Asian American voters appear to be driving the support for an upcoming recall of progressive San Francisco district attorney Chesa Boudin, who has been accused of emboldening criminals in the city by relaxing law enforcement and sentencing.
The initiative to put Boudin’s job on the ballot was most popular with Asian voters among all racial groups, according to the San Francisco Standard Voter Poll released Wednesday.
The poll found that 67 percent of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters support the recall, in comparison to 52 percent of Hispanic voters, 51 percent of white voters, and 34 percent of Black voters.
The general consensus of respondents, including 1,048 San Francisco registered voters, was in favor of the recall, with 57 percent backing it, 22 percent opposing it, and 21 percent saying they were undecided.
Leanna Louie, an Asian-American who has protested against Boudin at multiple public events, told The Standard that the crime issue has been seriously neglected under his leadership.
“The Asian community has had enough,” Louie said in a statement. “Public safety should be Chesa Boudin’s highest priority, but it feels like he’s focused more on politics and optics than protecting us from the dangerous people on the street.”
A different poll from March, conducted by Oakland-based EMC Research and paid for by Safer SF Without Boudin, the group spearheading the recall, found that 68 percent of likely San Francisco primary voters said they would vote to recall Boudin, including 64 percent of Democrats in the politically progressive city.
Shortly after his election, Boudin made pledges to promote “restorative justice” and prison reform through “decarceration.” Critics of Boudin claim that the progressive prosecutor’s policies, such as catch-and-release, bail reform, and directing minor offenders to diversion programs rather than jail, have incentivized criminal activity and fueled the rising wave of theft and violence plaguing San Francisco.
Boudin claimed in an interview with The Standard last month that he believes he has secured the backing of Asian-American community in the city and its spokespeople.
“We have an amazing array of Chinese leaders, including many that didn’t support my election in 2019,” Boudin said. “[They] have stood up and said, ‘The recall is dishonest.’”