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Cindy Woodman recall, Graham County, Arizona (2020)
| Graham County Superior Court Clerk recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| May 19, 2020 |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2020 Recalls in Arizona Arizona recall laws County official recalls Recall reports |
A recall election seeking to remove Cindy Woodman (R) from her position as Graham County Clerk of the Superior Court in Arizona was held on May 19, 2020.[1] Heidi Torrio and Marianne Clonts filed to run in the election.[2] Woodman was voted out of office as Torrio received the most votes in the election.[3]
The recall effort started in September 2019. Recall organizers cited high turnover, lack of institutional knowledge, and a court ruling that found Woodman was derelict in her duties as reasons for the circulation of petitions. Woodman declined to comment when asked about the issue by the Eastern Arizona Courier.[4]
To get the recall on the ballot, recall organizers had to collect signatures from at least 2,697 registered voters. They submitted 3,147 signatures on November 18, 2019, and enough signatures were deemed valid to schedule a recall election.[4][5]
On October 11, 2019, Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Brutinel signed an order that placed the Graham County Clerk of the Court's Office under the direct supervision of Judge Michael Peterson. Woodman was prohibited from conducting clerk's duties but continued to receive her full salary.[5][6][7]
Recall vote
General election
General election for Graham County Clerk of Superior Court
Heidi Torrio defeated Marianne Clonts and incumbent Cindy Woodman in the general election for Graham County Clerk of Superior Court on May 19, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Heidi Torrio (R) | 67.1 | 3,770 | |
| Marianne Clonts (R) | 27.3 | 1,531 | ||
| Cindy Woodman (R) | 5.5 | 311 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 5 | ||
| Total votes: 5,617 | |||
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Recall supporters
Organizers of the recall cited the following as reasons for their effort, according to the Eastern Arizona Courier:[4]
- Conduct unbecoming of an elected official;
- unprecedented turnover;
- continued alienation of clerk's office staff and other colleagues; and
- a lack of basic knowledge of court procedures.
Recall opponents
Graham County Republican Party chairman John Duane Rhodes spoke in support of Woodman. He said the petition was an attempt to hold another election, rather than a reaction to Woodman's performance. Rhodes also said Woodman inherited a hostile work environment from her predecessor, and he believed she had done a good job despite the lack of training provided to her from the county.[4]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Arizona
Recall organizers had until January 1, 2020, to collect the signatures of at least 2,697 registered voters. They submitted 3,147 signatures on November 18, 2019, and enough signatures were deemed valid to schedule a recall election. Woodman had until January 30, 2020, to choose whether or not to resign from her position before a recall election was scheduled.[4][5][8] She did not resign.[9] The Graham County Board of Supervisors scheduled the recall election for May 19, 2020. The deadline for candidates to submit nomination papers for this election was March 23, 2020.[1]
See also
- Graham County, Arizona
- Recall campaigns in Arizona
- Political recall efforts, 2019
- Political recall efforts, 2020
- County official recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Eastern Arizona Courier, "Court clerk recall election is May 19," February 13, 2020
- ↑ Graham County Elections, "Candidates & Propositions," accessed March 31, 2020
- ↑ Graham County, Arizona, "Summary Results Report Recall Election May 19, 2020," accessed May 20, 2020
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Eastern Arizona Courier, "Court Clerk recall effort launched," September 5, 2019
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Eastern Arizona Courier, "Court Clerk recall nears next steps," January 23, 2020
- ↑ Eastern Arizona Courier, "State Supreme Court gives Peterson supervision over Clerk’s Office," October 14, 2019
- ↑ Arizona Capital Times, "Court clerk’s removal from office raises legal questions," October 25, 2019
- ↑ Gila Herald, "Woodman recall moving forward," January 23, 2020
- ↑ East Arizona Courier, "Court Clerk recall heading to the ballot," February 3, 2020
