Willie Brown Thinks DA Chesa Boudin Should Run Again. And He’d Win

Date:

San Francisco’s political oddsmakers began taking figurative bets Tuesday on who will become the city’s next district attorney, as the Board of Supervisors certified recent election results and started the clock on Mayor London Breed’s window to appoint a successor to Chesa Boudin.

More than $7 million was spent to recall Boudin from office in the June 7 recall election, and much of that money came from the region’s wealthy investor class. The final vote tally showed 55% of voters supporting Boudin’s removal, which was closer than some expected. Mayor Breed must now wait at least 10 days from Tuesday to officially make an appointment, a window of time required by the City Charter.

A composite photo of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin (left) on Monday, June 6, 2022, and San Francisco Mayor London Breed at City Hall in San Francisco on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022. | Camille Cohen/The Standard ; Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images

But at least one of the mayor’s advisors and predecessors in office thinks Boudin—who told the Chronicle he might run again in November or next year—would have an excellent chance to win his job back.

“I think Chesa runs in November,” former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown told The Standard. “Of course, why wouldn’t he? … He got 45% of the (recall) vote. I would run if I’m Chesa. I know that was not a true measurement of my electability in this recall. ‘I was literally running against myself.’ Nobody else on the ballot, period.”

It’s unclear who Breed will appoint, but sources told The Standard earlier this month that she started taking meetings about a potential appointment weeks before the election. Sean Elsbernd, the mayor’s chief of staff, has met with every potential candidate, a list that includes Supervisor Catherine Stefani and Alameda County prosecutor Nancy Tung. Several other judges and attorneys in the city also have been floated as candidates.

Brown said he is “adamantly opposed” to recall elections, but he stayed out of the effort to oust Boudin because “people had some legitimate reasons,” which included the DA’s handling hate crime cases involving Asian Americans. Attacks and incidents of discimrination against the city’s AAPI community have skyrocketed during the pandemic.

The anxiety and anger that built up during the pandemic eventually led to Proposition H, a ballot measure to recall Boudin that was in many ways funded by the Bay Area’s investor class.

“Any time you’re on the ballot by yourself, I guarantee you, you’re not going to win,” Brown said.

Despite a relatively sizable coalition of people who came together to recall Boudin, Brown suggested the reformer could have an opportunity to reclaim the job if he runs again in the fall.

“Chesa is better known than anyone (Breed) could appoint,” Brown said. “Chesa is better informed on criminal justice matters than anyone she could appoint. He has already incurred the wrath, in particular, of the Asian community.”

A major reason for the former mayor’s confidence in Boudin’s re-electability, however, comes down to the city’s ranked-choice voting system. Boudin took office in early 2020 after receiving just 36% of the vote, and his profile in the city—for better or worse—has grown substantially larger since his first campaign in 2019.

Brown said voters “absolutely” got it right on the recall, but with “this stupid ranked-choice concept that we have in this town, you’re always going to get some oddball winning.”

He pointed to Malia Cohen’s ranked-choice victory for supervisor in 2010 as a prime example of not having a mandate. Cohen had less than 15% of the votes going into the 14th round of results in a crowded contest.

The pressure will now fall on Breed to make sure she gets the appointment right, especially with an agitated base of voters who have now recalled Boudin in June and three school board members in February.

“They have knocked off the school board, they have knocked off the DA’s office, there is now only one major (office) left,” Brown said. “And they won’t go after (Breed) now, on a recall, but in 18 months she’s on the ballot for re-election. So, we’ve really got our work cut out for us.”

The post Willie Brown Thinks DA Chesa Boudin Should Run Again. And He’d Win appeared first on The Paloalto Digest.

Subscribe

Popular

More like this
Related

Payday Lending at a Crossroads: Balancing Access to Credit with Consumer Protection

Payday lending, a quick fix for cash-strapped individuals, has...

FTC Tightens Rules on Influencers, Endorsements, and Consumer Reviews

In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) introduced significant...

Regulators Tighten Scrutiny on Advertising Targeted at Children and Teens

Advertising aimed at children and teens is facing increasing...

Crypto Wallet for Business: How BitHide Helps Companies Safely Manage Cryptocurrencies

When choosing a crypto wallet for business, entrepreneurs have several key requirements: «I need to control my assets»,  «I want to minimize the risk of funds being blocked», «I need the ability to make mass payouts and automatic withdrawals», and «It’s crucial that my transactions aren’t tracked by competitors or hackers».   Each of these needs reflects a pain point. The BitHide team has developed effective solutions to meet these demands, ensuring high-quality crypto processing for businesses.  BitHide: A Secure Crypto Wallet for Companies  You can’t focus on growing your business if you aren’t confident in the safety of your cryptocurrency assets. With BitHide, these security concerns are addressed through several innovative features.  Mnemonic Phrase for Users  Business owners who choose BitHide to manage their financial flows remain in full control of their crypto assets. Upon first login, users receive a seed phrase, ensuring access to funds even if the server is physically destroyed.  Non-Custodial Product  BitHide’s software is installed on the client’s own server, ensuring that no third parties can interfere with the company’s finances.  IP Address Masking  Cryptocurrencies are not as anonymous as many believe. Hackers and corporations can set up nodes worldwide to capture users’ IP addresses during transactions. For companies, having their wallet’s real IP address exposed can lead to serious risks.  BitHide’s Dark Wing technology, combining VPN and Tor, ensures that the IP address is changed multiple times, making it nearly impossible to trace. This ensures that managing a crypto wallet with BitHide is both secure and private.  Database Encryption  In addition to the seed phrase, each BitHide client receives a unique 512-bit key upon first login. This key is used for both login and encrypting the transaction history.  Optional KYC Checks  BitHide is software, not a service, meaning clients can decide whether their users need to undergo KYC checks.  Built-In Risk Assessment for Crypto Assets  One of the essential features when choosing a crypto wallet for business is the ability to assess the risk levels of cryptocurrencies directly within the wallet.  BitHide allows clients to evaluate both internal and external addresses manually or automatically. This helps businesses avoid mixing high- and low-risk assets, significantly reducing the likelihood of funds being blocked.  Crypto Wallet Management with BitHide: Intuitive and Easy  Security is critical when selecting a tool for crypto processing in business, but ease of use is equally important. BitHide offers an extensive range of features, making crypto management as straightforward as handling fiat currency.  Unlimited Sub-Wallets and Addresses  When managing multiple revenue streams, having the ability to create unlimited sub-wallets and addresses is a necessity. It ensures clear, transparent financial flows, and the option to add comments to transactions or addresses simplifies auditing and report generation.  Collaborative Access  BitHide allows businesses to assign roles to multiple employees, ensuring that everyone has the appropriate level of access to the wallet.  Report Generation and Exporting  Every business needs balance reports and transaction tracking. With BitHide, you can generate and export reports in Excel or CSV formats. The tool also allows for the assignment of payment purposes and captures crypto exchange rates at the time of deposit.  Automated Withdrawals and Mass Payouts Clients can set up one-time or recurring automatic withdrawals to one or multiple addresses.   BitHide also has the mass payout functionality, allowing you to send funds to more than 10-20 addresses.  Competent and Fast Technical Support  Our professional tech support personnel address any of your issues or concerns within five minutes; rest assured that your questions or concerns will be resolved in no time.   Why BitHide is the Ideal Choice for Businesses  BitHide meets all the essential requirements when choosing a crypto wallet for business. It ensures security, privacy, and ease of use, offering all the tools you need to manage your cryptocurrency financial flows effectively. With BitHide, you can focus on growing your business without the headache of dealing with inefficient tools that weren’t designed for companis.