Frank White recall, Jackson County, Missouri (2024-2025)
| Frank White recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| September 30, 2025 |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2025 Recalls in Missouri Missouri recall laws County official recalls Recall reports |
An election to recall Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. took place on September 30, 2025, in Jackson County, Missouri. Voters recalled White in the election.[2]
The recall effort was started by the group Democracy in Action. In order to get the recall on the ballot, organizers needed to collect signatures from 42,902 registered voters in Jackson County. In April 2025, recall organizers claimed to have turned in 60,000 petition signatures. County officials said it would take up to two weeks to verify the signatures.[3] Organizers handed in an additional 20,000 signatures in May 2025.[4]
On June 30, 2025, the Jackson County Election Board announced that 43,011 verified signatures were submitted.[5] The Jackson County Legislature unanimously voted to schedule a recall election following the verification of the signatures. The legislature set the recall election date for August 26, 2025, but the county election board said that there was not enough time to "build the election" by that date.[6]
On July 10, 2025, the Jackson County Election Board and the Kansas City Election Board sought a court order to delay the August 26 election. The Jackson County Charter "mandates a recall election within 60 days of certified petitions," but the lawsuit argues that the August 26 election date would violate Missouri statutory and federal requirements for the conduct of elections. The elections boards requested that the court move the election date to November 4, 2025.[7] White vetoed the ordinance calling for the August 26 recall election on July 17, calling it "a complete disregard for election authorities’ guidance and the unnecessary waste of nearly $2 million in taxpayer money.”[8] On August 4, 2025, a Jackson County judge scheduled the recall election for September 30, 2025.[9]
White was first elected to a four-year term as Jackson County Executive on November 6, 2018. He was reelected on November 8, 2022.
Recall vote
Frank White Jr. recall, 2025
Frank White Jr. lost the Jackson County Executive recall election on September 30, 2025.
Recall Vote |
% |
Votes |
|||
| ✖ | Yes |
85.2
|
64,469 | ||
No |
14.8
|
11,191 | |||
Total Votes |
75,660 | ||||
|
|
Recall supporters
Critics of White claimed that his administration "mishandled the process to set real estate values for tax purposes" and had "refused to make change that lessen the impact of rising property taxes."[10]
Recall opponents
In response to the recall attempt, White said the following:[11]
| “ |
This recall effort is nothing more than a political sideshow funded by a dark money group and led by individuals who prioritize self-promotion over the future of Jackson County. A failed politician who took part in the events of January 6th has teamed up with a first-term legislator who consistently puts his own ambitions ahead of honesty and the interests of the people who elected him. Their goal isn’t to serve the residents of Jackson County; it’s to distract, intimidate, and turn back the clock on the progress we’ve made. When I took office, Jackson County’s government was plagued by political patronage and corruption that put the interests of a few ahead of the needs of the many. I was elected to change that, to root out corruption, to bring transparency and accountability, and to take on the big fights—fights that aren’t always politically convenient but are necessary to build a better future. We’ve made hard changes and taken on challenges that don’t always make us popular in political circles, but I’ll continue to do what’s right for Jackson County. Our residents deserve leadership that works for them—not for special interests, not for political gain, but for the good of our entire community. [12] |
” |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Missouri
Missouri allows the following grounds for recall: misconduct in office, incompetence, or failure to perform duties prescribed by law. To get the recall on the ballot, supporters must collect signatures equal to 25% of registered voters in the jurisdiction in 60 days.[13]
Recalll 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
- Jackson County, Missouri
- Recall campaigns in Missouri
- Political recall efforts, 2024
- County official recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "A mysterious new KC group is reigniting push to recall Frank White. Who’s paying for it?" accessed December 10, 2024
- ↑ KMBC, "SPECIAL ELECTION RESULTS: Jackson County Executive Frank White heading for defeat" October 1, 2025
- ↑ KMBC News, "Organizers say they have nearly 60,000 signatures to recall Jackson County Executive Frank White" accessed April 30, 2025
- ↑ KMBC News, "More petition signatures turned in as recall effort grows for Jackson County Executive Frank White" accessed May 19, 2025
- ↑ KSHB, "Petition to recall Jackson County Executive Frank White receives enough signatures" June 30, 2025
- ↑ KCUR, "Jackson County board says August date for Frank White recall election is 'almost impossible'" July 8, 2025
- ↑ KMBC, "Election boards sue to delay Frank White recall election until November" July 11, 2025
- ↑ KMBC, "Jackson County Executive vetoes ‘unlawful, costly’ special recall election" July 17, 2025
- ↑ KCUR, "Frank White Jr. will face recall vote in Sept. 30 special election, Jackson County judge rules" August 4, 2025
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Could KC dark money group pull off Frank White recall? How much money it’s spent so far," accessed December 10, 2024
- ↑ FOX 4, "Efforts to remove Jackson County Executive Frank White begin again," accessed December 10, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Revisor of Missouri, "77.650. Recall of elected officials — procedure — limitations." accessed October 16, 2023
