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Herman Baertschiger and Dan DeYoung recall, Josephine County, Oregon (2021-2022)
| Josephine County Commission recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Dan DeYoung |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2022 Recalls in Oregon Oregon recall laws County commission recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall two of the three members of the Josephine County Board of County Commissioners did not go to a vote. Recall supporters did not submit petitions by the deadline on March 2, 2022.[1]
The recall effort began in December 2021. Herman Baertschiger and Dan DeYoung were named in the recall petitions. To get the recall on the ballot, recall supporters would have had to collect more than 6,000 signatures.[2]
Recall supporters listed poor leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the reasons for recall. DeYoung called the recall petitions false and inflammatory. Baertschiger said the recall was not going to be a distraction to his job.[2]
To read about other recall efforts related to the coronavirus and government responses to the pandemic, click here.
Recall supporters
The recall petition against DeYoung said in part, "DeYoung has abused his position as an elected leader by blocking and confusing local efforts to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus, thereby extending Josephine Counties record number of cases, hospitalizations, and death."[2]
The recall petition against Baertschiger said in part, "Baertschiger has fought efforts to inform residents about vaccines that are proven to work."[2]
Recall opponents
In response to the recall effort, DeYoung said, "It’s very inflammatory the whole thing is to both me and my colleague Commissioner Baertschiger, the whole petition is false."[2]
DeYoung also said, "This Covid thing has split our nation, it’s split my home community of Josephine County in half, it’s brought on such hatred, I’ve never witnessed the hatred that I have in the last two years."[2]
Baertschiger said the recall effort did not surprise him and would not be a distraction to his job. "The Covid has been used for a lot of excuses. Not saying it’s not a real thing, but it’s also been hijacked to benefit other political causes," Baertschiger said.[2]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Oregon
The recall petitions were filed with the Josephine County Clerk's Office on December 2, 2021. The county approved the petitions for circulation on December 3, 2021. To get the recall on the ballot, recall supporters would have had to collect more than 6,000 signatures by March 2, 2022.[2]
Ballotpedia covered 35 coronavirus-related recall efforts against 94 officials in 2022, accounting for 13% of recalls that year. This is a decrease from both 2020 and 2021. COVID-related recalls accounted for 37% of all recall efforts in both 2020 and 2021. In 2020, there were 87 COVID-related recalls against 89 officials, and in 2021, there were 131 against 214 officials.
The chart below compares coronavirus-related recalls to recalls for all other reasons in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
See also
- Josephine County, Oregon
- Recall campaigns in Oregon
- Political recall efforts, 2021
- Political recall efforts, 2022
- County commission recalls
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Josephine County Board of County Commissioners
- Josephine County Clerk
Footnotes
