Updated 4:41 p.m. Tuesday
Alameda County residents had a chance to hear from the seven finalists still in the running for the vacant district attorney seat on Tuesday, two months after progressive prosecutor Pamela Price was recalled from office.
Members of the Board of Supervisors publicly interviewed the candidates in an afternoon meeting, and will announce their selection on Jan. 28. The newly appointed district attorney is scheduled to be sworn in early next month and, according to the county charter, will serve until the next general election in 2026.
The board asked candidates about their stances on immigration, racial bias and holistic crime reduction. They were also asked about their positions on Proposition 36, a ballot measure that allows prosecutors to pursue felony charges against repeat offenders of non-violent crimes. The candidates unanimously said they voted in favor of the proposition last year.
The finalists who were interviewed include:
- Annie Esposito, assistant district attorney in Contra Costa County and former senior assistant district attorney in Alameda County.
- Venus Johnson, chief deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice and former director of public safety in Oakland.
- Ursula Jones Dickson, Alameda County Superior Court judge and former deputy district attorney in Alameda County.
- Elgin Lowe, senior deputy district attorney in Alameda County.
- Jimmie Wilson, deputy district attorney in Alameda County.
- Yibin Shen, city attorney in the City of Alameda.
- Latricia Louis, deputy county counsel in Alameda County and former assistant district attorney in Alameda County.