Bid to recall San Francisco DA could be bellwether for progressive prosecutors

Chesa Boudin says effort to oust him, backed by wealthy donors, is part of Republican-led playbook'

Chesa Boudin, San Francisco's chief prosecutor, elected on an agenda of tackling mass incarceration, is facing a recall election that could have ramifications for criminal justice reform efforts across the US.

A former public defender and the son of two leftist Weather Underground radicals who spent decades in prison, Boudin pledged to undo the harms of racism in the system, hold police accountable for misconduct and end the criminalization of poverty. After his election in November 2019, he became one of the most prominent leaders in a growing movement to elect progressive prosecutors.