Michigan: Six House members targeted in recall effort

Petitions have been taken out against six Michigan House members, Democratic Representatives Jennifer Conlin, Betsy Coffia, Sharon MacDonell, Reggie Miller and Jamie Churches and a sixth against Republican Representative Cam Cavitt.

The five Democrats are targeted over votes in favor of red flag laws to remove guns from people who are considered extreme risks (Coffia and MacDonell) and hate crimes legislation (Conlin, Miller and Churches), though the fact that the Democrats have a narrow 56-54 majority in the House is  leading petitioners to think they can gain control of the chamber with recalls. 

Cavitt is facing a recall over his vote in favor of electing Representative Joe Tate as speaker. 

Recalls to flip a chamber are not unusual and have actually worked, though the longer term implications are frequently poor. Recalls in Washington in 1981, Michigan in 1983, California in 1995, Wisconsin in 1996, Wisconsin in 2011, 2012, Colorado in 2013 and attempts in Colorado and Nevada in 2019 all had this goal. In Michigan, California and Wisconsin (1996), recalls actually resulted in change of control, though only the Michigan one stuck (Democrats have been out of power in the Michigan Senate for nearly 40 years, ending this last election.

Michigan has also had four state legislative elections, in 1983, 2008 and 2011. Three of the four led to removal.