Pamela Price (California)

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Pamela Price

Nonpartisan

Prior offices

Alameda County District Attorney

Successor: Royl Roberts

Predecessor: Nancy O'Malley

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Yale University, 1978

Graduate

University of California, Berkeley, 1982

Law

University of California, Berkeley School of Law, 1982

Personal

Birthplace

Dayton, Ohio

Religion

Christian

Profession

Civil rights attorney

Contact

Personal website

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Pamela Price was the Alameda County District Attorney in California. She assumed office on January 2, 2023. She left office on December 5, 2024.

Price lost her position in the recall election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Pamela Price was born in Dayton, Ohio. She earned a bachelor's degree from Yale University in 1978 and a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 1982. Her career experience includes working as a civil rights attorney.

Elections

2024

See also:  Pamela Price recall, Alameda County, California (2023-2024)

Pamela Price recall, 2024

Pamela Price lost the Alameda County District Attorney recall election on November 5, 2024.

			Recall  Vote	%	Votes
		✖	Yes	62.9	375,442
			No	37.1	221,285
			Total Votes		596,727

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It has been certified. Source

2022

See also: Municipal elections in Alameda County, California (2022)

General election

General election for Alameda County District Attorney

Pamela Price defeated Terry Wiley in the general election for Alameda County District Attorney on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pamela Price (Nonpartisan)	53.1	228,954
		Terry Wiley (Nonpartisan)	46.9	201,827

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 430,781
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Alameda County District Attorney

Pamela Price and Terry Wiley defeated Jimmie Wilson and Seth Steward in the primary for Alameda County District Attorney on June 7, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pamela Price (Nonpartisan)	43.2	117,280
✔		Terry Wiley (Nonpartisan)	27.1	73,595
	Submit photo	Jimmie Wilson (Nonpartisan)	19.6	53,094
		Seth Steward (Nonpartisan)	10.1	27,313

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 271,282
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Endorsements

To view Price's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.

2018

Mayor of Oakland

See also: Mayoral election in Oakland, California (2018)

General election

General election for Mayor of Oakland

The following candidates ran in the general election for Mayor of Oakland on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Libby Schaaf (Nonpartisan)	53.3	84,502
		Cat Brooks (Nonpartisan)	25.7	40,760
		Pamela Price (Nonpartisan)	13.1	20,794
		Saied Karamooz (Nonpartisan)	1.9	3,005
		Ken Houston (Nonpartisan)	1.7	2,640
	Submit photo	Marchon Tatmon (Nonpartisan)	1.3	2,114
		Nancy Sidebotham (Nonpartisan)	1.1	1,766
		Peter Liu (Nonpartisan)	0.7	1,166
		Cedric A. Troupe (Nonpartisan)	0.7	1,128
	Submit photo	Jesse A.J. Smith (Nonpartisan)	0.5	743

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 158,618 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Alameda County District Attorney

See also: Municipal elections in Alameda County, California (2018)

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Alameda County District Attorney

Incumbent Nancy O'Malley won election outright against Pamela Price in the primary for Alameda County District Attorney on June 5, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Nancy O'Malley (Nonpartisan)	57.8	167,929
		Pamela Price (Nonpartisan)	42.2	122,850

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 290,779
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2014

See also: California State Assembly elections, 2014

Elections for the California State Assembly took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 3, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 7, 2014. Elizabeth Echols (D) and Tony Thurmond (D) defeated Clarence Hunt (D), Sam Kang (D), Pamela Price (D), Rich Kinney (R), Eugene E. Ruyle (Peace & Freedom) and Bernt Rainer Wahl (I) in the blanket primary. Thurmond defeated Echols in the general election.

California State Assembly, District 15, General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Tony Thurmond	54.3%	66,661
	Democratic	Elizabeth Echols	45.7%	56,071
Total Votes				122,732

California State Assembly, District 15 Blanket Primary, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Elizabeth Echols	31.1%	21,664
	Democratic	Tony Thurmond	24.4%	16,963
	Democratic	Pamela Price	17.1%	11,898
	Republican	Rich Kinney	10.8%	7,531
	Democratic	Sam Kang	6.7%	4,630
	Democratic	Clarence Hunt	4.8%	3,329
	Peace and Freedom	Eugene E. Ruyle	3.5%	2,426
	Independent	Bernt Rainer Wahl	1.6%	1,132
Total Votes				69,573

Campaign themes

2022

Pamela Price completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Price's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

District Attorneys hold one of the most critical and powerful roles in our legal system as they decide who to sentence and how harsh that sentence should be. Pamela Price knows that our current legal system is dysfunctional and that it disproportionately targets Black and Brown communities. Every other candidate for DA in Alameda County is a “law and order” candidate, while Pamela Price is committed to pushing away from our addiction to incarceration. A graduate of Yale and UC Berkeley Law School, her outspoken leadership in support of alternatives to incarceration has pushed every candidate’s platform to the left, resulting in more conversations about diversion programs, ending the practice of charging youth as adults, and investing in community. As our next DA, Pamela Price will continue to build on her commitment to work with organizers and community members who have the knowledge and expertise to make the changes we need in the county carceral system. Alameda County deserves a seasoned civil rights advocate and DA who understands that safety does not come from locking people away, but from investing in the community, which is why Pamela Price is the best candidate in the race.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Mental Illness is Not A Crime and we need to support families and others impacted by the criminal justice system.
• We will look for ways and opportunities to intervene and interrupt the cycles of violence too often created by young people in our community, as well as focus on conflict resolution and restorative justice initiatives.
• We must root out race and gender discrimination in our criminal justice system. Studies have shown that the most likely source of racial disparities inside the criminal justice system are the racial bias and misperceptions of the deputies making the decisions. I will create meaningful oversight measures to evaluate charging decisions, plea offers, sentencing requests, and the services offered to those impacted by the system, including the victims of harm as well as the defendants.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The three main issues hindering the effectiveness of the D.A’s office in reducing crime and protecting public safety are (1) lack of public trust; (2) limited ability to engage collaboratively with community-based organizations; (3) inadequate data collection and reporting.

My administration will strive from day one to create a culture of transparency, equity and accountability. I will engage with community partners and stakeholders to have open dialogue about the perception of the DA’s office, its relationship to mass incarceration, its relationship with local law enforcement agencies, and the DA’s role in establishing and maintaining public safety.

I have worked collaboratively with community-based organizations and allies working on social and racial justice issues my entire life. I will be able on day 1 to engage community activists and organizations in transforming our criminal justice system and maintain continuous and productive relationships with them and all of our diverse communities concerned residents of Alameda County. I am personally passionate about providing resources and protection for women and youths who are too often harmed by our current practices.

To address the inadequate data collection and reporting, I will commission an immediate assessment of our capacity to collect and organize data, our reporting structures and responsibilities and prioritize the implementation of “best practices” to make significant improvement in this area.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

District Attorneys have been the primary drivers of mass incarceration. Mass incarceration has been a major factor in exacerbating poverty and homelessness, particularly impacting Black people, women and children in Alameda County. We can fight poverty in our county and California by eliminating money bail, promoting alternatives to incarceration, expanding pre and post-diversion opportunities and restorative justice programs for youth and adults, people with substance use disorders, and first time offenders, alternative dispositions for people with disabilities (mental or physical), eliminating the use of sentencing enhancements and establishing veteran courts, drug courts, neighborhood courts, and homeless courts.

The District Attorney has the power and the duty to create institutional support for family reunification, access to housing, job training and opportunities, healthcare and legal services. I believe that we can and should provide robust support to victims of crime as they navigate the criminal justice system without criminalizing or threatening them.

I believe that criminal justice reform is urgently needed to stop the criminalization of poverty by punishing people when they cannot afford an attorney or quality representation, post bail, pay fines and fees imposed by the courts and find gainful employment.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I deeply admire and appreciate the contributions of women like Ida B. Wells Barnett, Attorney Pauli Murray, Coretta Scott King and Shirley Chisholm. They exemplify courage and compassion. They faced great tragedies in their lives, overwhelming odds and challenges. But they persevered and believed in themselves and in the power of good people to change the world. I hope to have that kind of impact on the world.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I realize how blessed I have been in my life, and therefore, I have remained humble (and grateful for my life). I have a great sense of humor and a streak of independence. I think for myself, I am not beholden to any hardened ideology and I recognize that I represent my constituents, not special interests. I am a woman of faith who loves herself and other people, and want only the best for those I represent. I learned at an early age to listen to others and respect my elders.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

I believe that the District Attorney is a Minister of Justice whose job is to seek justice in criminal cases, work to prevent crime, and serve as a leader in the diverse communities she represents. She must develop and maintain a criminal justice system that

• treats everyone fairly.
• operates efficiently
• reduces criminal activity
• prioritizes the safety of every family and every community, regardless of your race, religion, national origin, gender, income or zip code.

She must be the leader that requires every lawyer in her office to
• respect and uphold the Constitution
• respect and serve the people of the County
• treat everyone impacted by the criminal justice system with dignity and compassion

She has a duty to guide, train and hold law enforcement agencies, officials and employees accountable to the Constitution and constitutional policing.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I was 11-years-old when Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. It was a signature moment in my life that changed the direction of my life. I was deeply traumatized and became very angry about injustice in the world. I got involved in the civil rights movement, and was arrested in a civil rights demonstration at age 13. I was tracked into the juvenile justice and foster care systems. I literally made it from the streets of Cincinnati to Yale College by the grace of God.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Acts of Faith, Meditations for People of Color, by Iyanla Vanzant, because it causes us to reflect on life and the spirit that drives each of us, and reminds us that so much of life is beyond our understanding and/or capacity to control.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

The theme music from the Disney movie Frozen

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Yes, The District Attorney has the power and the duty to protect public safety by actively supporting the re-entry process for formerly incarcerated people with institutional support for family reunification, access to housing, job training and opportunities, healthcare and legal services. The District has the power and the duty to protect public safety by aggressively working to reduce gun violence, including restricting the flow and transfer of guns into and around our County, and working with young people and particularly young men, to reduce their reliance upon violence to resolve conflicts. The District Attorney has the power to prevent homelessness by prosecuting landlords who engage in illegal evictions and civil code violations which force people out of their homes. The District Attorney has the power to reduce income inequality by prosecuting wage theft and employers who create illegal conditions in the workplace.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes, this office is a political office that interfaces with local government. My political experience is an asset in that I have been representing the constituents of Assembly District 18 and understand that I am accountable to them. I have also been actively engaged with community organizations across Alameda County on issues of concern to all residents, including police accountability, gun violence, domestic violence, income inequality and economic opportunity, homelessness, housing, climate justice and others. I appreciate that all elected officials need to be held accountable to the people we serve.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Since 1977, I have been an advocate for women, people of color, low-income and marginalized communities in their struggle for justice. After receiving degrees from Yale College and the University of California, Berkeley, I built my own successful law-firm and worked as an Executive Director and Director of Special Projects for a non-profit organization. I have organized and successfully led executive teams of lawyers and legal professionals, created and implemented business plans, managed budgets and cases for decades. I have business and administrative experience, superior educational credentials and a wealth of life experience as a survivor and an advocate. My entire professional career has been about representing victims and families in this community and I have done it well.

In 2001, I coordinated teams of lawyers across the country and successfully argued a racial harassment case before the United States Supreme Court in January 2002. Over 30 years, I have tried and won numerous difficult sex, race and religious discrimination and retaliation cases in state and federal courts. My advocacy for marginalized communities in an unjust system has often forced me to create new laws to achieve justice for everyday people.

My life's work has been to fight injustice and racial discrimination whereas district attorneys have been at the heart of the prison pipeline which has been choked with Black and Brown people and the drivers of a system riddled with racial and economic injustice. My career has been built on holding public officials accountable while my opponents have been complicit in police misconduct and beneficiaries of the power and money of police associations. My values and vision is to hire and develop prosecutors who want to change lives instead of destroying lives.

Tell us your favorite joke.

“Whatever women do, they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.”

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2014

Price's website highlighted the following campaign themes:

Education

• Excerpt: "It makes budget sense to increase funding for schools and education programs that work, while reducing money for prisons."

Economic Development

• Excerpt: "Small businesses and economic opportunity are the key to our local economic growth and improving the outlook for the state."

Civil Rights

• Excerpt: "My lifelong passion for civil rights is never far from my mind. I will continue this fight in the Assembly with legislation to address sexual trafficking and all forms of violence against women and children."

Endorsements

2014

In 2014, Price's endorsements included the following:

• Jeff Adachi, Public Defender, City of San Francisco
• Olden Henson, Former City Council Member, City of Hayward
• Curren Price, City Council Member, District 9, City of Los Angeles
• Herman Blackmon, Former Mayor and Council Member, City of Hercules
• Tony Santos, Former Mayor, City of San Leandro
• Angela Davis, Professor and Civil Rights Icon
• John Burris, Famed Civil Rights Attorney
• Robert Harris, Civil Rights Attorney, Former Planning Commissioner, City of Richmond and Former Port of Oakland Commissioner
• Howard Moore, Jr., Famed Civil Rights Attorney
• Dr. Harold Orr, Medical Director, Alameda County Sheriff's Department
• Freddie Davis, President, Hayward – South Alameda County NAACP
• Dorothy King Jernegan and John Jernegan, Owners, Everett and Jones Barbecue, Oakland, CA
• Elaine Brown, Former Chairwoman, Black Panther Party, Oakland
• Cheryl Perry-League, President, National Coalition of Black Women, Oakland/Bay Area Chapter
• Robert Demmons, Former Chief, San Francisco Fire Department
• Clark Walker, Former President, CCC Black Firefighters & Battalion Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Department
• Donna Rayon Terrell, Former Secretary, CCC Black Firefighters & Captain, Contra Costa County Fire Department
• Otis Bruce, Past President, Marin County Bar Association
• Jon Streeter, Past President, California State Bar
• Peter Graham Cohn, Secretary/Treasurer, NAACP National Voter Fund, Former NAACP Western Regional Counsel and NAACP National Board of Directors

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