Alpena Public Schools recall, Michigan (2026)
| Alpena Public Schools recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Monica Dziesinski Eric Lawson |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2026 Recalls in Michigan Michigan recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Sarah Costain, Monica Dziesinski, and Eric Lawson from their positions on the Alpena Public Schools school board is underway.[1]
Recall supporters
Yvonne Johnson filed the petitions on January 12, 2026. She withdrew the petitions due to a clerical error, and re-filed them on February 14, 2026. Johnson has said, "Many of us in the community are fed up with these board members pushing their personal agendas instead of serving all APS students," and alleged that the board members "are wasting taxpayer dollars and squandering valuable learning opportunities for the community’s children."[1][2]
Recall opponents
In a letter to the editor published in The Alpena News, Dziesinski said in part, "When it comes to Alpena Public Schools Board of Education, I vote with common sense and fiscal responsibility, and FULLY stand by the three votes that a small group is trying to recall me for. The decisions for the votes were made carefully, and I came to my conclusions by listening to the input of the community and fellow board members. This reflects my shared commitment to what’s best for our students and the taxpayers."[3]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Michigan
No specific grounds are required for recall in Michigan. To get a recall on the ballot in Michigan, recall supporters must collect signatures equal in number to 25% of voters in the jurisdiction in the last gubernatorial election. They have 60 days between the collection of the first signature and the collection of the last signature on the petition. Recall petitions are eligible to collect signatures for 180 days.[4][5][6]
2026 recall efforts
- See also: School board recalls
Ballotpedia has tracked 14 school board recall efforts against 35 board members in 2026. A recall election for one board member was scheduled for March 3, 2026.
The chart below details the status of 2026 recall efforts by individual school board member.
Recall context
- See also: Ballotpedia's Recall Report
Ballotpedia covers recall efforts across the country for all state and local elected offices. A recall effort is considered official if the petitioning party has filed an official form, such as a notice of intent to recall, with the relevant election agency.
The chart below shows how many officials were included in recall efforts from 2012 to 2025 as well as how many of them defeated recall elections to stay in office and how many were removed from office in recall elections.
See also
- Ballotpedia's Recall Report
- Alpena Public Schools, Michigan
- Alpena Public Schools, Michigan, elections
- Recall campaigns in Michigan
- Political recall efforts, 2026
- School board recalls
- States that allow school board recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 True North Radio Network, "Petitions filed to recall 3 Alpena Public Schools board members," January 14, 2026
- ↑ The Alpena News, "Recall language refiled for Lawson, Costain, and Dziesinski," February 14, 2026
- ↑ The Alpena News, "Response to recall," March 7, 2026
- ↑ Michigan Election Law, "Act 116 of 1954: 168.955 Recall petition; number of signatures; certification." accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ 'Michigan Election Law, "Act 116 of 1954: 168.961 Recall petition; filing; receipt; duties of filing official; duties of city or township clerk; certificate; duties of village clerk; use of qualified voter file." accessed October 13, 2023
- ↑ Michigan Election Officials' Manual, "Chapter 18 Recall Process," August 2017
