Mike Dunleavy recall, Governor of Alaska (2019-2021)
| Alaska Governor recall |
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| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2020 Recalls in Alaska Alaska recall laws State executive recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) was launched in July 2019. The recall campaign had to initially submit 28,501 signatures to request a recall petition from the Division of Elections; it submitted 49,006 signatures on September 4, 2019.[1] In November 2019, the recall petition was rejected by the state Division of Elections after then-Attorney General Kevin Clarkson (R) said the recall petition did not meet one of the grounds for recall. Recall organizers appealed that decision to the superior court. The superior court ruled in the recall's favor but the decision was appealed to the state supreme court in January 2020. In May 2020, the supreme court affirmed the lower court's ruling and allowed the recall effort to proceed.
Supporters needed to gather an additional 71,252 signatures to require a recall election. The recall campaign announced on August 25, 2021, that it was dropping the recall effort against Dunleavy. As of August 21, 2021, the Recall Dunleavy website said the group had collected 62,373 signatures.[2][3]
- Supporters had up to 180 days prior to the term end date of the state official being considered for recall to turn in the necessary signatures to the Division of Elections.[4]
- According to Alaska recall law, if a vote to recall Dunleavy was approved, Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer (R) would have become governor.
Recall supporters criticized Dunleavy over four specific actions. These actions included not appointing a judge to the Palmer Superior Court within a statutory timeframe, authorizing and allowing state funds to be used for partisan advertisements, and accounting errors in budget vetoes which the recall alleged would have cost the state millions in Medicare funding.[5][6] In September 2020, Dunleavy agreed to pay $2,800 to settle three ethics complaints that were cited in the recall effort. The complaints were related to his office using tax-payer money to send out mailers to attack his opponents and boost supporters over the governor’s positions on the Permanent Fund dividend and state budget cuts.[7][8]
Dunleavy was elected as Alaska's governor in 2018 with 51.4% of the vote. He defeated then-Gov. Bill Walker (ind.) in the election. Prior to the 2018 election, Walker had served as governor since 2014.
Path to the ballot
How does a recall process work in Alaska?
- See also: Laws governing recall in Alaska
Alaska state recall laws require that an application be submitted to the director of the Alaska Division of Elections with a number of physical signatures equal to 10 percent of people who voted in the preceding general election. Applicants must also include a statement of no more than 200 words providing the grounds for recall, which include "misconduct in office, incompetence, or failure to perform prescribed duties" (§ 9 ch 74 SLA 1985). If the application is approved, a petition is issued by the Division of Elections.
To trigger a recall election, petitioners must then gather a number of signatures equal to 25 percent of the people who voted in the preceding general election. Supporters have up to 180 days prior to the term end date of the state official being considered for recall to turn in the necessary signatures to the Division of Elections.
Within 30 days of recall organizers submitting the signatures, the director of the Division of Elections will notify the "recall committee and the person subject to recall whether the petition was properly or improperly filed." If the director determines that the petition was properly filed, the director will call a special election to be held "not less than 60, nor more than 90, days after the date that notification is given that the petition was properly filed. If a primary or general election is to be held not less than 60, nor more than 90, days after the date that notification is given that the petition was properly filed, the special election shall be held on the date of the primary or general election."[9]
Key dates and deadlines
- August 25, 2021: The recall effort was dropped against the governor.
- May 8, 2020: The state supreme court affirmed the lower courts ruling, allowing the recall to proceed
- January 10, 2020: The state's superior court allowed the recall effort to proceed; the state Division of Elections appealed the decision
- November 5, 2019: Recall organizers appealed Clarkson's decision
- November 4, 2019: Then-Attorney General Kevin Clarkson (R) rejected the recall petition because it did not meet one of the grounds for recall.
- September 4, 2019: Signatures submitted for consideration
- July 2019: Recall effort began
Legal opinion of then-Attorney General Kevin Clarkson (November 4, 2019)
In Alaska, a recall petition has to meet at least one of the grounds for recall to make the ballot.[10] Attorney General Kevin Clarkson (R) determined on November 4, 2019, that the petition failed to present a legitimate case for recall. Clarkson said that the recall failed "to meet any of the listed grounds for recall — neglect of duty, incompetence, or lack of fitness."[11] Clarkson resigned from his position on August 25, 2020, after ProPublica published an article detailing text messages sent to the personal cell phone of a state employee.[12]
Recall organizers file appeal (November 5, 2019)
After Clarkson determined that the recall petition did not present a legitimate case for recall, the state Division of Elections rejected the recall petition citing Clarkson's legal opinion.[11] After the recall petition was rejected, recall attorney Jahna Lindemuth said in a written statement, "Without question, the recall application submitted to the Division of Elections meets the standard under Alaska law. This rejection is without basis, and we will now turn to the courts for a remedy. We do so with confidence that we will receive fair treatment and we will prevail."[11] Gov. Dunleavy's deputy communications director Jeff Turner provided a statement via email of the Clarkson decision on November 4, 2019. Dunleavy said, "Today’s opinion by the attorney general appears to be well reasoned. As I have always said, the allegations by the recall group are not legitimate reasons to overturn the outcome of the statewide election held barely a year ago."[11]
The Recall Dunleavy group appealed Clarkson's decision in the state’s superior court on November 5, 2019.[13] During the appeal hearing on January 10, 2020, Anchorage Superior Court Judge Eric Aarseth ruled in favor of the recall campaign and reversed Clarkson’s ruling. The state appealed Aarseth’s ruling to the supreme court.[14][15][16][17][18]
State supreme court ruling (May 8, 2020)
The state supreme court considered the legalities of the recall on March 25, 2020.[19][20] On May 8, 2020, the supreme court affirmed the superior court ruling that reversed Clarkson’s decision.[21]
Recall supporters
In July 2019, a committee formed and registered with the Alaska Public Offices Commission to gather signatures to recall Gov. Dunleavy. The Recall Dunleavy website listed the following reasons for recall:
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Statement of Grounds: Neglect of Duties, Incompetence, and/or Lack of Fitness, for the following actions:
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” |
| —Mike Dunleavy Recall Petition Language[6] | ||
Recall opponents
In mid-July 2019, Dunleavy made a statement on the proposed recall effort. He said, "Whenever you make difficult decisions and people are involved ... such as these vetoes, this is not necessarily a shock or surprise. I believe in public engagement. People have the right to voice their opinion." He also said that he believed that the recall would not meet the legal standards to go forward.[23]
In response to the recall effort, President Donald Trump (R) came to Gov. Dunleavy’s defense on October 30. Trump wrote on Twitter, “My friend Mike @GovDunleavy of the Great State of Alaska, is being treated very unfairly by the Democrats because he is doing an unbelievable job and fulfilling every one of his promises. Now they are trying to Recall him because his agenda is the Economy, Jobs, and protecting our Military, 2nd Amendment, Energy, and so many other things that the Democrats don’t care about. Please stop the Dems from hurting a very good and hard-working man!”[24][25]
Election history
2018
General election
General election for Governor of Alaska
Mike Dunleavy defeated Mark Begich, incumbent Bill Walker, and William Toien in the general election for Governor of Alaska on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mike Dunleavy (R) | 51.4 | 145,631 |
 | Mark Begich (D) | 44.4 | 125,739 | |
 | Bill Walker (Independent) | 2.0 | 5,757 | |
 | William Toien (L) | 1.9 | 5,402 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 605 | ||
| Total votes: 283,134 | |||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Alaska
Mark Begich advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of Alaska on August 21, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mark Begich | 100.0 | 33,451 |
| Total votes: 33,451 | |||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Alaska
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Alaska on August 21, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mike Dunleavy | 61.5 | 43,802 |
 | Mead Treadwell | 32.0 | 22,780 | |
 | Michael Sheldon | 2.3 | 1,640 | |
| Merica Hlatcu | 1.5 | 1,064 | ||
| Thomas Gordon | 1.4 | 994 | ||
| Gerald Heikes | 0.7 | 499 | ||
| Darin Colbry | 0.6 | 416 | ||
| Total votes: 71,195 | |||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jacob Kern (R)
- Scott Hawkins (R)
Historical governor recalls
From 2003 to 2018, Ballotpedia tracked 54 gubernatorial recall efforts against 14 different governors. During that time, two recalls made the ballot and one governor was successfully recalled. Former California Gov. Gray Davis (D) was recalled by voters in 2003. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) was chosen as Davis' replacement. The only other governor to ever be successfully recalled was former North Dakota Gov. Lynn Frazier (R) in 1921. In 2012, Wisconsin voted to retain former Gov. Scott Walker (R) in the recall election. He received 53.1% of the vote.
See also
- Recall campaigns in Alaska
- Political recall efforts, 2019
- Political recall efforts, 2020
- Political recall efforts, 2021
- Gubernatorial recalls
- Phil Murphy recall, Governor of New Jersey (2019)
- Jared Polis recall, Governor of Colorado (2019)
- Kate Brown recall, Governor of Oregon (2019)
- Gavin Newsom recall, Governor of California (2019)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ KTOO, "Group submits signatures in early phase of recall effort," September 5, 2019
- ↑ Recall Dunleavy, "Main page," accessed August 26, 2021
- ↑ The Hill, "Campaign ends effort to recall Alaska governor," August 25, 2021
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "State Office Recall Petition Process," accessed August 6, 2019
- ↑ Alaska Public Media, "Campaign to recall Gov. Dunleavy set to start August 1," July 31, 2019
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Recall Dunleavy, "Petition Language," accessed July 31, 2019
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Gov. Mike Dunleavy will pay to settle ethics complaints cited in recall campaign," September 9, 2020
- ↑ Alaska Public Media, "Alaska Gov. Dunleavy will pay $2,800 to settle ethics complaints over publicly-funded political ads," September 7, 2020
- ↑ Alaska Division of Elections, "State Office Recall Petition Process," accessed February 23, 2021
- ↑ Must Read Alaska, "‘The fight’s on,’ as Dunleavy recall gets national attention," October 13, 2019
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska Division of Elections rejects recall petition for Gov. Mike Dunleavy," November 4, 2019
- ↑ ProPublica, "Alaska’s Attorney General Resigns Hours After We Published “Uncomfortable” Texts He Sent to a Younger Colleague," August 25, 2020
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Rejected by state officials, backers of recall campaign against Gov. Dunleavy take their case to court," November 5, 2019
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Superior Court judge allows recall campaign against Gov. Mike Dunleavy to proceed," January 10, 2020
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Lawsuit over campaign for Dunleavy recall will go to court in January," November 14, 2019
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Judge puts Recall Dunleavy signature campaign on hold, says Alaska Supreme Court should rule first," January 30, 2020
- ↑ KTTU, "Judge orders Recall Dunleavy to be temporarily halted until appeal heard," January 21, 2020
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Campaign launches to recall Gov. Dunleavy," July 30, 2019
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska Supreme Court puts Gov. Dunleavy recall campaign on fast track, allowing signatures to be collected," February 14, 2020
- ↑ Alaska Public Media, "Alaska Supreme Court challenges lawyers on both sides in Dunleavy recall arguments," March 26, 2020
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Gov. Dunleavy recall effort can proceed, Alaska Supreme Court rules," May 9, 2020
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Anchorage Daily News, "Impasse continues as Alaska lawmakers push different visions for budget, Permanent Fund dividend," July 16, 2019
- ↑ Twitter, "Donald Trump on October 30, 2019," accessed October 31, 2019
- ↑ Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, "Trump defends Dunleavy amid recall effort," October 31, 2019
