Ahead of Boudin Recall Vote, WeChat Becomes a Front Line for Chinese American Voters

With the recall election of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin only days away, a messaging app familiar to millions of Chinese speakers has become a contested space in the campaign. WeChat, which many Chinese Americans use to read the news and keep in touch with friends around the world, is now carrying a heated debate over Boudin's record.

Selena Chu, who was active in the school board recall and now backs Boudin's removal through Proposition H, said the app has opened up political conversation. "Before, Chinese (American) people didn't show too much interest in politics," she said. "Now we have WeChat, so we can have those discussions." Over the past several weeks, Chu has sent pro-recall messages to dozens of group chats and has sometimes been drawn into arguments with Boudin supporters.

In one exchange, a WeChat user told Chu in Chinese that she was "brainwashed." The user wrote that Boudin was not their idol, but that the recall camp was using false information to mislead voters. The user declined to be interviewed.

Joyce Lam, a Chinatown nonprofit activist who immigrated from Hong Kong, has also posted on the platform to push back against negative portrayals of the district attorney. She told The Standard she believes Boudin should remain in office for now, but hopes the Chinese community can hold a rational discussion rather than stoke fear and emotion.

Both sides have spent heavily on Chinese-language media. WeChat, which former President Donald Trump once came close to banning, is emerging as another way to court Chinese American voters. One widely shared article, titled "Recall organization points out the 'six sins' of San Francisco DA," was a paid post sponsored by the committee San Franciscans for Public Safety Supporting the Recall of Chesa Boudin and published through a third-party news account. The alleged sins include releasing crime suspects, being soft on lawlessness and running a chaotic office. The recall campaign confirmed it is running paid content on WeChat channels.

Campaign chair Mary Jung said the effort is part of deep organizing in Asian American and Chinese communities. Because the recall is the last item on the ballot, she said, the campaign is focused on educating as many voters as possible through channels they already know, such as WeChat.

Searching the app for "Chesa Boudin" or his Chinese name, 博徹思, turns up many results tied to themes of lawlessness and crime. Crime trends since Boudin took office have been the central argument of the recall movement, complicated by pandemic-era swings in various offenses. A San Francisco Chronicle report found that violent crime is at a historic low and property crime has returned to pre-pandemic levels, while homicides remain up.

Opponents of the recall are working the platform too. The anti-recall campaign said it has circulated, in WeChat group messages, articles by Boudin supporters including civil rights leader Henry Der. Headlines include "Let the facts speak: The crime data analysis in San Francisco" and "SFDA Chesa Boudin is fulfilling his promises to voters." The latter points to his hiring of more multilingual staff and to "charging more crimes."

Anti-recall spokesperson Julie Edwards said the aim is to "create a conversation with users so it's not soundbites," and that the approach has drawn "a tremendously positive response."