Janelle Bowles recall, Peoria Unified School District, Arizona (2025)
| Janelle Bowles recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2025 Recalls in Arizona Arizona recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Janelle Bowles from her position on the Peoria Unified School District school board began in November 2025 and is underway. The recall effort was initiated following comments Bowles made during the November 13, 2025, meeting of the school board.[1]
Bowles was elected to the school board in 2024.
Recall supporters
The application for a recall petition against Bowles can be found below. Brendan Van Horn filed the application.[2]
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I seek to recall PUSD board member, Janelle Bowles, due to her demonstration of conduct inconsistent with nonpartisan responsibilities of a school board member. At recent board meetings, the member has publically asserted that she believes residents are not procreating enough to maintain enrollment numbers, calling on them to do so while quoting a partisan political figure. These actions are inappropriate and outside the responsibilities and duties of a school board member, eroding credibility/trust in the district and undermining the voices and beliefs of the district's diverse constituents. [3] |
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Recall opponents
Ballotpedia had not identified a response to the recall effort as of December 10, 2025.
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Arizona
No specific grounds are required for recall in Arizona. To begin the recall process, supporters must file an application for a recall petition that must be approved by the relevant election office. To get the recall on the ballot, supporters must collect signatures equal to 25% of the votes cast for all candidates at the last election for the relevant office in 120 days.[4]
2025 recall efforts
- See also: School board recalls
Ballotpedia has tracked 29 school board recall efforts against 55 board members in 2025. Recall elections against three board members were approved by voters on April 22, 2025, and June 10, 2025, removing all three from office. One recall election against a board member was approved on November 4, 2025, and one recall effort against a board member was defeated. Recall elections against three other members were also held on November 18, 2025, with voters retaining all three members.
The chart below details the status of 2025 recall efforts by individual school board member.
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
- Peoria Unified School District, Arizona
- Peoria Unified School District, Arizona, elections
- Recall campaigns in Arizona
- Political recall efforts, 2025
- School board recalls
- States that allow school board recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent, "Recall elections," accessed December 9, 2025
- ↑ Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent, "APPLICATION FOR RECALL PETITION SERIAL NUMBER," accessed December 9, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Recall," accessed October 16, 2023
