Ballotpedia's 2023 Recall Analysis
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Year-end report |
300 recall efforts |
Temecula Valley Unified School District, California Cochise County, Arizona Alameda County, California Webber Township, Michigan |
December 19, 2023 (updated September 17, 2024)
By Ballotpedia staff
Ballotpedia covered 300 recall efforts against 437 officials in 2023. These figures represent a small increase in the number of recall efforts and a small decrease in the number of officials targeted for recall compared to 2022. In 2022, we tallied 267 recall efforts against 450 officials. In comparison, the highest number of recall efforts we have tracked in a year was 357 against 545 officials in 2021.
Similar to 2022, city council officials were subject to the most recall efforts in 2023. They accounted for 42.2% of recall targets across all office types. The next most commonly targeted officeholder type was school board members, comprising 22.2% of the total for 2023.
The state with the highest number of officials targeted in recall efforts was Michigan with 143. Michigan also had the highest number of officials targeted for recall in 2022. The closest two states were California with 58 and Colorado with 30. The state with the most recall attempts relative to its population was also Michigan, with 1.43 recalls per 100,000 residents. The closest two states were Nebraska with 1.17 and North Dakota with 1.03.
Notable recalls across 2023 included the following:
- An effort to recall Oregon state Rep. Paul Holvey (D) was initiated on May 22, 2023. Proponents of the recall effort criticized Holvey for multiple reasons, including his lack of support for House Bill 3183, his vote on a 2019 bill that reduced pension benefits, and his failure to secure pandemic benefits for grocery workers.[1][2] Holvey defeated the recall effort with 90% of the vote on October 3.
- An effort to recall three of the five members of the Temecula Valley Unified School District Board of Education in California began in June 2023.[3][4] The recall was started by the One Temecula Valley Political Action Committee.[3] The Temecula Valley Educators Association voted to support the recall effort.[5] The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Inland Empire chapter and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Southwest Riverside branch 1034 also announced their support of the recall effort.[6] Gonzalez, Wiersma, and Komrosky were elected to four-year terms on the board in November 2022.[7]
- An attempt to recall Cochise County District 1 Supervisor Tom Crosby in Arizona began in January 2023. The recall effort failed after supporters did not collect the required number of signatures by the May 3 deadline.[8][9] Supporters of the recall argued that Crosby attempted to obstruct the county's election procedures by refusing to certify thousands of ballots following the 2022 election. They also argued that he improperly advocated for the hand count of ballots and needlessly cost taxpayer money.[10] In late November 2023, Crosby and Judd were charged with felonies for delaying the county's vote counting and interfering with the statewide count.[11]
- An effort to recall Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price in California was initiated in 2023.[12] Recall organizers argue that Price should be recalled for leniency in sentence enhancements and her mishandling of homicide cases.[13] Price responded to the recall attempt by arguing that the effort was organized by Republican-connected special interest groups. Price also argued that sentencing enhancements propagate racial disparities and advocated for alternatives to incarceration.[14] On November 27, the ACLU of Northern California released a statement expressing its support of Price.[15]
- Recall elections against Township Clerk Kathy Young and Treasurer Pat Williams were held on November 7, 2023, in Webber Township, Michigan. The recall was organized by Piedad Medina, who said the officials should have been recalled for what she believed were unlawful expenditures, violations of ordinances, and failures to maintain financial records. Medina also said that the township board purposefully left classified documents out, with the intention of having her read them as a means to terminate her from her position as deputy clerk.[16] Deborah Hanes and Young both received 83 votes in the election, with 72 votes going to Nikki Hughes.[17] Hanes was declared the winner over Young after a tie-breaking ceremony held on November 16, 2023.[18] Williams retained her seat as treasurer with 98 votes, defeating Piedad Medina by one vote. Jacqueline Jacobs garnered 42 votes.[17]
Statistics
Ballotpedia covers recall efforts across the country for all state and local elected offices. Nine individuals had two or three recall efforts started against them in 2023. Their statuses for each effort are included in the statistics below.
In 2023, Ballotpedia covered 300 recall efforts against 437 officials. Efforts against 78 officials were successful, removing them from office via a recall election. Thirty-six officials resigned after recall efforts were started against them, 23 were put on the ballot but defeated the recall to stay in office, and the recall efforts against 202 officials failed to make the ballot.[19] Recall elections for another 21 officials were scheduled but were not held in 2023, and 88 officials faced recall efforts that remained underway into 2024.
The chart below details the results of recall efforts that have been resolved, either by reaching the ballot, failing to reach the ballot, or due to a resignation.
Recall elections removed 17.85% of officials included in recall efforts in 2023. This was the highest percentage of officials removed from office since 2018 and the fourth-highest percentage Ballotpedia has tracked overall. The highest percentage occurred in 2018 when 26.06% of officials included in recall efforts were removed from office in recall elections. The second-highest occurred in 2014 with 21.19%, and the third-highest occurred in 2013 with 18.83%.
The chart below shows how many officials were included in recall efforts from 2012 to 2023 as well as how many of them defeated recall elections to stay in office and how many were removed from office in recall elections.
City council members drew more recall petitions than any other group in 2023. They also drew the most recall petitions between 2016 and 2020 and in 2022. In 2021, school board members drew the most recall petitions.
A total of 184 city council or town board members faced recall campaigns, while 97 school board members faced recall campaigns, the second-most. Recalls were also sought for 64 mayors and vice mayors. At the state level of government, 13 state legislators and one state executive faced recall efforts. A breakdown of the various recall targets is displayed in the chart below:
Targets by state
Ballotpedia covered a total of 300 recall efforts against 437 officials in 31 states. Michigan led the way in officials targeted for recall with 143 in 2023. California followed with 58, and Colorado came in third with 30. Michigan also had the most officials targeted for recall in 2018 and 2022. From 2016 to 2017 and 2019 to 2021, California had the most officials targeted for recall. To view the number of recall targets in a particular state, hover your mouse cursor over that state below:
When adjusted for state population using the U.S. Census Bureau's July 2022 population estimates, Michigan remains the recall leader with 1.43 recalls per 100,000 residents. It is followed by Nebraska (1.17 recalls per 100,000 residents) and North Dakota (1.03 recalls per 100,000 residents).
Notable recalls
Paul Holvey recall, Oregon House of Representatives
An effort to recall Oregon state Rep. Paul Holvey (D) was initiated on May 22, 2023, by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555. Supporters had until August 21 to collect 4,598 signatures to require a recall election.[20] The recall qualified for the ballot with 5,055 valid signatures. A yes/no recall election took place on October 3, and Holvey was retained with 90% of the vote.[21]
Proponents of the recall effort criticized Holvey for multiple reasons, including his lack of support for House Bill 3183, his vote on a 2019 bill that reduced pension benefits, and his failure to secure pandemic benefits for grocery workers. Cannabis employers would have been prohibited from impeding employee unionization efforts if House Bill 3183 had been enacted.[2]
After being retained in office, Holvey issued the following statement: "Today we sent a strong message that one deep-pocketed group who doesn’t get their way can’t abuse the recall system to deceive a community and intimidate elected officials. I hope that members of UFCW 555 hold UFCW’s leadership and individuals behind this recall accountable for wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars from their dues, without making a single worker’s life better."[21]
Following the recall election, the union released a statement expressing its respect for the voters' decision. The concession statement stated, "The Recall campaign gave Eugene voters an opportunity to evaluate Rep. Holvey’s record without the distraction of up-ticket races, and those voters affirmed that his values are those which should represent District 8 in Salem. While it is not the conclusion we had hoped for, the Recall campaign and UFCW 555 respect that decision."[22]
The initiative to recall Holvey marked the first state legislative recall to reach the ballot since the 2018 recall targeting California state Senator Josh Newman (D). Newman was recalled by voters with 58% of the vote.
Holvey was elected to the state House in 2004. He was re-elected in 2022 with 85% of the vote to a two-year term. As of the 2023 legislative session, Holvey served as House speaker pro tempore.
Temecula Valley Unified School District recall, California
An effort to recall three of the five members of the Temecula Valley Unified School District Board of Education in California began in June 2023.[3][4] Supporters filed approximately 5,200 signatures against Trustee Area 4 representative Joseph Komrosky on December 6, 2023. They did not collect enough signatures to recall Trustee Area 2 representative Danny Gonzalez or Trustee Area 3 representative Jennifer Wiersma.[23]
To get the recalls on the ballot, supporters had to submit signatures by December 8, 2023. A total of 4,280 verified signatures are required to put the recall against Komrosky on the ballot. The Riverside County Registrar of Voters has 60 days to verify if enough signatures were submitted.[24] To get the other recalls on the ballot, 4,392 signatures would have been required against Gonzalez and 3,987 signatures would have been required against Wiersma.[25]
The recall effort started after the board voted 3-2 against a new social studies curriculum published by the Teachers Curriculum Institute (TCI) at a board meeting on May 16, 2023, with Gonzalez, Wiersma, and Komrosky voting against. The social studies curriculum was for first through fifth grades and was scheduled to be used for eight years starting in the 2023-2024 school year.[26]
The board reviewed the textbooks again on July 18, 2023, and again voted 3-2 to reject them.[27] After the second vote, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced that the district would be fined $1.5 million and charged an additional $1.6 million to pay for the state to ship the district new textbooks.[28] On July 21, 2023, the board voted 4-0 to approve the new curriculum. The vote also postponed one lesson for fourth graders pending further review. Wiersma and Komrosky voted with the other members of the board to approve the curriculum. Gonzalez was absent.[29]
The recall was started by the One Temecula Valley Political Action Committee. On its website, the PAC said, "We understand that the chaos created by these board members has caused concern and frustration within our community. Therefore, we are taking action to ensure that our schools can move forward in a positive direction."[3] The Temecula Valley Educators Association voted to support the recall effort.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Inland Empire chapter and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Southwest Riverside branch 1034 also announced their support of the recall effort.[6]
When voting against the social studies curriculum, Wiersma said that sexual orientation and LGBTQ issues did not need to be taught in elementary school. Both Komrosky and Gonzalez said they did not agree with the mentions of Harvey Milk in the textbook's optional supporting materials. They both called Milk a pedophile in reference to a biography of Milk that alleged he had a relationship with a 16-year-old when he was 33.[26]
“When I look at the TCI curriculum, I don’t see American exceptionalism,” Wiersma said. “I don’t see all the things we need to see. We are going to hit the standards, but if we are totally going to utilize TCI, we need to talk about bias. I don’t see a fair and balanced viewpoint. I don’t see the civics.”[27]
Gonzalez, Wiersma, and Komrosky were elected to four-year terms on the board in November 2022.[7]
Tom Crosby recall, Cochise County, Arizona
An attempt to recall Cochise County District 1 Supervisor Tom Crosby in Arizona began in January 2023. Recall supporters needed to collect 4,865 valid signatures of residents in Supervisor District 1 by May 3, 2023, to get the recall on the ballot.[8] The recall effort failed after supporters did not collect the required number of signatures by the deadline.[9] Crosby won an uncontested election to the supervisor position in 2020.[30]
Following the 2022 election, Crosby and District 3 Supervisor Peggy Judd declined to certify the county's election results. After Pima County Superior Court Judge Casey McGinley ordered the county to certify its results, Judd and District 2 Supervisor Ann English voted to do so. Crosby did not participate in the vote.[31]
Supporters of the recall argued that Crosby attempted to obstruct the county's election procedures by refusing to certify thousands of ballots. They also argued that he improperly advocated for the hand count of ballots and wasted government resources.[10] Ballotpedia did not locate a response to the recall effort from Crosby.
In late November 2023, Crosby and Judd were charged with felonies for delaying the county's vote counting and interfering with the statewide count.[11]
Pamela Price recall, Alameda County, California
An effort to recall Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price in California was initiated in 2023.[12] The recall attempt was launched by the group Save Alameda for Everyone (SAFE). The threshold to get the recall on the ballot is a number of signatures equal to 10% of the number of registered voters in the county (more than 93,000 signatures).[13] Price was first elected in 2022 with 53.1% of the vote.
Politico characterized the recall effort against Price as part of a wave of recalls against progressive prosecutors in California.[32] Two such high-profile recalls took place from 2021-2022: the effort against San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, which succeeded, and the effort against Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, which failed.
Recall organizers argue that Price should be recalled for leniency in sentencing enhancements and her mishandling of homicide cases.[13] Supporters contend that Price's criminal justice reforms hurt victims and their families by not going far enough to deliver justice. Specifically, recall supporters pointed to a 7% increase in robberies compared to 2022 and the perceived leniency of charges against suspects in the murders of Blake Mohs and Joseph Wu, a toddler.[14]
Price responded to the recall attempt by arguing that the effort was organized by Republican-connected special interest groups. Price also argued that sentencing enhancements propagate racial disparities and advocated for alternatives to incarceration.[14] On November 27, the ACLU of Northern California released a statement expressing its support of Price, arguing that the recall effort was rash given that Price took office less than one year ago. The statement also argued that Price should not be held accountable for crime rates, which were high before she took office, and expressed support for Price’s “meaningful and compassionate public safety solutions that are consistent with the values of civil liberties and civil rights.”[15]
In late 2023, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors rejected a proposed charter change that would have aligned Alameda County’s recall procedures with those of the state in a 3-2 vote. This change would have given more time for signature counting and verification and would have also raised the signature threshold by about 20,000.[33]
Webber Township recall, Michigan
- See also: Webber Township recall, Michigan (2023)
Recall elections against Township Clerk Kathy Young and Treasurer Pat Williams were held on November 7, 2023, in Webber Township, Michigan. The recall was organized by Piedad Medina, who said the officials should have been recalled for what she believed were unlawful expenditures, violations of ordinances, and failures to maintain financial records. Medina also said that the township board purposefully left classified documents out, with the intention of having her read them as a means to terminate her from her position as deputy clerk.[16]
Township Supervisor Ernie Wogatzke was also targeted in the recall effort, but that recall did not make it to the ballot.[18]
Deborah Hanes and Young both received 83 votes in the election, with 72 votes going to Nikki Hughes. Williams retained her seat as treasurer with 98 votes, defeating Medina, who earned 97 votes. Jacqueline Jacobs garnered 42 votes.[17]
Hanes was declared the winner over Young after a tie-breaking ceremony held on November 16, 2023. The tiebreaker involved a three-step process:[18]
- Both candidates were asked to think of a number between one and fifteen. The correct number, seven, was guessed accurately by Hanes.
- Following Hanes' success in the first stage, she was prompted to call heads or tails in a coin flip, which was won by Young.
- Young was then invited to reach into a hat to pick out one of two folded pieces of paper. The paper she chose read "Not Elected," and Hanes was declared the winner.
See also
- Recall overview
- Political recall efforts
- Political recall efforts, 2023
- Laws governing recall
- Ballotpedia's 2022 Recall Analysis
- Ballotpedia's Mid-Year Recall Report (2023)
Footnotes
- ↑ Oregon Public Broadcasting, "One of Oregon’s largest unions is going to try to oust an influential Democrat," May 22, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Oregon Capital Chronicle, "Oregon food workers union targets Rep. Paul Holvey for recall," May 22, 2023
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 One Temecula Valley Political Action Committee, "Recall," accessed June 16, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Temecula Valley Unified School District, "Governing Board Members," accessed June 16, 2023
- ↑ The Press-Enterprise, "They had a deal. So why aren’t Temecula teachers getting raises?" September 28, 2023
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Patch, "NAACP, LULAC Support Recall Of 3 Temecula Valley USD Board Members," October 4, 2023
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Palm Springs Desert Sun, "Temecula's conservative board may try to fire school district's superintendent. The backstory," June 10, 2023
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Arizona Public Media, "Recall petitions circulating for Cochise County supervisor," January 11, 2023
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 azcentral.com, "Will there be a recall election for Cochise County Supervisor Tom Crosby?" May 4, 2023
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Cochise County Department of Elections, "Recall Application for Supervisor Tom Crosby," January 3, 2023
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 CNN, “Arizona Republican officials face criminal charges for delay in certifying last year’s election results,” accessed December 12, 2023
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 nbcbayarea.com, "Group launches effort to recall Alameda County DA Pamela Price," July 12, 2023
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 ktvu.com, "Recall committee formed against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price," July 13, 2023
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 cbsnews.com, "Embattled Alameda County DA Pamela Price responds to recall effort, critics," July 17, 2023
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 ACLU of Northern California, “The ACLU of Northern California Opposes Recall of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price,” November 27, 2023
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Pioneer, "Former employees call for recall of Webber Township officials," May 6, 2023
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Lake County, Michigan, "November 7th 2023 Election," accessed November 16, 2023
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Big Rapids Pioneer, "Webber township tiebreak: Hanes wins tiebreaker, wins clerk seat," November 16, 2023
- ↑ One of these defeated recalls (Crescent City, Florida) was approved by voters at the ballot, but the Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal invalidated the results of the election after it was held, keeping the officeholder in office.
- ↑ Oregon Public Broadcasting, "One of Oregon’s largest unions is going to try to oust an influential Democrat," May 22, 2023
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Eugene voters reject recall against state Rep. Paul Holvey in resounding fashion," October 4, 2023
- ↑ Recall Paul Holvey, "Main page," accessed December 13, 2023
- ↑ The San Bernardino Sun, "Signatures turned in to seek recall of one Temecula school board member," December 6, 2023
- ↑ California Legislature, "SB-386 Elections.(2023-2024): Today's Law As Amended," accessed October 18, 2023
- ↑ The Press-Enterprise, "Temecula school board recall backers start gathering signatures," August 13, 2023
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 The Press Enterprise, "Teachers, others protest Temecula school board meeting after curriculum’s rejection," June 13, 2023
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 EdSource, "Temecula board again votes to reject textbooks, despite warnings from Newsom," July 19, 2023
- ↑ NBC News, "California to fine school district $1.5 million for rejecting materials mentioning Harvey Milk," July 19, 2023
- ↑ KBPS, "Temecula Valley Unified board unanimously approves previously rejected textbooks," July 24, 2023
- ↑ Cochise County, Arizona, "OFFICIAL RESULTS," accessed June 15, 2023
- ↑ azcentral.com, "Cochise County residents aim to recall supervisor who failed to certify election results," February 21, 2023
- ↑ Politico, “California keeps electing progressive DAs — then pushing to recall them,” August 15, 2023
- ↑ postnewsgroup.com, “Alameda County Board of Supervisors Fails to OK Charter Amendment on Recall Process
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