DA Becton answers recall effort, recall supporters respond
Says she “has taken bold actions to protect our communities” recall “misrepresents her record”
Recall supporters claim Becton “publicly opposed Proposition 36”; “failed to provide the justice” and for “disgraceful treatment of…families of…crime victims”
By Allen D. Payton
Although she had seven days to respond to being served with recall papers on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2025, just four days later, on March 21, 2025, Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton provided her answer to the effort against her
She signed the letter written in third person which reads:
“The recall against DA Becton is an effort to undermine the will of the people of Contra Costa County. In 2018 and 2022, the voters decisively chose DA Becton because they agreed with and trust her steadfast dedication to public safety, fairness, and justice for all.
DA Becton has taken bold actions to protect our communities – aggressively prosecuting violent offenders, addressing organized retail theft, human trafficking, hate crimes, and eliminating backlogs of untested sexual assault kits. Becton expanded victim support services and pioneered proactive crime prevention programs, to reduce crime before it happens. This recall is not about safety – it’s a politically motivated attack that misrepresents her record and undermines the will of Contra Costa voters. DA Becton’s approach balances accountability with smart, evidence-based policies that reduce crime and keep our neighborhoods safe. DA Becton remains committed to justice, transparency, and creating communities where all residents can thrive. We urge you to reject the recall and stand with DA Becton in continuing to build a safer, more just Contra Costa County. NO on the recall. Let’s move forward together.
Diana Becton
—————-
Although not a required step in the process, in response to Becton’s answer, recall supporters sent the following letter to her, today, signed by Gwyn Gabe, the father of Alexis Gabe, the young Oakley woman who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2022:
April 15, 2025
Dear District Attorney Diana Becton,
This letter serves as our response to your Answer to our Notice of Intent to Recall you from office.
Your claim that the Recall is a politically motivated attack against you is false. I am a democrat, just as you are, and I even voted for you when you ran for District Attorney in 2017. I believed that you would excel as the District Attorney of Contra Costa County, but you have proven that not to be true. The recall effort against you is not about your political affiliation; it is solely focused on your abysmal performance in office. Your failure to enforce our laws has increased crime and endangered our community.
You publicly opposed Proposition 36 which created felony accountability for drug and theft offenses, proving your troubling alignment with criminal interests. Proposition 36 was passed in Contra Costa County by an overwhelming majority of the voters. Clearly, your policies which encouraged crime are not in line with the will of the voters in Contra Costa County. Additionally, your lack of transparency concerning crime rates in our county and your efforts to keep criminals out of jail to commit more crimes have left many residents disillusioned. We stand with crime victims who have been victimized during your administration, who are frustrated with the lack of accountability for criminals, and who are hopeless in their quest for justice. And we stand with the business owners who face rampant on-going thefts and burglaries from repeat offenders while you ignore the issue.
Your disgraceful treatment of my family, and the families of other crime victims, violated our constitutional Marsy’s Law Rights and failed to provide the justice we rightfully deserve. However, our decision to pursue this recall is not driven by a desire for revenge. Our only goal is to ensure that you are removed from office and prevented from continuing to deny justice to other families in the future. We deserve a District Attorney who shows compassion for victims while holding criminals accountable for their actions. We stand united to ensure that your time in office comes to an end.
Sincerely,
Gwyn Gabe
(Father of Alexis Gabe)
Organizer & Proponent for the Recall of District Attorney Diana Becton
Process
According to the California Secretary of State’s Procedures for Recalling State and Local Officials, the next step in the recall process for local officials requires the proponents to prepare the recall petition for circulation.
Recall organizers said, “we expect to learn this week whether our second submission of the Petition to Recall has been approved, allowing us to begin collecting signatures.”
Once the petition is approved, the organizers will then have 160 days to gather about 730,000 signatures of registered voters in the county. (See related article)
the attachments to this post:
DBecton & Recall organizers
