Lyle Nelson recall, Bastrop, Texas (2024-2025)
| Lyle Nelson recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2025 Recalls in Texas Texas recall laws Mayoral recalls Recall reports |
An effort in Bastrop, Texas, to recall Mayor Lyle Nelson ended when Nelson resigned from his position on January 14, 2025.[1]
Recall supporters
The recall effort was organized by Councilmembers John Kirkland, Kevin Plunkett, Cynthia Meyer, and former Councilmember Jimmy Crouch. Petitions stated that Nelson had abused the power of his office and interfered with a financial investigation. Kirkland said, "The mayor knew what had happened when the allegations came out about the misuse of public funds, and then he lied about it. He refused to turn over critical evidence that showed that there was some validity to those allegations."
Recall opponents
Nelson responded to the recall effort, saying, "I turned over all of my city and all of my official correspondence, but my private phone had no official business on there. I was not obligated by law to turn it over. It was merely an exertion of overreach on the part of city officials."
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.[2]
Recall organizers submitted 1,632 signatures with the petition, which was rejected by Interim City Secretary Irma Parker on the grounds that it was missing required documents. Petitioners were given 10 days to cure the defective petition. The corrected petition was found sufficient on September 17, 2024.[3] The Bastrop City Council was expected to schedule the recall election on the same day that Nelson resigned.[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
- Bastrop, Texas
- Recall campaigns in Texas
- Political recall efforts, 2025
- Political recall efforts, 2024
- Mayoral recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ KXAN, "Bastrop mayor resigns amid controversy, upcoming recall election," January 14, 2025
- ↑ San Antonio Express-News, "Unusual ballot features Fredericksburg councilman as recall target and mayoral contender," May 3, 2012
- ↑ Community Impact, "Recall election still expected, despite Bastrop Mayor's lawsuit against city secretary," October 16, 2024
- ↑ Austin American-Statesman, "Bastrop Mayor Lyle Nelson resigns ahead of possible move to hold recall election," January 15, 2025
