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Mayor and city council recall, Suisun City, California (2025)
| Suisun City mayor and city council recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Jenalee Dawson Princess Washington Parise Shepherd Amit Pal |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2025 Recalls in California California recall laws City council recalls Mayoral recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Mayor Alma Hernandez and City Councilors Jenalee Dawson, Princess Washington, Parise Shepherd, and Amit Pal is underway in Suisun City, California.[1]
Recall supporters
James Berg is organizing the recall effort. Berg has said, "The city suffers from an ongoing structural deficit, a lack of public safety, quality of life, and a failure to protect our property values. We feel our voice isn’t being heard after countless hours of community engagement and participation on various topics."[2]
Regarding the potential cost of a recall election, Berg said, "When comparing the cost of the election against the potential harm of the council’s actions, the cost is worth it to remove an official who is costing the city millions through poor contracts for other financial decisions."[2]
Recall opponents
In a statement on Facebook, Hernandez wrote:[3]
| “ |
My commitment has always been to serve Suisun City with integrity and for the greater good. The proposed Suisun City Council recall effort would come at a significant cost to our residents. A special recall election is estimated to cost taxpayers approximately $250,000, and if successful, would be followed by another special election to select new councilmembers—another $250,000. Altogether, this process would divert nearly half a million dollars away from services and improvements that directly benefit our community. In addition, all this effort and cost for special elections would take place in addition to regular city council elections taking place in November of 2026. This initiative is being led by an individual who, after failing to win a state assembly and mayor election, has previously sought appointment to City Council, the Planning Commission, and as City Manager. Because those appointments were not granted, and in the case of City Manager didn’t meet the qualifications, this recall is being led by someone with personal grievances rather than the best interests of Suisun City. I was contacted by a community member who signed the recall petition but told me they felt misled and pressured to do so, which raises further concerns about the true nature of this effort. We know the challenges in front of us—homelessness, illegal dumping, street repairs, dredging—and we are taking action. We are addressing a structural deficit that has weighed on our city since 2012, moving forward with 15 new infill development projects, deploying new drone technology to keep our community safe, and studying new opportunities that will bring jobs and long-term financial strength, including potential expansion-- with over 13K residents commuting 30m to 3hrs for work every day, an opportunity to build industry would bring future local jobs that would benefit our families. I thank our Suisun City staff, a small but mighty team, that works through daily challenges with limited resources but continues to find a way forward. I thank our residents who voted to pass Measure S with an almost 73% voter approval, because they, like I, believe in our future. I remain steadfast in my responsibility to serve our city, to listen, and to continue addressing the frustrations and challenges we face every day. Our city has made real progress (from street repairs, to new parks and trails, to youth and senior programs, to new businesses and developments, to name a few), and we have much important work ahead. I am committed to ensuring Suisun City continues to move forward.[4] |
” |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in California
No specific grounds are required for recall in California. The recall process starts with a notice of intention to recall. The notice must be served to the officer whose recall is being sought as well as published in a newspaper of general circulation. The notice must then be filed with the relevant election office. Once the notice has been deemed sufficient by the election office, a petition must also be filed and approved by the election office. Once the petition is approved, it can be circulated. To get a recall on the ballot, supporters must collect signatures from registered voters in the jurisdiction. The number of signatures required is between 10% and 30% of registered voters in the jurisdiction, depending on the size of the jurisdiction. Jurisdictions with 1,000 registered voters or fewer require 30%, and jurisdictions with 100,000 or more registered voters require 10%. Charter cities can also set their own signature threshold. The amount of time allowed for the circulation of recall petitions also varies by the number of registered voters in a jurisdiction, between 40 and 160 days. Jurisdictions with fewer than 1,000 registered voters allow 40 days, and jurisdictions with more than 50,000 registered voters allow 160 days.[5]
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
- Suisun City, California
- Recall campaigns in California
- Political recall efforts, 2025
- City council recalls
- Mayoral recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ CBS News, "Concerned Suisun City neighbors push to recall entire city council," September 5, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Reporter, "Suisun City recall effort launched," September 2, 2025
- ↑ Facebook, "Mayor Alma Hernandez," August 29, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Recall Procedures Guide 2023," accessed October 16, 2023
