21 Apr Effort to Remove District Attorney Moves Ahead

Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton speaks at a press conference in Martinez on Oct. 28, 2022. (Ray Saint Germain / Bay City News)

By Bay City News

Backers of a campaign to remove Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said their recall petition has been approved by election officials, clearing the way for them to begin gathering signatures.

“We need a total of 72,556 valid signatures,” according to an email from the group, made up of relatives of crime victims who accuse Becton of not pursuing justice in their cases.

The group called Recall District Attorney Diana Becton said it plans to begin its signature drive on April 26 in Oakley at a memorial bench for Alexis Gabe, who was allegedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2022.

In its petition to initiate a recall, the group said Becton’s office lacked transparency, made empty promises to families of victims, and that it was concerned about what it called a “persistent cycle of unaddressed criminal activity.”

Becton, who won election in 2018 and 2022, has slammed the recall as “a politically motivated attack that misrepresents her record and undermines the will of Contra Costa County voters.”

To qualify the recall for the ballot, signatures must be submitted by Sept. 25. After signatures are verified, the Board of Supervisors has 14 days to call the special election.

A vote must be held between 88 and 125 days from the supervisors’ approval. The county elections office has said that would likely mean a special election in March 2026, if it qualifies for the ballot.

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