Former SF DA Chesa Boudin Says He My Run For DA Post-Recall

In his first interview after being recalled earlier this month, former San Francisco District Attorney told the San Francisco Chronicle earlier this week that he won’t rule out another run for office either in November or in 2023.

Despite Boudin being in his final days as DA, with only 10 days following final vote certification by the SF Board of Supervisors, he has already said that he may run again. According to Boudin in the Chronicle interview, many Democratic groups and clubs have urged him to run for DA again either in the special election in November or, more likely, next year. Boudin, while not saying he will run with the continued support, also did not deny it either, opting for a more middle of the road statement of wanting to continue to develop solutions to crime in the coming years.

“My fear is that the person appointed with no mandate, having not gone through the traditional vetting of a normal election where they’re asked for a specific policy commitment, will not publicly reverse course, but instead quietly, slowly undermine the work that we’ve done these last 2½ years,” continued Boudin.

Opposition still strong against Boudin less than a month after the recall election

Opponents of Boudin said on Wednesday and Thursday they believe voters gave Boudin a clear message that they don’t want him in office, with the successful recall earlier this month.

“It’s a free country, but Chesa will be soundly rejected by voters again if he chooses to run for the office he was just ousted from,” said Safer SF Without Boudin Chairwoman Mary Jung. “Voters just sent a clear message that they want a new District Attorney who will chart a better and safer path forward for San Francisco.”

Bay Area political issue consultant Hannah Reed concurred in a Globe interview on Thursday, adding, “They said no. Voters will remember this. And not only that, they’ll remember the crime rise under him, how he gave criminals no or little jail time, allowed mass robberies to happen, and essentially helped nosedive the city into the ground. Former supporters voted against him.”

“If he runs again, and I believe that to be a big if, his opponent will have a field day and would just have to ask voters if they wanted to bring back the guy who didn’t want to lock up criminals despite crime being the worst it has been in the city in a good, long while. Democrats would be wiser to support a DA who brings back arrests and consequences for crimes. Putting Boudin back in would be seen as a major step back by most.”

San Francisco Mayor London Breed is due to select an interim DA in the coming weeks to fill the spot until the special election in November to fill out Boudin’s term. An election next year would then end the current term started by Boudin in 2019.