ELECTION LINE: Big money and attacks continue in Alameda County DA race; DeSaulnier AD15 endorsement

Police union IE releases 30-second ad opposing Pamela Price

Opposition to mass incarceration has been one of Alameda County District Attorney candidate Pamela Price’s main platforms from the very start of her campaign last year. The lobbying group most affected by such a policy, if implemented in Alameda County, is now coming after Price.

With less than a week before Election Day, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association contributed $75,000 toward an Independent Expenditure Committee created in support of Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley. The committee named “Californians United for Safe Neighborhoods and Schools opposing Pamela Price for District Attorney 2018,” first reported in the East Bay Citizen, is backed by San Jose and Los Angeles police unions, and seeded with $150,000 in contributions.

A pair of attack mailers by the IE may have left a mark on Price’s perceived late surge in this campaign. On Thursday, Price lashed out against the latest contribution and the IE.

“Those who benefit most from Nancy O’Malley’s 30-year career of mass incarceration, charging Black and Latino kids as adults, and refusing to hold bad cops accountable are throwing down hard for Nancy O’Malley in the last days of this campaign,” Price said in a statement Thursday.

“Every single special interest that benefits from her unfair and racially slanted criminal justice policies are dumping tens of thousands of dollars into this race in a desperate effort to prop up her 1950’s, Jim Crow-era policies to keep the O’Malley mass incarceration pipeline open and flowing. I predict the private prison racketeers aren’t far behind.”

–ATTACK AD HITS THE WEB– The same IE released an attack ad against Price on Thursday. The ad is web-only, at least, for now, said a source with knowledge of the committee’s strategy. The 30-second spot (below) is similar to the brutal mailer sent this week featuring a series of mugshots and the tagline, “Under Pamela Price these child predators would not be prosecuted.” Price had previously stated, as DA, she would not prosecute some misdemeanors.

–DESAULNIER FOR PARDUE-OKIMOTO– 15th Assembly District candidate Rochelle Pardue-Okimoto is pulling out one of the last big cards in her deck as she attempts to squeeze into the top two on June 5. The campaign announced the endorsement of Rep. Mark DeSaulnier on Wednesday.

“Rochelle Pardue-Okimoto is the next generation of local leader that we need in the State Assembly – a proven progressive, a local activist with a record of results and someone who has been part of this community for almost 20 years working as a nurse at Alta Bates. Rochelle has my full support in the State Assembly,” said DeSaulnier. Last week, 40-year congressmember George Miller, DeSaulnier’s predecessor in the 11th Congressional District, endorsed candidate Buffy Wicks in AD15.

–BALLOT WILL CALL– If you have misplaced or damaged your vote-by-mail ballot or simply want to vote early, the Alameda County Registrar of Voters announced Thursday they will open a “Ballot Will Call.” Between today and Sunday, June 3, registered voters can call the registrar at (510) 272-6973 or visit acvote.org/vbm to request a new ballot that can be picked up within 24 hours at the Registrar’s office.