Today is the signature deadline for the first Recall Chesa campaign, and they reportedly fell 1,700 signatures short of the number they needed.
The Recall-mania movement targeting Governor Gavin Newsom, SF District Attorney Chesa Boudin, and the San Francisco school board just failed it’s first big test. Today is the deadline for the first Recall Chesa Boudin effort (and there are two) to submit its signatures. And according to the San Francisco Examiner's Michael Barba, that effort fell short of the 51,000 signatures needed. It’s reportedly not even 2,000 signatures short, but it is shy of the mark nonetheless.
Per its leader Richie Greenberg, the first effort to recall DA Chesa Boudin missed the mark by 1,714 signatures. They needed 51,000+. “I’m pissed as hell but proud of our recall team, they are amazing people,” he says
— Michael Barba (@mdbarba) August 11, 2021
“I’m pissed as hell but proud of our recall team, they are amazing people,” this campaign’s leader Richie Greenberg rold the Chronicle. Of the two dueling campaigns to recall Boudin, this one was considered the “Republican” version given Greenberg’s past run for mayor as a Republican. It also raised about $277,000 according to the latest filings at the SF Ethic Department, so that’s a fairly large amount of tech wealth that just went down the drain.
The organizer said several other, would-be supporters declined to add their signature because they already signed onto the opposing recall’s campaign and didn’t understand they could sign both. https://t.co/KAE1lQsDuB
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) August 11, 2021
It was not unexpected that this effort would fall short. Greenberg gave the Chronicle an interview Tuesday, and said, “The ability for us to get the cushion above 51,000 has dwindled,” and “Our confidence level has dropped a bit.”
This woman cut down our recall team banners just now and stole them . Who is this thief ??? She cut down the banners with scissors and didn’t think we were near . I caught her as she took off with committee property . Who is this thief ?? pic.twitter.com/am0FP7MJUA
— Richie Greenberg (@richieSF2016) August 10, 2021
He blamed the failure on a large number of fake signatures, and confusion around there being two different campaigns. In a curious side note, Greenberg had to cut his Chronicle interview short over someone allegedly stealing a banner, video of which is seen above.
The other Recall Chesa Bousin is in much better shape financially, and in terms of signatures. Their latest SF Ethics filings show a larger $715,000 war chest, plus an affiliated group working with them that’s raised nearly $225,000. That campaign claims to have more than 50,000 signatures already, and has until October 25 to continue gathering.
There is enough money lined up against Boudin that some eventual recall election seems likely. But he now has a handy talking point to claim the recall is not generally popular among San Franciscans, and frankly, he's got two months of far fewer political headaches until the late October deadline hits.
Related: Recall Chesa Boudin Campaign Tried to Advertise on Nextdoor, Ads Were Quickly Removed
Image: SF District Attorney’s Office
