REDWOOD CITY, CA - On Tuesday, March 4th, residents of San Mateo County voted on a measure that would allow the board of supervisors the authority to fire Sheriff Christina Corpus.
According to KTVU, preliminary results show that an overwhelming majority approved the measure. More than 85 percent voted yes while 14 percent voted not to give the board of supervisors the power to fire Corpus. This was a special election with the only ballot measure being Measure A. The county chief elections officer and assessor-county clerk-recorder said voter turnout was nearly 20 percent.
On Tuesday night, the San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff's Association spoke out after initial results for the measure were released. Eliot Storch, secretary for the San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff's Association said in a statement, "Given how focused this was on Sheriff Corpus and her actions, we believe that this was essentially an expedited recall. If anyone wanted to make their vote heard, they had every opportunity to vote."
Sheriff Corpus has been under fire for months after being accused of creating a toxic work environment. She's been accused of using racial and homophobic slurs as well as having an inappropriate relationship with a colleague she later promoted to assistant sheriff. Corpus has denied all the allegations, saying she's being targeted for being Latina and a woman in power.
Before the election, her attorney Bradley Gage said, "We think it's an unconstitutional election. We think it's discriminatory because it is going into effect now. To target one person, and one person only. The first Latina sheriff and it ends after her term is over in 2028." Several Peninsula cities have called on Corpus to resign.
The measure was placed on the ballot in December 2024, but this past Tuesday's vote is not a recall for the sheriff. The passing of Measure A means the sheriff can now be removed from office with cause. it would take four out of five county supervisors to successfully oust Corpus.
Supervisors would have a finite timeline to act. Measure A expires in 2028, which lines up with the end of the sheriff's term in office. Corpus took office two years ago. Election officials say workers will continue counting votes and the election will be certified by April 3rd. Jim Irizarry, San Mateo County's Assistant Chief Elections Officer said, "Any ballot that is mailed today has seven days to get to the election office.
So, March 11th will be the last day. So, we have a tail to this process, and we're going to be receiving ballots all week long." NBC Bay Area reported that in November 2024, a 400-page independent investigation into Corpus' administration was released. It contained findings of abuse of power, retaliation, and intimidation.
The San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff's Association is one of the unions that has been outspoken against Corpus. Storch said, "They deserve someone who is not going to be committing these abuses, who is not going to be corrupt, and who's not going to be causing all these problems, so much to the point that we had to have a special election just because of it."
