Harris Overwhelmingly Re-elected as District Attorney

District Attorney Kamala D. Harris was resoundingly voted into a second term this past Tuesday, garnering over 98% of the vote in a nearly unprecedented uncontested race for the District Attorney of San Francisco.

Harris has received numerous accolades over the past 3 and a half years for bringing professionalism and innovation to the District Attorney’s office, prosecuting violent crime, and her Smart On Crime approach to prosecution.

While noting that San Francisco’s overall conviction rate is “the highest in a decade,” Harris said that being District Attorney was about “more than being either tough or soft on crime. It’s about being smart on the root causes of crime.”

“My core commitment is simple,” said Harris. “As a career prosecutor raised in the civil rights movement, I believe that a District Attorney must both protect public safety and be an advocate for social justice.”

Since taking office in 2003, Harris has increased the overall felony conviction rate from 52% in 2003 to 67% in 2006. She has doubled the conviction rate in felony gun trials, put 216 violent gang members behind bars, and sentenced 40% more serious and violent felons to state prison than the office did in 2003.

As the first female District Attorney in San Francisco history and the first African American female District Attorney in California history, Harris has served as a role model for women of color throughout the country. 

Harris received endorsements from a broad coalition of individuals and organizations representing all aspects of the state and city, including U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, State Senator Leland Yee, Assemblyman Mark Leno, Mayor Gavin Newsom and nine of San Francisco’s eleven Supervisors.  Her endorsers also include the San Francisco Democratic Party, the San Francisco Labor Council, and the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club.

A Letter From Kamala

Dear Friend,

For the past three years, we've worked hard to strengthen the San Francisco District Attorney's office. Our first priority is fighting violent crime. To that end, we've increased felony trial conviction rates from 62% in 2003 to 80% in 2006, dramatically increased convictions in domestic violence cases and sent 40% more serious and violent offenders to State Prison. We've cracked down on drug dealers and more than doubled conviction rates in gun felony trials.

To protect children, we established a Child Assault Unit and helped pass new state laws against human trafficking. We also created a new Public Integrity Unit to fight corruption, formed a specialized team to prosecute elder abuse and recovered millions of dollars for tenants and consumers.

To break the cycle of violence, we launched new rehabilitation and re-entry programs aimed at preventing young offenders from returning to a life of crime.

While I'm proud of what we have achieved, much more work remains to be done. I hope you will join me in my campaign to protect the progress we've made and to keep our criminal justice system moving forward.

Sincerely yours,

Kamala D. Harris

Smart On Crime

Since her election in 2003, Kamala Harris has proved herself to be a District Attorney who not only stands her ground, but breaks new ground in the fight to fix our system of criminal justice.

Her pledge is to move beyond the false choice of being "tough" or "soft" on crime. Kamala Harris is smart on crime...and it's working.

She's put more violent and serious felons in state prison, cracked down on gang and gun violence, and protected neighborhoods from drug dealers and quality of life crimes.

At the same time, she's safeguarded medical marijuana, reached out to keep youth away from violence, and pioneered innovative programs to help men and women released from jail get back on track.

Please take a few moments to see for yourself what Kamala has accomplished, and then get involved in her campaign for change.