Derek Dobies recall, Jackson City Council, Michigan (2017)
| Jackson City Council recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| November 7, 2017 |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2017 Recalls in Michigan Michigan recall laws City council recalls Recall reports |
Colleen Sullivan won a four-candidate recall race to replace Jackson City Councilman Derek Dobies in a recall election on November 7, 2017. Dobies did not file for the recall election, opting to run for mayor. The mayoral race and the recall election appeared on the same ballot. Dobies won the mayoral election against Bill Jors.[1]
The recall effort was started by Roger Roty over Dobies's support for the city's non-discrimination ordinance. Roty initiated the recall because the ordinance included a $500 fine for each violation and lacked an exception for religious beliefs. Dobies countered that the effort should not have advanced past a clarity hearing due to a lack of clear language.[2] Sullivan served until the end of the unexpired four-year term in 2019.
Recall vote
A recall election took place on November 7, 2017. Dobies announced following the petition's verification that he would not run in the recall election.[3] The following candidates appeared on the ballot:[4]
- ☐ Jeffrey Feahr
- ☑ Colleen Sullivan
- ☐ Matthew Swartzlander
- ☐ John Wilson
Results
| Mayor of Flint Recall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Colleen Sullivan | 709 | 47.46% | ||
 Jeffrey Feahr | 489 | 32.73% | ||
| John Wilson | 230 | 15.39% | ||
| Matthew Swartzlander | 66 | 4.42% | ||
| Election results via: Jackson County Election's Office (Accessed: November 7, 2017) | ||||
Recall supporters
The Jackson County Election Commission approved three of six petitions for circulation on May 9, 2017. The commission found petitions A, E, and F clear enough for circulation, while petitions B, C, and D were rejected. The petitions are quoted below:
| “ |
|
” |
| —Roger Roty (2017) | ||
Recall opponents
Dobies issued the following statement about Roty's petitions on May 8, 2017:
| “ |
It's an attempt by the good ol' boys establishment to retaliate against me and reverse the progress we've made as a city since I took office in 2012. I've never been afraid of a tough fight, and as Jackson's next mayor, I'll never stop fighting to make positive changes for our city, even when it means standing up against the out-of-touch establishment.[6][5] |
” |
| —Derek Dobies (2017) | ||
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Michigan
Roty needed to gather at least 495 signatures within a 60-day window to bring the recall effort to the ballot. The 60-day collection period needed to take place within a 180-day window after the clarity hearing or a completed appeal of the committee's decision.
Roty submitted 645 signatures to the Jackson County Clerk on August 2, 2017.[7] The clerk's office verified 608 signatures as valid in September 2017, allowing the recall to reach the ballot. The deadline for candidates to file for the recall election was September 15, 2017.[3]
Recent news
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See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Jackson County, Michigan, "Election Summary Report," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 MLive, "Language for 3 recall petitions approved, Jackson councilman plans appeal," May 10, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 MLive, "Jackson councilman officially recalled, window opens for candidates to file," September 6, 2017
- ↑ MLive, "Following recall, 4 candidates file to run for Sixth Ward council seat," September 18, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ MLive, "Electoral mess brewing as resident attempts recall of Derek Dobies," May 8, 2017
- ↑ MLive, "645 signatures submitted to recall councilman for his tweet," August 3, 2017
