Former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf has publicly called for the removal of her successor, Sheng Thao. Following this, former Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley has also urged voters to support the recall of Thao’s successor, Pamela Price, in the upcoming election on November 5.
Political observers interpret the statements from O’Malley and Schaaf as a manifestation of unusual hostility between moderate and progressive factions of the Democratic Party. They suggest that the efforts by Price and Thao to consolidate their power and support may ultimately fail.
Dan Schnur, a political analyst at UC Berkeley, notes that these contentious recall elections have transcended typical policy disagreements, evolving into deeper, more personalized conflicts. “This situation is quite rare,” Schnur said, emphasizing that traditionally, such political differences would be concealed, but recall elections force them into the open.
O’Malley, who served as Alameda County District Attorney for 12 years, expressed deep disappointment in Price’s performance during a press conference on the 23rd. She accused Price of intimidating political opponents and misrepresenting her work during O’Malley’s tenure. “She is unqualified and lacks the capability to hold this position. Under her leadership, this office is no longer functional,” O’Malley stated.
The Mercury News reported that during the 2022 election, O’Malley supported Price’s opponent, and since Price’s election, she has largely refrained from making public comments.
Just last week, Schaaf echoed similar sentiments, urging voters to recall Thao. In an interview, Schaaf asserted that Thao is unfit for the role. “I will be voting for the recall of Sheng Thao because Oakland’s financial stability and public safety cannot endure another two years of her leadership,” Schaaf told reporters.
Until last week, local Democratic figures, including Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, remained moderate in their responses to the recall efforts, focusing criticism on the recall process itself as being “undemocratic, costly, and chaotic.”
Congresswoman Barbara Lee, representing Oakland, emphasized, “Now is the time for us to come together and address the real issues plaguing our community. Recall efforts only hinder our officials from performing their duties and drain resources the community desperately needs.” Similarly, State Senator Nancy Skinner of Berkeley expressed her opposition to recalls unless severe misconduct is involved, stating that they are undemocratic and waste public resources.
Notably, Representative Eric Swalwell, who represents Castro Valley in the East Bay, has been a vocal supporter of the recall against Price, even urging her to “tweet less and prosecute more” on social media.
Following O’Malley’s statements, Price responded hours later, accusing the former district attorney of having caused “harm” during her own tenure. Price claimed that O’Malley had attempted to cover up the Alameda County District Attorney’s office obstructing Jewish and African American residents from serving on juries in death penalty cases, a reference to events from 2004 when O’Malley was a senior prosecutor under then-District Attorney Tom Orloff.
According to the Mercury News, Price has frequently criticized O’Malley at press conferences and other public events, asserting that she inherited a “mess” upon taking office. She has pointed out that O’Malley’s outdated data management system led to over 1,000 misdemeanor cases becoming stale due to backlog.
In response to Schaaf’s criticisms, Thao’s campaign targeted wealthy supporters behind the recall movement, highlighting that Schaaf recently reached a $21,000 settlement with Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission over allegations of improper control over a political committee targeting her.
