Mayor and city council recall, Whitehall, Ohio (2026)
| Whitehall mayor and city council recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Amy Harcar Lori Elmore |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
25% of voters in council ward who voted in the last mayoral election (Harcar, Elmore) |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2026 Recalls in Ohio Ohio recall laws City council recalls Mayoral recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Mayor Michael Bivens and City Councilmembers Amy Harcar and Lori Elmore is underway in Whitehall, Ohio.[1]
Recall supporters
Recall organizers issued the following statement to ABC News 6:[1]
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“We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty." Edward R. Murrow Recall petitions have been initiated in Whitehall because it is the last and final mechanism that we the voters have when we have reached a point of “no-faith” in our current elected officials: Mayor Bivens and At-Large Councilmembers Amy Harcar and Lori Elmore. Think of a recall petition as a performance evaluation of our elected officials just like you get a performance review at work. The recall petition is a process that the Whitehall voters have to evaluate the actions and performance outcomes of our elected officials. The recall petition process allows us to determine if we the people have received the executive and legislative actions and outcomes required of those officials. It is a right guaranteed to the Whitehall voters by both our Charter and the Ohio Constitution. A recall petition and the subsequent recall election is not a process we take lightly, nor is it easy to accomplish. A recall petition of the Mayor and At-Large Councilmembers requires 15% of the total votes in the last mayoral election, and if found valid and sufficient, will go to a Special Recall Election for all registered voters of Whitehall to decide. Every recall petition will include a “Statement of Grounds for Recall” detailing the documented reasons for the recall which include, but not limited to, actions creating legal exposure, inadequate fiscal responsibility, redundancy in government structures, lack of adherence to lawful processes and procedures, and falling short of the standards of conduct of their offices. You do not have to look very far to understand why we have reached this point of recall petitions and recall elections. Simply reading the recent statement released by the Office of Mayor Bivens, he includes petty name calling of the residents and the supporters of this recall petition as “extremist partisan activists”. The mayor’s statement also advises not to print your name and address on the petitions which violates the requirements of the Whitehall Charter and Franklin County Board of Elections recall petition process. This tactic was done for the expressed purpose of scaring and intimidating voters into not participating in their Whitehall Charter and Ohio Constitution guaranteed rights of recall. This is just another example that further demonstrates the lack of discipline, respect for charter and constitutional rights, and overall temperament needed to hold such an office. We are not an extremist group, instead we are a grassroots collection of your neighbors, your co-workers, your friends, and most importantly, your constituents – the people that voted you into office. We are the voters who have attended council meetings, we have asked questions at poll public receiving no answers, we have written to the mayor and councilmembers, we have live-streamed council meetings when your systems have failed to provide complete and timely public access to council meetings, and we have successfully initiated three referendum petitions and one initiative petition to get accountability in our Whitehall elected officials. Remember, dissent is not an act of disloyalty. It means we care about the current performance of our Mayor and councilmembers because that impacts the long-term health and viability of the City of Whitehall. As the voters of Whitehall, we demand accountability from our elected city officials and we are doing just that through recall petitions, and ultimately letting the voters decide at a Special Recall Election. We ask each Whitehall voter to review the actions and conduct of these individuals over the last two years to form your own judgments.[2] |
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Recall opponents
Bivens provided the following statement to ABC News 6 regarding the recall effort:[1]
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OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM WHITEHALL MAYOR MICHAEL T. BIVENS REGARDING RECENT RECALL PETITION EFFORTS For Immediate Release January 9, 2026 The recent headlines in Whitehall are not normal. They are deeply concerning, divisive and dangerous. Many people have reached out asking me, “how are you doing?” While I am very grateful for the ask, and know that it evidences the deep and meaningful relationships I’ve been privileged to grow over the years; I truly want us all to instead ask, “How are the victims of the sexual assaults that are alleged to have been perpetrated by a currently sitting councilmember?” Many of you know that I have vehemently asked for his resignation, and despite the holdout of one councilmember, he would have been removed from office. Nevertheless, he remains and many people are confused; I am among them. Equally daunting are the people focused on deflection, diversion and distraction. People and special interest groups that desire to use the very serious criminal allegations against a councilmember as a political stunt to perpetrate an extremist agenda. I will not remain silent as they use their best efforts to connive a scheme to undermine the progress we are making in the City of Whitehall. I love serving the City of Whitehall, its people, employees, businesses and moving the city forward! Not only will the unwarranted recall effort cost Whitehall taxpayers, but the drive of the political extremists in also supporting hateful and divisive agendas benefits no one. In 2023, Whitehall voters elected me, Michael T. Bivens as Mayor of the City of Whitehall. It was a historic and proud moment filled with hope and possibility. I look forward to the privilege of serving every day and giving the City my best to competently lead this City and provide integrity, compassion and a sense of urgency to improve the lives of all Whitehall residents. As Mayor, my daily focus includes improving critical infrastructure; addressing housing affordability; protecting the lives of Whitehall residents by strongly supporting our Safety forces; making efforts to provide and expand critical social services to every resident; and making strong efforts to eradicate poverty in the City of Whitehall. Some of our key accomplishments in 2025 alone include:
There is more to celebrate but here is my point. The budget is balanced. The City has unprecedented fiscal reserves and a budget stabilization fund. The economy of Whitehall is strong and employment rates are rising. We are moving forward. Yet a handful of extremist partisan activists are determined to rewind progress and have set a dangerous agenda to divide Whitehall by trying to overturn the definitive will of Whitehall voters and trying to replace it with persons who have disparate intentions. The last thing Whitehall needs is a wasteful special election supported by those who demonize Whitehall’s people and attack Whitehall’s values. Therefore, I ask residents of Whitehall not to fall for the rhetoric! Do not be fooled! I humbly ask if you are presented with the recall petitions that you DO NOT PROVIDE YOUR SIGNATURE, YOUR SUPPORT OR YOUR PERSONAL PRIVATE INFORMATION to this divisive, destructive and monumental distraction recall scheme! Sincerely, Michael T. Bivens Your Mayor City of Whitehall[2] |
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Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Ohio
No specific grounds are required for recall in Ohio. To get the recall on the ballot, supporters must collect signatures from qualified electors equal to 15% of the votes cast at the most recent regular municipal election. Supporters of the recall have 90 days to circulate petitions from the day the first signature is collected.[3]
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 2025 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
- Whitehall, Ohio
- Recall campaigns in Ohio
- Political recall efforts, 2026
- City council recalls
- Mayoral recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 ABC News 6, "Tensions rise between Whitehall Mayor and group seeking recall January 12, 2026
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ohio Revised Code, "Section 705.92: Procedure for removal of elective officer by recall." accessed October 17, 2023
