Virginia: Six Loudoun County School Board members facing petitions

A recall effort has been launched against six members of the Loudoun County School Board, Beth Barts, Denise Corbo, Leslee King, Atoosa Reaser, Ian Sertokin and Chair Brenda Sheridan. Barts has also been censured by the school board. The issue seems to be claims that the school board is looking to punish parents who oppose the teaching of Critical Race Theory. Petitioners need 1127 signatures for Barts.

California: Newsom Roundup -- New polls show 56% support Newsom; Davis speaks! and Tarantino references

A New Public Policy Institute of California poll has the recall at 56-40% with Davis surviving. 

Former Governor Gray Davis discusses the recall effort.

Are Latino voters key to the recall effort? Hopefully, we'll look into this a bit more in the coming months.

Richard Grenell, Trump's Ambassador to Germany, who has flirted with a replacement race run, tweets a comparison of anti-Vaxxers with of Holocaust victims (using a scene from Inglorious Basterds).

Democratic Strategist/Gray Davis Advisor Garry South looks at the dropping numbers for Republicans in California and why this has led to recall pushes.

A look at some of the strange possibilities that could come up in the recall election phase, including potential ballot measures.

How the recall works (I'm quoted in this one). 

California: Five Mount Diablo School Board Trustees facing petitions over school reopenings

Five Mount Diablo School Board Trustees, President Cherise Khaund, VP Debra Mason, Keisha Nzewi, Linda Mayor and Erin McFerrin, are facing petitions over complaints about the speed of school reopenings following the coronavirus pandemic. 

Petitioners would need between 5,000 to 7.000 signatures for each official in 120 days. 

Arizona: State Representative facing recall effort files to run for Secretary of State

State Representative Mark Finchem (R), who is facing a recall effort over his alleged support for the Capitol Hill riots on January 6th and the attempted overthrow of the presidential election, has now filed papers for a potential run for Secretary of State.

The recall will required 24,774 signatures in 120 days. 

Ohio: Editorial argues against constant recall threats in Newton Falls

Editorial calls out constant recall threats in Newton Falls.

Petitions seems to have been turned in against Councilwoman Sandra Breymaier (D), with the complaint of unprofessionalism, name-calling against the mayor and a vote in favor of smart meters. Breymaier claiming that Mayor Ken Kline (R) is behind the recall effort. Breymaier notes that she is a swing vote on the Council. Kline denies he is behind the recall effort. Petitions have 211 signatures (not certain from the article how much is needed. The number is 51% of the turnout). 

Newton Falls has an interesting history with the recall. 

California: More on the funding of the recall effort against San Francisco District Attorney

More on the leading backer of the San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin recall effort, with a third of the money so far put up by "PayPal Mafia" investor David Sacks -- though that is only $25K of $75K raised

New Jersey: Obit talks about North Bergen recall battles

Worthwhile obit here of a former Hudson County Surrogate Joseph Ryglicki, who was a key player in some of NJ's most famous recalls. North Bergen Mayor Peter Mocco was removed in a recall in 1978, but won reelection in a same day race. Ryglicki led a failed recall effort in 1980. In 1985, Mocco's allies removed Mayor Anthony DiVincent in a recall vote. 

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Colorado: New Colorado GOP Chair appears not as focused on recalls as the last one

The new Republican Party Chairwoman Kristi Burton Brown is taking a step back from the party's push for recalls under past chair Representative Ken Buck (who famously said in his acceptance speech in 2019 that "We need to teach them how to spell R-E-C-A-L-L." Unfortunately for him, the Democrats, who went from winning two presidential elections in the state between 1952-2004 to winning the last four straight, seemed to be focused on learning other words, such as blowout). 

Burton Brown was a leader in the recall effort against State Representative Tom Sullivan that failed, as did all the other recall efforts. 

Burton Brown noted: 

“I think that recalls can be an effective solution,” she told The Sun earlier this year. “We’ve seen them be effective in Colorado in the past. That specific recall, I’ll just say, I learned a lot from. Recall would not be a major strategy I would focus on as state party chairman. I think if any recalls happen, they need to be extremely selective and extremely strategic and there are better strategies to get our candidates in office.”

Washington: Pierce County Sheriff facing petitions over profiling allegations

Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer is facing petitions after he allegedly profiled a Black newspaper delivery man. 

Colorado: Lake County Coroner recall effort leads to request for a change of venue for trial

The ongoing recall effort against Lake County Coroner Shannon Kent has led to a change of venue motion by his attorney to move his trial to a jurisdiction where he would not be facing the voters. 

Kent is facing a recall effort after his (and his wife's) arrest after leaving a body in funeral facility. The charge is tampering with a deceased human body. Kent is also facing charges for violating bail bond conditions from a 2019 arrest for perjury and misconduct for enlisting his wife as deputy coroner. The state suspended their funeral homes in October 2020 over the cremation of a stillborn baby. Petitioners need 690 signatures in 60 days. 

Minnesota: Outside counsel hired to examine Blue Earth City Council recall effort

An outside counsel is set to be hired to determine if a recall effort against Blue Earth City Councilman John Huisman should be allowed to go forward. Petitioners claim to have more than the 250 signatures needed to get on the ballot. Minnesota is a malfeasance standard state and the petition needs to hit a statutorily delineated reason to get on the ballot. Minnesota has a very high hurdle.

The recall effort claims that Huisman violated the First Amendment for signing a letter calling for a program to be removed from KBEW radio. 

California: Newsom recall roundup -- Pelosi throws cold water on Democrats in the replacement race

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi backs Newsom and says no Democrat should run in the replacement race

The 18 member Jewish Legislative Caucus (all Democrats) backs Newsom before the first born fast

Where should the Recall Newsom forces look for votes? I'm quoted and mention that the rural/red areas ain't gonna be enough and they need to make inroads in LA and with some traditional Democratic voters

And here's a Bloomberg quick take on the recall

Tennessee: Signature requirement debate over charter amendment seeking to ease Nashville recall laws

14,000 signatures have been handed in by an anti-tax attorney who is also proposing easing recall laws against Nashville city officials, with a charter amendment that will lower the amount of signatures needed to get on the ballot from 15% of turnout to 10%, expand the signature timeframe to 75 days from 30 and ban officials from running to replace themselves in a recall. 

There is a debate over how many signatures are needed. The city says that they need 31,212 signatures based on the November election. Petitioner Jim Roberts claims they should use the August election and the number would be 12,142.

Nebraska: Petitions taken out against David City Mayor over masking mandate to battle coronavirus pandemic

Petitions have been taken out against David City Mayor Alan Zavodny over complaints about the mask mandate signed to stop the coronavirus pandemic. Zavodny named the mask mandate after a disabled young man hospitalized for COVID-19 issues. Petitioner needs 275 signatures by April 14.

The petitioner, Gerald Kosch, cited the economic damage of the mask and questioned the coronavirus itself. Specifically:

"As far as (Zavodny's) concern for the injured kid and his coronavirus, I don't think he understands what the coronavirus is. The coronavirus is nothing more than the common cold," Kosch said to The Banner-Press." 

and

"What about the people who lost income because of that? … I don't know of anybody in general but you've seen it happen," Kosch said to The Banner-Press.

California: San Francisco District Attorney recall starts; top backer Silicon Valley Executive

The former PayPal Executive is so far the biggest donor to the effort. 

California: Newsom Roundup -- Can Newsom resign and cancel the recall? Poll out looking good Newsom and more chatter about replacement candidates

Will the Democrats regret not having a top-tier replacement election candidate? (Spoiler alert! No). Will anyone jumping in regret it? Let's look back -- Oh, Oh, yes. 

In the same piece, Alexandra Pelosi floats the idea of Newsom resigning and be replaced by his Lieutenant Governor and the recall being cancelled. That's not how the law works. In some states, you can resign within five days of the recall being approved. Not California -- the recall goes to the ballot whether or not the official resigns. 

A Probolsky Research polls shows Newsom up 53-35% among likely voters (53-46% among all voters). Only 2/3rds of Democrats are in Newsom's camp -- a number he needs to increase, while independents break his way 43-41% (compared to 55% in favor of the recall in the Davis race).

QAnon and other conspiracy theories are unsurprisingly getting involved in the recall effort. 

Alaska: Podcast interview with petitioner on Anchorage Assembly Chair recall set

Here's an podcast interview with one of the leaders of the recall effort against Anchorage Assembly Chair Felix Rivera, which is set for the April 6th General Election. Rivera has filed a lawsuit to toss out the recall effort.

The write-up notes the purchase of a hotel for a shelter as an impetus, though previously stories seem to focus on the claim that Rivera didn't stop a meeting which, due to the size of the audience, violated the emergency order limiting crowds during the coronavirus pandemic (there may have been 17 people at the meeting, which had a limit of 15).

Petitions have been rejected for Assembly members Meg Zaletel, Austin Quinn-Davidson and Kameron Perez-Verdia. New petitions are being reviewed for Quinn-Davidson and Perez-Verdia.

California: Op-ed in the California Recorder on the District Attorneys recall; Podcast on Legal Talk Network

I wrote this piece in the Recorder (an American Lawyer publication) on the District Attorneys recalls in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sonoma County and why there are so few D.A. recalls in the US.

And here's a Podcast interview I did, though focused on LA DA Gascon.

Washington: Three Seattle School Board members facing petitions over COVID pandemic opening

Petitions have been filed against three Seattle School Board Emily Cherkin, Jennifer Crow and Beverly Goodman over complaints that the school did not transition fast enough to in-person teaching during the coronavirus pandemic. There are also complaints about shrinking play areas, selling school property and data protection.

Washington is a malfeasance standard state and the Superior Court first has to approval the charges before it moves forward.

Update: A look at how the Seattle School Board elections work

California: Recall proponents starting documentary on Shasta County Supervisors effort

Restaurant owners who are pushing for a recall against Shasta County Supervisors Leonard Moty, Mary Rickert and Joe Chimenti and Les Baugh have putting out a new documentary series on it (though Baugh does not seem to be a target in this story). They are facing recall threats over their support for restrictions to fight the Covid pandemic (Baugh appears to be opposed to the restrictions). Here's a vastly more detailed look at the fight, which notes that petitioners would need about 4000 valid signatures.