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Chris Duhamel recall, Westerly, Rhode Island (2025)
| Chris Duhamel recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2025 Recalls in Rhode Island Rhode Island recall laws City council recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Town Council President Chris Duhamel did not go to a vote in Westerly, Rhode Island, after organizers did not submit sufficient signatures to trigger a recall election.[1][2]
Recall supporters
Jim Tarbox submitted the declaration of intent to petition for recall. Tarbox has said that Duhamel committed "a blatant violation of his oath to uphold the charter, and the public believes that this is a blatant violation of the charter and is sufficient grounds for removal."[1]
Recall opponents
In a letter to the Westerly Sun, Duhamel said in part, "A petition to recall me, Town Councilor Chris Duhamel, is currently circulating in Westerly. This petition is based on a blatantly false rumor that I intend to halt public beach access. On the contrary, I couldn’t be more protective of public access to the shoreline. For the 19 years that I have served on the Town Council, I have always striven to protect beach access and to lead my fellow councilors in that effort."[3]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Rhode Island
Rhode Island allows the following grounds for recall: "Recall is authorized in the case of a general officer who has been indicted or informed against for a felony, convicted of a misdemeanor, or against whom a finding of probable cause of violation of the code of ethics has been made by the ethics commission."[4] The recall of local officials in Rhode Island is governed by local charters. Because of this, recall laws regarding signature requirements and circulation time vary by locality.[5]
According to Westerly's charter, "Within 45 days of the presentation of the valid declaration to the Town Council, a written petition demanding the removal of said official shall be filed with the Town Clerk. Said petition shall include the signatures of qualified voters of the Town of Westerly. The required signatures shall be not less than 20% of the number of votes cast at the most recent general election."[6]
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 2024 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
- Westerly, Rhode Island
- Recall campaigns in Rhode Island
- Political recall efforts, 2025
- City council recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rhode Island PBS, "Westerly Voters Seek to Oust Town Council President Over Beach Access Settlement Talks," May 21, 2025
- ↑ What's Up Newp, "Westerly recall effort fails," July 17, 2025
- ↑ The Westerly Sun, "Letters: Duhamel: The truth about me and shoreline access," May 29, 2025
- ↑ Constitution of the State of Rhode Island, "Article IV, Section 1," accessed October 16, 2023
- ↑ The Narragansett Times, "Town approves voter recall provision," March 23, 2019
- ↑ Westerly Town Charter, "Chapter III Recall Elections," accessed June 4, 2025
