Demetric "Deedy" Slaughter recall, Port Allen, Louisiana (2013)
| Port Allen Mayor recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| November 16, 2013 |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2013 Recalls in Louisiana Louisiana recall laws Mayoral recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Demetric "Deedy" Slaughter from her position as the mayor of Port Allen, Louisiana was launched in June 2013. Election authorities certified that signatures submitted to them on recall petitions were sufficient to force a recall vote.[1][2][3] A recall election was held on November 16, 2013 in which Slaughter was recalled, becoming the first politician to be recalled in West Baton Rouge Parish.[4]
Slaughter announced in February 2014 that she would be running for re-election to the position from which she had been recalled. A special mayoral election is scheduled for April 5, 2014.[5] In advance of the special mayoral election, allegations surfaced that fraudulent signatures were submitted during the city's early voting period.[6]
Background
The recall effort was led by a group of residents who believed Slaughter caused problems for the community. They contended that after her election in 2012 as the first black female mayor of the city, she had tensions with the city council, and caused some controversy through her mayoral actions, including: hiring family for a non-paid staff position, firing the city's chief financial officer, raising her annual salary, and using city money to attend President Barack Obama's inauguration. There were also accusations of increased racial tensions. Recall organizers included Deloris Kibby, Millie Jackson, and John Michael Lockhart.[1][7]
Slaughter's response
Slaughter said the recall petition would increase racial tensions in the community, and that she had worked to prevent a recall effort against a member of the city council she thought would cause similar issues.[1]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Louisiana
Recall organizers submitted the recall petition to the Louisiana Secretary of State on June 7, 2013. The group had 180 days to collect 1,273 signatures to trigger the recall election. While the group had originally aimed to turn in signatures in early July to qualify for the October 19 ballot, they did not submit them until September 3. Recall supporters turned in 1,521 signatures, of which 1,387 were confirmed to be valid about a week later by the West Baton Rouge Parish registrar of voters.[1][3]
Aftermath
Slaughter ran for re-election in the mayoral election held on April 5, 2014. She was defeated, however, by Richard N. Lee III (D), who won over 50 percent of the vote.[8]
The Louisiana State Legislature passed legislation in May 2014 that prevents recalled officials from running in the special elections held to replace them. Slaughter's recall served as the impetus for the legislation.[9]
See also
- Recall campaigns in Louisiana
- Political recall efforts, 2013
- Mayoral recalls
- R.J. Loupe recall, Port Allen, Louisiana (2013)
External links
- Recall an Elected Official by the Louisiana Secretary of State
- Port Allen, Louisiana
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Advocate, "Recall petition filed against Port Allen Mayor Slaughter," June 09, 2013
- ↑ The News Tribune, "Signatures to be delivered in mayoral recall," August 28, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Advocate, "Signatures secured for recall election of Port Allen Mayor," September 10, 2013
- ↑ 9 WAFB, "Port Allen Mayor Deedy Slaughter recalled," November 16, 2013
- ↑ The Advocate, "'Deedy' Slaughter to run again for Port Allen mayor," February 17, 2014
- ↑ WAFB.com, "Sheriff: More voter fraud discovered in Port Allen Mayoral election," March 31, 2014
- ↑ The Westside Journal, "Residents file recall petition," June 12, 2013
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Official Election Results; Mayor - City of Port Allen," accessed April 11, 2014
- ↑ The Times-Picayune, "'Deedy Slaughter bill' heads to Bobby Jindal's desk to become law," May 27, 2014
