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Cody Ritts recall, Sonora Elementary School District, California (2025)
| Sonora Elementary School District recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2025 Recalls in California California recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Cody Ritts from his position on the Sonora Elementary School District board of trustees in California began in August 2025.[1]
Ritts won a four-year term on the board in 2024 after running unopposed.[1]
Recall supporters
The notice of intent to recall Ritts said that he failed to represent the school district's best interests. It also said that Ritts “consistently ignored overwhelming input from parents, teachers, and staff – choosing instead to support Superintendent (Cheryl) Griffiths, under whose leadership our once-thriving school has deteriorated dramatically.”[1]
The notice also alleged that the district's superintendent had “driven away over 28 respected and long-standing educators-and our beloved principal of 13 years-through a toxic, authoritarian leadership style, harmful instructional mandates, and discriminatory policies.”[1]
The notice said that Ritts voted too early to extend Griffiths' contract. “Meaningful change cannot happen until new board members are elected who will listen to stakeholders, restore trust, and lead with transparency, respect, integrity and responsibility,” the notice said.[1]
Recall opponents
In reaction to the recall effort against him, Ritts said that he was serving his third unopposed term on the board. He said the district was fully staffed for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. He also said:[1]
| “ | Last fall, the entire board gave the superintendent a positive evaluation and approved a modest extension, which is a common practice. That decision raised concerns from some in the community, so we immediately engaged the County Superintendent of Schools to help identify and address those issues. Since then, meaningful improvements have been made. There are also people who support the superintendent, including some who have since moved on, but speaking up publicly can risk ruining relationships in this divided environment.[2] | ” |
Ritts said that he was committed to supporting the district's students, teachers, and families. “A special recall election would cost the district a significant amount of money just months before the regular election, when three seats will already be on the ballot. In my opinion, those funds would be better spent on students and staff,” Ritts said.[1]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in California
No specific grounds are required for recall in California. The recall process starts with a notice of intention to recall. The notice must be served to the officer whose recall is being sought as well as published in a newspaper of general circulation. The notice must then be filed with the relevant election office. Once the notice has been deemed sufficient by the election office, a petition must also be filed and approved by the election office. Once the petition is approved, it can be circulated. To get a recall on the ballot, supporters must collect signatures from registered voters in the jurisdiction. The number of signatures required is between 10% and 30% of registered voters in the jurisdiction, depending on the size of the jurisdiction. Jurisdictions with 1,000 registered voters or fewer require 30%, and jurisdictions with 100,000 or more registered voters require 10%. Charter cities can also set their own signature threshold. The amount of time allowed for the circulation of recall petitions also varies by the number of registered voters in a jurisdiction, between 40 and 160 days. Jurisdictions with fewer than 1,000 registered voters allow 40 days, and jurisdictions with more than 50,000 registered voters allow 160 days.[3]
2025 recall efforts
- See also: School board recalls
Ballotpedia has tracked 22 school board recall efforts against 40 board members in 2025. Recall elections against three board members were approved by voters on April 22, 2025, and June 10, 2025, removing all three from office. Recall elections against two other members are being held on November 4, 2025. Recall elections against three other members are being held on November 18, 2025.
The chart below details the status of 2025 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 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
- Sonora Elementary School District, California
- Sonora Elementary School District, California, elections
- Recall campaigns in California
- Political recall efforts, 2025
- School board recalls
- States that allow school board recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Mother Lode News, "Sonora Elementary Board Member, Ritts, Faces Recall Attempt," August 28, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Recall Procedures Guide 2023," accessed October 16, 2023
