Longtime Santa Clara County DA Jeff Rosen Holds Early Lead in Reelection Bid

“I’m very happy that it looks like the voters have elected me to another four-year term, and I’m eager to serve them and continue to try to drive crime even lower and to make our justice system even fairer,” Rosen said Tuesday evening at an election watch party in downtown San José.

In a phone call Wednesday, Chung said he is still waiting for more updated results to see if the gap narrows, but said he would be a “gracious loser” and concede to Rosen if the trend doesn’t shift.

Chung said while Rosen held a significant lead, he didn’t feel it was “an overwhelming landslide or mandate” from voters.

“The fact that even 40% of the community is supportive of meaningful change in our criminal justice system here in Santa Clara County is something that I am so grateful for. And I hope that more people really see that there are issues with our system and we need change,” Chung said.

The Santa Clara County district attorney runs the largest prosecutor’s office in Northern California, and Rosen has been at the helm since 2011. The county has about 2 million residents, and the office sees about 40,000 cases a year, according to the county.

Rosen said Tuesday the next four years will bring financial uncertainty at all levels of government and vowed to be a strong voice for public safety.

“Public safety is foundational, fundamental and it’s nonnegotiable,” he said, promising to protect it “like a lioness guards her cubs.”

Chung was working as a prosecutor when disputes arose between him and Rosen over an op-ed Chung wrote in a local newspaper.

Rosen initially fired Chung, but his job was restored in arbitration. Rosen ultimately put Chung on paid leave and barred him from coming to work, as Chung continued to file local and federal lawsuits against Rosen.

Asked about his future plans if he loses the election, Chung said he will reflect and think about the best options, but said he will want to continue fighting for victims and the community.

“It’s kind of a win-win situation for me. If I win, I’m the DA. If I don’t win, I’m a deputy DA who gets paid not to work. And if Jeff gets elected to serve another four-year term, in theory, it means that for the next four years, I don’t have to do a single thing and I would continue to get paid,” Chung said.

In written interviews with KQED ahead of the election, Rosen touted his long tenure and said the county is one of the safest large counties in the country. He also pointed to his office’s focus on combating gang and gun crime, retail theft and drug dealing, while also creating “mental health, drug treatment and veterans’ courts, which reduced incarceration.”

Chung, who graduated from Harvard College and Columbia Law School, focused on his local roots in Milpitas and his successful run as a prosecutor in New York City and Silicon Valley. He said he wanted to “stop overzealous political prosecutions” and ensure prosecutors are trained to “pursue justice with integrity, competence and compassion.”