What’s Up With The District Attorney Race? We Explain

#220: Back in 2020, when George Gascón was elected to serve as the top prosecutor in Los Angeles County, his win was considered a victory for the criminal justice movement. It was the height of the pandemic, and the racial reckoning that followed the police killing of George Floyd.

Gascón campaigned as a progressive alternative to incumbent Jackie Lacey, who local activists had criticized for years for her failure to prosecute police officers. 

And he won.

But almost as soon as Gascón took office, he faced scrutiny for being “soft on crime," some from deputy D.A.’s within his own department, families of victims of violent crime, and from conservative news shows.

Now he’s up for reelection, and facing 11 challengers vying to be LA County’s next D.A.

They’re set to take the debate stage tonight (January 18th), so today we're digging into this race with LAist civics and democracy correspondent Frank Stoltze.