Patrick Colbeck recall, Michigan State Senate (2012)

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An effort to recall Patrick Colbeck, a member of the Republican Party, from his elected position representing District 7 in the Michigan State Senate was launched in the summer of 2011 over his support for Michigan's emergency manager legislation. The recall was officially abandoned by the Committee to Recall Patrick Colbeck on February 7, 2012.

Path to the ballot

Recall language targeting Colbeck for his support of the emergency financial manager law was approved by the Wayne County Clerks office in mid-August 2011. Petitioners had 180 days to gather 27,300 signatures in order to trigger a recall election. Recall organizer Mary Kelley said, "Our wording is simple. People don't want an unelected bureaucrat running their cities or schools."

The effort failed to collect enough signatures to be put on the November 2011 ballot. Recall organizers hoped to gather enough signatures to place the recall question on the February 2012 ballot, but abandoned the effort on February 7.

Recall leader Mary Kelley cited several reasons why the effort was dropped, including difficulties getting the organizational support and money necessary, strict recall rules, necessitating all signatures be collected within 90 days, and a lack of name recognition for Colbeck.

See also

• Recall campaigns in Michigan
• Political recall efforts, 2011
• Laws governing recall in Michigan