Sharmin Bock, 48, has worked in the law enforcement community for 22 years. 
The Tehran-born attorney says she has worked on cutting edge criminal prosecution cases including DNA cold cases, human exploitation and trafficking.
Bock is endorsed by Congresswoman Jackie Speier, the National Women’s Political Caucus, and an extensive coalition of community leaders. If her campaign to become DA of San Francisco proves successful, Bock will become the first American of Iranian descent to serve as a district attorney anywhere in the United States.
Bock faces two opponents at this point, including the incumbent who was appointed to the post just a few months ago when the elected DA moved on to another job.
Bock’s entry into the DA’s race means there are two Iranian-Americans running for citywide office in San Francisco this year. Ross Mirkarimi earlier announced his candidacy for sheriff. He is generally considered the frontrunner for that job.
There will only be three posts on the November ballot in San Francisco—mayor, DA and sheriff—so Bock and Mirkarimi are likely to get considerable attention.
In an interview with the Iran Times, Bock said: “As a District Attorney, my number one goal would be to make sure that the most violent criminals don’t roam the streets amongst us, but instead are held accountable for their crimes. Charging, prosecuting and convicting dangerous felons must be the primary responsibility of the DA.”
Bock immigrated to the United States at a young age; she received her bachelor’s degree from Occidental College and graduated cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC, in 1988.
After graduation, Bock made her way back to San Francisco, where she served as a law clerk for D. Lowell Jensen, a judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. In 1989, she joined the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. Bock says she has appeared in court in more than 1,000 cases and has a 96 percent conviction rate in cases brought to trial.
The Iranian-American prosecutor currently leads the specialized trial and support units for the District Attorney’s Office in Alameda County, just across the bay from San Francisco.
“Public service is a family tradition,” Bock said. “I grew up with the notion of fair play and giving back to society. I would like to continue in this tradition.”
Bock explained to the Iran Times how her Iranian culture has shaped the person she is today. “I’ve been raised to always work hard and give back and have been supported to do so by a culture that is very embracing, nurturing and warm not just to fellow Iranians, but to everybody. As a result of my Persian culture, my concern for others—whether they are fellow Iranians or not—is very expansive and far reaching.… My commitment to public service is colored by a culture that supports, embraces and empowers everybody—whether they are Iranian or not.”
The campaign will not be an easy one for Bock. She faces former Police Chief and current District Attorney George Gascon as well as David Onek, senior fellow at UC Berkeley Center for criminal Justice, in the November election.
Bock plugs away at her uniqueness. “As the only candidate for district attorney with courtroom experience, I am confident that I can win this race. The challenge that I face is raising the funds that I need to get my message out in a city-wide campaign.”
She called on Iranians to help her in her campaign.
“If I am elected to the office of the DA—one of the most powerful and important law enforcement positions—it will help dissipate the taint of 9/11 on Middle Easterners, and will help restore to Middle Easterners the honor and dignity they have unfairly lost. In my 22 years of work as a prosecutor, I’ve learned that the sins of one should not be attributed to the many; we are only responsible for our own actions,” Bock told the Iran Times.
“This race is not just about me,” Bock added. “It’s about the advancement of the Iranian community. And if everyone donated according to their ability, it would help me win public office. I am a vehicle in which Americans across the country can and will view Iranians; the supporters of the Iranian community will send the message that we are an important political force and agent of positive change… If the Iranian community stood up in support and donated to my campaign, it would show that the Iranian community—much like other vocal ethnic minorities in the US—are a force to be reckoned with.”
Bock currently lives in the Richmond District of San Francisco with her husband, daughter, and son. Bock’s website is: http://www.sharminbock.com/
