Process of choosing new Alameda County district attorney now underway

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- After an unprecedented election to recall the Alameda County district attorney in November, the race is on to select a new DA.

Fifteen people turned in applications to become the next Alameda County district attorney by the January 6 deadline. So now, the Board of Supervisors have a full roster of applicants to consider after the former DA Pamela Price was recalled by voters last November.

Brenda Grisham, the principal officer overseeing Safe Alameda for Everyone said, "Over the coming month, we are going to see people that have turned in applications being vetted in order to see who is best qualified for the position."

Chris Moore is behind the Recall DA Pamela Price movement. "We interviewed many of those, probably 10 or 11 of those candidates and there's a great pool of candidates for the supervisors to select from," Moore said.

MORE: Interim Alameda County DA hopes to turn page, ensure public safety after recall of Pamela Price

They include nine current and former Alameda County prosecutors and attorneys from neighboring counties.

Things are going to move quickly with the timeline calling for the Board of Supervisors to select finalists next week and then conduct public interviews of at least three finalists the week of January 20. By the end of the month, they'll select a new DA who will be sworn into office on February 4.

"375,000 people voted for change and they have to listen to the people. It's not really about what they want to see - it's about everybody," Grisham said.

"So somebody who can come in and rebuild that office and manage that office, and a very big large criteria as well is they are going to have to run again in 18-20 months from now in November 2026 and somebody who is electable," Moore said.

It's a tall order. Those who worked to get the previous DA recalled say they're hoping for someone who will hold criminal offenders accountable and respect victims' rights, and in doing so restore public safety in Oakland, impacting residents and business owners.