Organizers can begin gathering signatures

By Allen D. Payton

The organizers for the effort to recall Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton announced on Friday the Contra Costa Elections office approved their petition. They can now begin gathering signatures following a press conference this Saturday, April 26.

“We are pleased to announce that our recall petition has received approval today, Friday, April 18, 2025. As stated in the email with the official letter we received, we need a total of 72,556 valid signatures. The reviewing body has 60 business days from the filing date to assess the petition and verify that the necessary number of voters have signed it. All completed petitions must be submitted by 5:00 PM on Thursday, September 25, 2025, which is 160 days from the notice date.

“If the petition meets the required standards, the elections official will certify the results to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors upon completing the review. The Board of Supervisors is required to order an election within 14 days following their meeting. Should the Board fail to issue this order within the specified timeframe, the Registrar of Voters will set the election date within 5 days.

“The election will take place no sooner than 88 days and no later than 125 days after the order is issued. However, it may also occur within 180 days of the order if it can be coordinated with a regularly scheduled election.

“The recall organizers have decided to hold a press conference and the first day of signing on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 5 PM. This event will take place at Alexis Gabe’s memorial bench located at 3231 Main St., Oakley, CA, just outside city hall. They believe it is important to celebrate this momentous occasion with the many supporters who have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to sign the petition.

“Please confirm your attendance. For any questions or further information, feel free to contact us via email at recalldianabecton@gmail.com or info@recalldianabecton.org. We look forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely,

The Recall District Attorney Diana Becton Team”

(See related articles here and here)

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

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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)