Julie Spilsbury recall, Mesa, Arizona (2025)
| Julie Spilsbury recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| November 4, 2025 |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2025 Recalls in Arizona Arizona recall laws City council recalls Recall reports |
An election to recall District 2 City Councilwoman Julie Spilsbury took place on November 4, 2025, in Mesa, Arizona. [1] Dorean Taylor defeated Spilsbury 52.6%-47.4%.[2]
The recall effort began on January 30, 2025, when Mesa resident JoAnne Robbins filed a recall petition. The grounds given in the petition for the recall effort include Spilsbury's votes in favor of changing a hotel into the site of Mesa's Off the Streets transitional housing program, increasing city council salaries, and increasing utility rates.[3]
Ahead of the recall vote, Spilsbury said, "I took these votes because I believed they were in the best interests of the City and my constituents, and I stand by my decisions." She has also said, "It’s unfortunate that the special interest group behind this effort is willing to waste hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to run a special election in an attempt to overturn the will of the voters just months after I was resoundingly reelected."[4]
Taylor completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. In her response, she said her priorities included "investing in better roads, eliminating traffic congestion, and reducing your commute times," reducing the cost of Mesa City government, and "fostering long-term solutions, support, and enhanced community outreach programs" to address homelessness.
On October 28, 2025, Politico reported that Turning Point USA, the nonprofit organization that Charlie Kirk founded in 2012, helped collect signatures in support of the recall effort, sent texts and emails opposing Spilsbury, and canvased against Spilsbury leading up to the election.[5] Before the election, Politico's Riya Misra wrote, "the outcomes of [Turning Point's] charge against Spilsbury may determine the staying power of Kirk’s legacy, and just how much TPUSA’s influence will shape the future of the party."[6] Ahead of the election, Tyler Bowyer, Turning Point's chief operating officer, criticized Spilsbury, a Republican, for endorsing Kamala Harris (D) in the 2024 presidential election.[7]
During a July 2024 city council meeting, Spilsbury said, "We do not serve a party; we serve the people of Mesa. ... That's how I've approached every vote, every decision and every congregation: with the goal of doing what’s right for our entire community regardless of political affiliation.”[8]
Taylor, also a Republican, said, "I think party affiliation is important when you're running for anything, because everyone will have a bias no matter which party they’re in... I think it’s important to tell that to your voters so that if they don't talk to you, they kind of have an idea of which way you're going to vote.”[9]
Recall organizers needed to collect 3,070 valid signatures to trigger a recall election. Of the signatures that were collected, 3,858 were found to be valid. The filing deadline for candidates interested in running in the recall election was September 5, 2025.[3][10]
Recall vote
General election
Special general election for Mesa City Council District 2
Dorean Taylor defeated incumbent Julie Spilsbury in the special general election for Mesa City Council District 2 on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Dorean Taylor (Nonpartisan)  | 52.8 | 8,219 |
 | Julie Spilsbury (Nonpartisan) | 47.2 | 7,352 | |
| Total votes: 15,571 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Recall supporters
The grounds for the recall effort read:[10]
| “ |
Julie Spilsbury, as an elected official, used her political office to advance private interests: voted yes on November 6, 2023 for Ordinance 5817, authorizing a change in use from a hotel to a social service facility for temporary homeless housing; voted yes on December 2, 2024 for Ordinance numbers 5832 to 5838 to be adopted which raised Mesa utility rate structures; voted yes on December 11, 2024 for ordinance 5840 raising city council salaries.[11] |
” |
Recall opponents
Spilsbury's response to the recall effort reads:[10]
| “ |
For nearly five years, I’ve proudly served as your Councilmember with passion and integrity. I’m honored you’ve elected me twice by large margins. Now, a special-interest group, funded by out-of-state money and using paid petitioners, wants to recall me. Recalls exist primarily for when elected officials commit egregious acts that violate the oath of office. Let’s be clear: this recall isn’t about wrongdoing. It’s because I defeated the group’s preferred candidate last July. They want to overturn that result and are willing to waste hundreds of thousands of your tax dollars to do it. The recall petition cites three of my votes on the City Council. Two of those votes were approved unanimously (7–0), including support from Mayor Mark Freeman. The third vote funded emergency shelter for homeless domestic violence survivors, children, and veterans. I will always support Mesa’s most vulnerable. No Councilmember can please everyone. But, I’ve listened to your input, studied each issue carefully, and voted for what I believe is best for our community. I’ll continue to serve you with that same dedication—and I respectfully ask for your support and your vote. Thank you![11] |
” |
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.[12]
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
- Mesa, Arizona
- Recall campaigns in Arizona
- Political recall efforts, 2025
- City council recalls
- City elections in Mesa, Arizona (2024)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Axios Phoenix, "Spilsbury concedes in Mesa City Council recall election," November 4, 2025
- ↑ Maricopa County Elections, "Unofficial 2025 Election Results," accessed November 5, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 azcentral.com, "Mesa Councilmember Julie Spilsbury, who backed Kamala Harris, faces recall effort," February 7, 2025
- ↑ Mesa Tribune, "Recall effort targets Mesa councilwoman," February 10, 2025
- ↑ Politico, Turning Point faces first big test of its legacy in Arizona," October 10, 2025
- ↑ Politico, "The low-profile local races with national implications," November 4, 2025
- ↑ X, "Tyler Bowyer," October 11, 2025
- ↑ KJZZ, "Mesa sets Nov. 4 date for Turning Point-backed City Council recall election," July 10, 2025
- ↑ KJZZ, "Mesa councilwoman concedes defeat in a recall election triggered by Turning Point USA," November 5, 2025
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Mesa, AZ, "Special Recall Election 2025," accessed July 11, 2025
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 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
