Former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Budin — the progressive prosecutor who was ousted by voters in June — said Thursday that he will not run in this year’s special election.
Budden explained his choice not to run for re-election in a Twitter thread, saying he was putting “family first.”
“In recent weeks, I have spoken with family, friends and everyday San Franciscans about how we can best continue to make our criminal justice system fairer and more effective. I have dedicated my public life to this effort because it makes our communities stronger and safer,” he wrote.
“I also took stock of the burden of more than three years of almost nonstop campaigning placed on my family,” Budden said, adding, “I am committed to criminal justice reform; I am also devoted to my family.”
2022 District Attorney Special Election THREAD
— Chesa Boudin 博徹思 (@chesaboudin) August 4, 2022
Fed-up San Francisco voters recalled the progressive prosecutor in the June 7 election because of what many said were Budden’s soft-on-crime policies that contributed to the city’s spike in crime, open-air drug dealing and robberies.
London Mayor Breed appointed Brooke Jenkins as the new prosecutor in July.
During a news conference Wednesday, Jenkins announced a new office policy that would drop open cases on drug charges and promise to hold dealers accountable.
Chesa Budden waves at cars as he campaigns in San Francisco ahead of his ouster in June. AP Boudin looks troubled during election night on June 7. Getty Images
“We cannot stand by while these neighborhoods continue to suffer from the violence and drug dealing that happens openly on their streets, and we also cannot continue to stand by while people continue to die on our streets,” said Jenkins. “We must make changes now to save lives.”
Budin told the San Francisco Chronicle last month that he was still considering a run for attorney general.
But Budden said on Thursday that focusing on his family would come first, including caring for his elderly father, who “just came home from prison after more than 40 years.”
As district attorney, Budden came under fire for his soft-on-crime policies amid the city’s rising crime rate. Getty Images
His father, David, who was paroled last year, was part of the left-wing Weather Underground group. David Budin and his wife, Cathy, served prison time for a botched robbery in 1981 in New York City that killed two police officers and a Brinks truck guard.
Budden’s mother died of cancer in May.
The embattled prosecutor stood by his policies, including his offending work, which “offered a second chance to those who caused harm and supported victims,” according to his tweet.
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