Statement From Civil Rights Attorney Pamela Price, Former Alameda County District Attorney and Current Alameda County District Attorney Candidate

Oakland, CA — Civil Rights Attorney and former Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price confirmed that she declined to participate in the Empower Oakland candidate questionnaire and endorsement process.

Her decision followed a review of Empower Oakland’s prior political activity, which demonstrated a clear pattern of right-wing advocacy—not neutrality—in Alameda County electoral politics. Founded by former City Councilmember Loren Taylor in 2023, Empower Oakland is a conservative political action committee of landlords, developers and big tech investors pushing a right wing takeover in Oakland.

Empower Oakland played an active role in partnership with Revitalize East Bay in advancing and supporting the 2024 recall campaign against Price—an effort widely criticized for promoting false and misleading narratives about her administration. As detailed in Pamela Price Defies Recall Lies, those narratives mischaracterized reforms that were, in fact, data-driven and grounded in public safety, accountability, and equal justice under the law.

“Organizations that have already taken a position in opposition to a candidate without ever talking to the candidate cannot credibly rebrand themselves as neutral arbiters of that same candidate’s qualifications,” Price stated. Even the current Executive Director Gagan Biryani admits “I think it is fair to assume that we're biased against any candidate who is running for a second term after we endorsed their recall. That bias is not going to change, and I don't think the intent of asking you to participate is to get our endorsement. . . .”

Given the history of their efforts, Price emphasized that Empower Oakland’s endorsement process was equivalent to gaslighting and  reflected political bias framing, including:

• Presenting itself as “community-based” while advancing positions aligned solely with the interests of corporate landlords, developers, big tech investors and law enforcement political associations 
• Seeking to retroactively legitimize prior advocacy through a questionnaire process 
• Framing its inquiry in a way that presupposed disputed narratives about public safety and prosecutorial decision-making 

Price reiterated that her administration had implemented reforms based on state law and evidence including the creation of a resentencing unit to address past injustices—efforts later supported by independent analysis affirming that Alameda County was moving toward a more equitable justice system.

Price also pointed to a broader pattern of selective accountability in the political climate surrounding her tenure.

She had publicly condemned Congressman Eric Swalwell’s reposting of a racist meme targeting her during Black History Month, highlighting the role of race and bias in political discourse. She also raised concerns about a double standard in law enforcement accountability, particularly as the current appointed District Attorney signaled the potential dismissal of most charges in the Phong Tran bribery and perjury case.

“Equal justice under the law cannot depend on political convenience or institutional alignment,” Price said.

Following the March 7, 2026 mass shooting in Oakland, Price issued a Statement of Compassion honoring victims and calling for a comprehensive approach to public safety—one rooted in prevention, accountability, and community trust.

She continued to advocate for accountability in all areas of governance, including immigration enforcement, and reaffirmed her commitment to protecting the rights of all Alameda County residents.

Price remained actively engaged with the public, including her recent appearance at the Project Rebound District Attorney debate at Cal State East Bay, where she outlined her vision for a fair and effective justice system.

She was also recently honored as a “Living Legend” by Westlake Middle School in Oakland, recognizing her historic role and longstanding service.

Conclusion

Price concluded that participation in Empower Oakland’s process would have lent credibility to a framework she believes is politically biased and fundamentally inconsistent with transparent, good-faith community engagement.  Price participated in a Debate at California State University East Bay, Wednesday, March 18th, a neutral university setting that was open to students, faculty, nonprofits and the wider public presented by Project Rebound with Forrest Jones as host and the moderators were Enterprise and Accountability Reporter, Alex Hall of KQED and Ravi Kapur, CEO of DIYA TV. Click here for the entire debate: https://www.youtube.com/live/OjmX34X3uOI?si=iIsmwc61eg-lJOEV.  

The current appointed District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson declined to attend the CSUEB debate, yet she attended an insular biased endorsement event by Empower that aligns with the bias shown in Empower’s efforts in the recall campaign.  The Jones Dickson Administration has dismissed cases that held law enforcement accountable and her administration immediately demolished the Resentencing Unit that a U.C. Berkeley Law Report,  Measuring the Impact of Prosecutor-Initiated Resentencing in Alameda County states saved taxpayers millions of dollars and needs to be re-established.   

“I remained accountable to the people—not to processes shaped by prior political agendas,” she said.

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About Committee to Re-Elect Pamela Price 2026
 The Committee to Re-Elect Pamela Price 2026 (REEP) is a grassroots, corporate free campaign dedicated to the re-election of Hon. District Attorney Pamela Price. REEP is committed to preserving and advancing the achievements that promote justice, equity, and progress within our criminal justice system and protecting our democracy. We work to support leaders and policies that reflect the will and best interests of the communities they serve.

Vote to Re-Elect District Attorney Pamela Price on June 2, 2026.

Paid for by Re-Elect Pamela Price 2026, FPPC #1485362

Please note: Pamela Price does not accept any money from corporate PACs.

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