California DA Pamela Price recalled over 'progressive leftist' crime policies

Alameda County, California, District Attorney Pamela Price was recalled early Wednesday, less than two years after taking office, following backlash for her alleged soft-on-crime approach.

"It's been a long, hard 18 months, and we're hoping to see it turn around for all of the victims," Brenda Grisham, principal officer for SAFE, told Fox News Digital. "And we're not just talking about laws that are out there, but she came into office and implemented her own laws, and they were just not conducive and safe for the citizens of Alameda County."

"They spoke their mind yesterday, and I'm so excited," Grisham said. 

"We are thankful to the voters of Oakland for recalling Sheng Thao and to Alameda County for recalling Pamela Price," Oakland Police Officers Association President Huy Nguyen said in a statement. "Voters recognized their progressive leftist policies directly harmed and impacted residents, neighborhoods, working and middle class families, and small businesses."

The group filed the necessary paperwork to begin fundraising for the effort in July 2023. The recall effort had acquired nearly 75,000 validated signatures by May of this year, according to the New York Post. 

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors set a recall election date of Nov. 5 in May. 

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao was also ousted from office after her recall effort passed with 65% of the vote.

Several Alameda County families had spoken out against Price in the months leading up to her recall vote. 

"There are still so many more ballots to be counted, and in areas that I know we did well in getting our message out," Price said in a statement released. "The Registrar of Voters estimates that it still has hundreds of thousands of ballots to count. The next update will be issued later this week. I am optimistic that when all the votes are counted, we will be able to continue the hard work of transforming our criminal justice system."

California Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell also came out in support of the recall vote, holding a press conference in October where he argued Price had failed victims of violent crime, according to KTVU. 

"The cops catch, and Price releases," Swalwell said. 

Swalwell also reportedly filed a defamatory claim against Price this week, claiming Price had made defamatory statements at a news conference a few weeks prior wherein she said that Swalwell wanted to recall her to "shield himself from unethical practices" that occurred while he was serving as a deputy district attorney, according to KTVU. 

"Pamela Price leaves me no choice but to file this claim against her for her deliberate and untrue statements," Swalwell said in a statement to the outlet. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Swalwell's office for additional comment. 

Fox News Digital's Bailee Hill contributed to this report.