely take themselves out of consideration for what will effectively be a caretaker role.