Darrin Fox and Heidi Fortress recall, Hazel Park Schools, Michigan (2026)
| Hazel Park Schools recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Heidi Fortress |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2026 Recalls in Michigan Michigan recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Darrin Fox and Heidi Fortress from their positions on the Hazel Park Schools Board of Education in Michigan did not go to a vote after the recall petitions were deemed insufficient by the Oakland County Election Commission on April 2, 2026, during a clarity and factual hearing.[1]
Recall supporters
Hazel Park Schools parent Rebecca Ellis filed the recall petitions after the March 16, 2026, meeting of the school board. Ellis said, "I’m hoping we can get the chance to choose a board we can trust and move forward for a better future for our children."[2]
Recall opponents
Ballotpedia had not identified a response to the recall effort as of April 8, 2026.
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.[3][4][5]
2026 recall efforts
- See also: School board recalls
Ballotpedia has tracked 15 school board recall efforts against 37 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
- Hazel Park Schools, Michigan
- Hazel Park Schools, Michigan, elections
- Recall campaigns in Michigan
- Political recall efforts, 2026
- School board recalls
- States that allow school board recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Phone communication with Oakland County Elections Division," April 8, 2026
- ↑ Oakland County Times, "Four Hazel Park School Board Officials Absent from Meeting, Recall Petitions in Progress," accessed April 8, 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
