Daily Brew: January 5, 2026

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Welcome to the Monday, Jan. 5, Brew.

By: Briana Ryan

Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

1. There were 276 recall efforts in 2025 — more than the 248 efforts in 2024
2. Inside the Democratic primary for one of Illinois’ five open U.S. House seats this year
3. President Donald Trump expands oversight of proxy advisors

There were 276 recall efforts in 2025 — more than the 248 efforts in 2024

In 2025, there were 276 recall efforts against 388 elected officials, an increase in both the number of recall efforts and targeted officials from 2024. That year, there were 248 efforts against 387 officials.

In 2025, voters removed 44 officials, or 11% of those included in efforts, from office in recall elections. That's the lowest percentage of officials removed since 2021, when 5% of officials were removed from office.

For the fourth consecutive year, city council members faced the highest number of recall efforts among all office types. Forty-seven percent of the officials named in recall efforts in 2025 were city councilors. City councilors also faced the highest number of recall efforts each year from 2016 to 2020. In 2021, school board members faced the highest number of recall efforts.

In Michigan, 58 officials faced recall efforts — the most out of any state in 2025. That's the fourth consecutive year that Michigan has had the most officials included in recall efforts. Michigan is one of the 27 states that do not require specific grounds to be met in order for a recall to move forward.

California had the second-highest number of officials included in recall efforts at 47. Colorado had the third-highest number at 36.

When adjusted for state population using the U.S. Census Bureau’s July 2024 population estimates, Alaska became the recall leader with 1.35 recalls per 100,000 residents. It is followed by Rhode Island (0.81 recalls per 100,000 residents) and Nebraska (0.75 recalls per 100,000 residents).

We covered several notable recall elections in 2025:

• On Sept. 9, voters in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, removed Mayor Kahlil Seren from office in a recall election. The vote was 82% to 18%.
• On Sept. 16, voters in San Francisco, California, removed Supervisor Joel Engardio from office in a recall election. The vote was 63% to 37%.
• On Sept. 30, voters in Jackson County, Missouri, removed County Executive Frank White Jr. from office in a recall election. The vote was 89% to 11%.
• On Nov. 4, voters in Mesa, Arizona, removed Councilmember Julie Spilsbury from office in a recall election. The vote was 52% to 48%. 

Thirty-nine states have provisions that allow for the recall of certain elected officials. Eleven states do not permit recalls of elected officials at any level. 

In all 39 of the states where recalls are allowed, local officials can be subject to recall elections. Nineteen of those states also permit recalls of state-level officials.

Click here to check out our full analysis of 2025 recall elections.

Inside the Democratic primary for one of Illinois’ five open U.S. House seats this year

Seventeen candidates are running in the March 17 Democratic primary for Illinois' 9th Congressional District. Kat Abughazaleh (D), Daniel K. Biss (D), and Laura Fine (D) lead in polling.

Incumbent Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), who was first elected in 1998, is not running for re-election. According to Axios' Justin Kaufmann “[Schakowsky’s] decision to step down could pave the way for younger Democrats to take over the district that traditionally skews left.” As of Dec. 16, three major election forecasters have rated the general election either Solid or Safe Democratic.

Abughazaleh is a former researcher and video producer with Media Matters for America, a group that describes itself as "a web-based, not-for-profit, 501 (c)(3) progressive research and information center." Abughazaleh said she is running “because I don't think Democrats are doing enough to stand against fascism, to make billionaires pay their fair share, and to protect the working class.”

Biss has served as mayor of Evanston since 2021. He previously represented District 17 in the Illinois House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013 and District 9 in the Illinois Senate from 2013 to 2019. Biss also ran unsuccessfully for governor of Illinois in 2018. Biss said he is running "because we need Democrats who won't flinch, won't fold, won't forget what we're fighting for.”

Fine has represented District 9 in the state Senate since 2019. She previously represented District 17 in the state House from 2013 to 2019. Fine said she is running "to continue her fight to make sure Illinois continues to have a champion in Washington that stands up for families, not special interests."

Bushra Amiwala (D), Phil Andrew (D), Natalie Angelo (D), Patricia Brown (D), Jeff Cohen (D), Justin Ford (D), Mark Fredrickson (D), Hoan Huynh (D), Bethany Johnson (D), Bruce Leon (D), Sam Polan (D), Nick Pyati (D), Howard Rosenblum (D), and Mike Simmons (D) are also running in the Democratic primary.

Click here for more information about this Democratic primary. Also, if you're a voter in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, check out our Sample Ballot Lookup here to prepare for Election Day.

President Donald Trump expands oversight of proxy advisors

On Dec. 11, President Donald Trump (R) issued an executive order increasing federal scrutiny of the two largest proxy advisory services, Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS). The executive order, “Protecting American Investors from Foreign-Owned and Politically-Motivated Proxy Advisors”, directs the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to expand oversight of and review regulations concerning the two firms.

Among other things, the order directs the SEC to revisit and potentially rescind all rules, regulations, and other guidance for proxy advisors that are inconsistent with the order, “especially to the extent that they implicate ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ and ‘environmental, social, and governance’ policies.”  

Under the Administrative Procedures Act, the SEC must initiate separate rulemaking or formal guidance processes for any significant guidance or regulatory changes. However, with 2026 annual shareholder meetings set to begin in January, the order has immediate implications for corporate governance and proxy advisors. 

Proxy advisors provide shareholders with “research, voting recommendations, and administrative services related to the proxy voting process.” According to a September 2025 report from the Congressional Research Service, Glass Lewis and ISS account for “a combined market share of more than 90%” of the proxy advisory industry. 

In July 2025, a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia limited the SEC’s ability to regulate proxy advisors. The ruling held that “firms such as Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis [do] not constitute a ‘solicitation’ under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,” which overturned a 2020 SEC rule that applied the Exchange Act to proxy advisors.

This was the 220th executive order that Trump signed in his second term in office. As of Dec. 22, Trump has signed 225 executive orders.

Click here to read more about the executive order.