By Ann G. Daniels
In June 2022 there will be four under-the-radar but extremely important races, for District Attorney and Sheriff in both Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Here are just a few reasons why these races are crucial for you to learn about, vote on, and tell your friends and neighbors about:
- District Attorney:
- As the California State Association of Counties says, “The District Attorney is responsible for the prosecution of criminal violations of state law and county ordinances occurring within a county.” According to the Vera Institute, “In most circumstances, prosecutors enjoy broad discretion and affect the trajectory and outcome of criminal cases more than other actors in the justice system do.” In other words – Who gets prosecuted, and for what, can to a great extent depend on the DA. That sounds like high stakes in justice to us.
- Being a DA can be a stepping-stone to higher – sometimes much higher – political office. Like, for instance, Vice President of the United States.
- Sheriff:
- According to the California State Association of Counties, “The Sheriff has three primary duties: keep the peace (e.g., make arrests, respond to calls); attend the courts (e.g., superior court bailiffs); and operate the county jail. It’s pretty easy to see how at least the first and third of these can have a huge impact on the fair and equitable administration of justice.
- In fact, as we discuss below, in both Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, there have been major issues with the Sheriffs not administering justice fairly.
Read on to find out how you can get more info about these very important upcoming races!
Alameda County:
Alameda County District Attorney Race:
Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley has announced she will not run for re-election and, in a break with tradition, that she will not choose her successor – according to The Oaklandside, “the last time the seat was contested without an incumbent was in 1938”! The candidates for Alameda County District Attorney are Pamela Price, Seth Steward, Terry Wiley, and Jimmie Wilson. Click on a candidate’s name to see their website (will open in a separate tab or window).
Upcoming Candidate Forums:
- Urban Peace Movement/Justice Reinvestment Coalition Forum, Wednesday, March 23, 6 PM, register here
- AAUW Forum, Thursday, March 31, 6:30-8:30 PM, Info here, register here
Past Forums and interviews:
- Livermore Indivisible Forum on November 14, 2021: Watch forum here, News coverage here
- BWOPA DA Forum on January 12, 2022, Coverage here
- Tri-Valley Democratic Club forum on February 21, 2022, Coverage here
- Love Thy Lawyer Podcast: Interviews with Pamela Price (interview, transcript), Terry Wiley (interview, transcript), and Jimmie Wilson (interview, transcript)
- Charles Houston Bar Association interviews with Seth Steward and Terry Wiley, main channel link for other interviews
Alameda County Sheriff Race:
The candidates for Alameda County Sheriff are Gregory Ahern (incumbent), Yesenia Sanchez, and JoAnn Walker. Click on a candidate’s name to see their website (will open in a separate tab or window).
Indivisible East Bay has in the past noted civil rights organizations’ complaints against Sheriff Ahern, and we again note our concerns here.
Upcoming Candidate Forums:
As of this writing, we don’t know of any upcoming candidate forums. We’ll update this article if we learn of any.
Past Forums and interviews:
- Livermore Indivisible Forum (co-sponsored by IEB) on Sunday, January 9, 2022. Watch forum here, IEB newsletter recap here, news coverage here
- BWOPA Sheriff Forum on Thursday, February 10, 2022.
Contra Costa County:
Contra Costa County District Attorney Race:
The candidates for Contra Costa District Attorney are Diana Becton (incumbent) and Mary Knox. Click on a candidate’s name to see their website (will open in a separate tab or window).
IEB endorsed Diana Becton in 2018. IEB has not yet made an endorsement in this race as of this writing.
Upcoming Candidate Forums:
As of this writing, we don’t know of any upcoming candidate forums. We’ll update this article if we learn of any.
Past Forums and interviews:
Contra Costa County Sheriff Race:
The candidates for Contra Costa County Sheriff are David Livingston (incumbent) and Ben Therriault, Click on a candidate’s name to see their website (will open in a separate tab or window).
IEB has in the past urged a vote of “no confidence” and other actions against Sheriff Livingston when he has run unopposed because of what we deemed his “shameful history.”
Upcoming Candidate Forums:
As of this writing, we don’t know of any upcoming candidate forums. We’ll update this article if we learn of any.
Past Forums and interviews:
- Interview with Ben Therriault here
Ann G. Daniels has enjoyed a checkered background: attorney, reproductive rights advocate, web content creator, literacy teacher, craftsperson, perpetual nerd, occasional rabble-rouser.
