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Gordon Harris recall, Lubbock, Texas (2025)
| Gordon Harris recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2025 Recalls in Texas Texas recall laws City council recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall District 2 City Councilman Gordon Harris is underway in Lubbock, Texas.[1]
Recall supporters
Recall organizers said in a statement:[2]
| “ |
Good morning. We're here today because the citizens of Lubbock have had enough. It's with a heavy heart, but firm resolve, that we've just filed the necessary paperwork to initiate a recall of Councilman Gordon Harris. For too long, residents in his district have watched crime rates climb – property crimes, drugs, and even violent shootings and murders – with what appears to be a deafening silence and a distinct lack of action from their elected representative. When the safety of our families and our homes is at stake, and the most basic responsibility of a city councilman goes unaddressed, folks start to feel like they’ve been left out in the cold, and frankly, we’re tired of it. But the frustration doesn't stop with public safety. Just recently, Councilman Harris cast a vote getting rid of all impact fees, a move that, plain and simple, acts as an effective tax hike on the very citizens already struggling under the weight of an ever-increasing tax burden while the big wigs and the rich get off tax free. Our hardworking families and small businesses are already stretching every dollar, trying to make ends meet, while they watch their property taxes climb year after year. To then turn around and add yet another layer of cost to their lives shows a profound disconnect from the realities facing the people he’s sworn to represent. And this is where the bitter pill of hypocrisy becomes impossible to swallow. It truly makes you wonder how Councilman Harris can, in good conscience, vote to raise the financial burden on Lubbock families, all while, by his own public admission, he hasn’t been paying his fair share of taxes. To ask us to pay more, while allegedly not fulfilling his own civic duty, isn't just baffling, it’s insulting. On top of that, he’s actively expressed interest in making the city council position a paid one. It begs the question: is his priority serving the public, or is it personal gain? This kind of double standard isn't just poor leadership; it's a betrayal of the trust placed in him by the people of Lubbock. We, the average taxpayers and residents of Lubbock, have been lied to, and frankly, we have every right to be angry and demand better. A city councilman's job, at its absolute basic level, is to ensure the safety of his constituents and manage the city's finances responsibly, with respect for the taxpayers' hard-earned money. Councilman Harris has, in our view, failed on both counts. This recall isn't about politics as usual; it's about accountability. It's about sending a clear message that we expect our elected officials to show up, to act, to pay their taxes like the rest of us, and to prioritize the well-being of our community above all else. We deserve a representative who understands what it means to lead with integrity and serve with conviction. [3] |
” |
Recall opponents
Regarding the recall effort, Harris has said, "I've got more people who support me than are against me," and "We've got a saying that if you don't have 10 haters in life, you haven't done anything in life."[1]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Texas
No specific grounds are required for recall in Texas. The recall of local officials in Texas is governed by local charters. Because of this, recall laws regarding signature requirements and circulation time vary by locality.[4]
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 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
- Lubbock, Texas
- Recall campaigns in Texas
- Political recall efforts, 2025
- City council recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 KCBD, "Lubbock Coalition of Black Democrats collecting signatures for recall of Councilman Gordon Harris," September 3, 2025
- ↑ Facebook, "Recall Gordon Harris," September 2, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ San Antonio Express-News, "Unusual ballot features Fredericksburg councilman as recall target and mayoral contender," May 3, 2012
