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)

Organizers hope Diana Becton’s luck has run out; have 160 days to gather signatures of 73,000 voters; election may not happen until next March

By Allen D. Payton

With less than two years left in her term and over a year after posting about their effort on social media, organizers announced on Monday, March 17, 2025, Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton was served with recall papers. They cite a “persistent cycle of unaddressed criminal activity” and “empty promises to victims and their families.”

In an announcement on their website on Tuesday, organizers wrote, “District Attorney Diana Becton has been served with the Notice of Intent to recall her from office on March 17, 2025. This recall notice was delivered in person, as shown in a video recording, while she was entering the back entrance of the DA’s office. Furthermore, the notice of intention was filed with the Contra Costa County Elections office today. Out of the 121 signatures collected, 103 were validated, exceeding the recall group’s requirement of 100 valid signatures for the initiative to proceed. Diana Becton now has seven days to respond to the Notice of Intention.

The petition declares, ‘We, the victims of crime, their families, local business owners and employees, as well as residents of Contra Costa County, have reached our limit and are initiating the recall of District Attorney Diana Becton. We are increasingly concerned about the persistent cycle of unaddressed criminal activity. We are frustrated by her continuous empty promises to victims and their families that justice will prevail while she permits criminals to roam free. Her lack of transparency regarding crime in this county and her attempts to keep offenders out of jail have left us disheartened. We stand for the residents of Contra Costa County because everyone deserves to live in a safe environment. We advocate for all crime victims who feel ignored, exasperated, and hopeless in their pursuit of justice for themselves or their loved ones. We support the business owners who endure constant thefts and burglaries from repeat offenders while Becton turns a blind eye. District Attorney Diana Becton is compromising the safety of our community and failing to address the needs of victims. We are committed to restoring justice, starting with the urgent recall of District Attorney Diana Becton.’

The organizers of the recall will be arranging a press conference soon. For any questions or inquiries, please reach out via email to recalldianabecton@gmail.com or info@recalldianabecton.org.”

The brief video on the website shows Becton being served with the recall papers as she walked into a building.

In addition, the website reveals a photo and list of the 10 recall organizers as promised to the Herald in an email dated Sept. 6, 2024, as well as the victims they represent. They include:
Top Row
1. Zelma Johnson – Grandmother of Damond Lazenby Jr.
2. Stephen Arellano – Father of Thomas Arellano
3. Gwyn Gabe – Father of Alexis Gabe
4. Kelly Melton – Aunt of Allie Sweitzer
5. Monte’ Corley – Brother of Stacy Dewayne Corley Jr.
6. Emileigh Faulkner – Cousin of Allie Sweitzer
Bottom Row
7. Carol Ann Sherman – Granddaughter of Carmen Vasquez
8. Erica Esperanza Cano – Ex-Wife of Anthony Hernandez
9. Jessica Frances Gabe Zuasola – Cousin of Alexis Gabe
10. Christopher Rodriguez – Stepfather of Allie Sweitzer

According to a December 2024 report by Richmondside, “Contra Costa County’s Registrar of Voters told Richmondside there are about 729,500 registered voters in the county, so the recall team will need to gather, at minimum, about 73,000 signatures,” or 10 percent as required in local jurisdictions with 100,000 or more registered voters.

According to the California Secretary of State’s Procedures for Recalling State and Local Officials, the organizers will have 160 days to accomplish that requirement.

In addition, the procedures require, “If there are more than 500 signatures to verify, the elections department has 60 days to determine if there are enough valid signatures, and the elections department can use random sampling techniques. However, if the elections department determines that a 60-day window “could cause the recall election to be ineligible for consolidation with the next regularly scheduled election,” the process must be finished in 30 days instead of 60.

“The relevant governing body (Board of Supervisors) must call for an election within 14 days after the meeting at which the certificate of sufficiency for the recall petition was presented. If the governing body fails to issue the order within 14 days, the county elections official, within 5 days, shall set the date for holding the election.

“The election shall be held not less than 88 nor more than 125 days after the issuance of the order. However, the election may be conducted within 180 days after the issuance of the order so that the election may be consolidated with a regularly scheduled election.” The latest the recall election could occur is next March.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this report claimed Becton was up for re-election in 2026. However, a state law passed in 2022, AB-759 aligns elections for county district attorneys and sheriffs with the presidential election, and all those who were elected that year had their terms extended by two years until 2028.

Due to new state laws passed by the legislature and signed by Newsom in 2022, local recalls no longer include a simultaneous replacement election. Instead, should Becton be recalled, then her position will remain vacant until the Board of Supervisors appoints her replacement or holds another election. If appointed or elected, that person would fill the remainder of Becton’s term until December 2028.