Parisa Dehghani-Tafti recall, Arlington County, Virginia (2021-2023)
| Arlington County Commonwealth's Attorney recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2023 Recalls in Virginia Virginia recall laws County official recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Parisa Dehghani-Tafti (D) from her position as the commonwealth's attorney of Arlington County, Virginia, began in August 2021.[1] According to the office's website, "The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney is responsible for public safety in Arlington County, the City of Falls Church, and at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport."[2]
Recall supporters said Dehghani-Tafti has failed to uphold the law. They also said her policies made the county less safe. To get the recall on the ballot, supporters had to collect approximately 5,500 signatures.[1]
Dehghani-Tafti said the recall effort lacked legitimacy. She was elected to hold office for a four-year term in 2019.[1] She won election after running unopposed.[3]
The same group that started the recall effort against Dehghani-Tafti also started recall efforts against the commonwealth's attorneys in Fairfax County and Loudoun County.[1]
Recall supporters
The recall was started by Virginians for Safe Communities, a 501(c)(4) organization. “We are launching this campaign to hold accountable the prosecutors who have taken office under a writ of reform but have gone too far,” Sean Kennedy, a board member of the organization, said. “They are continuing to flout the rule of law, failing to enforce the law and are endangering our families and communities.”[1]
Kennedy cited the Arlington County Police Department’s annual report as a criticism against Dehghani-Tafti. The report showed an increase in assaults, carjackings, trespassing, and opioid overdoses in 2020. It also showed a decrease in alcohol-related crimes, vehicle crashes, and violent sex offenses.[4][5]
Recall opponents
In response to the recall effort, Dehghani-Tafti said the effort lacked legitimacy. “They couldn’t (and can’t) win at the ballot box so are trying to impose their own will through a political end run around the democratic process,” Dehghani-Tafti said.[1]
Dehghani-Tafti said she was working to fulfill her campaign promises. “I’m doing exactly what I promised my community I would do — what I was elected to do — and doing it well: making the system more fair, more responsive, and more rehabilitative, while keeping us safe,” she said. “This is a far-right attempt to overturn a valid election through a non-democratic recall.”[5]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Virginia
To get the recall on the ballot, recall supporters would have had to collect signatures equal to 10% of the people who voted in the last commonwealth's attorney election, a total of approximately 5,500. If enough signatures had been collected, the recall would have been sent to a circuit court judge. If the judge ruled in favor of the recall, Dehghani-Tafti would have been removed from office, and a special election would have been held to elect her replacement.[1]
Related recalls
- Buta Biberaj recall, Loudoun County, Virginia (2021)
- Steve Descano recall, Fairfax County, Virginia (2021)
See also
- Arlington County, Virginia
- Recall campaigns in Virginia
- Political recall efforts, 2021
- Political recall efforts, 2022
- Political recall efforts, 2023
- County official recalls
External links
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 The Washington Post, "Group launches effort to recall liberal prosecutors in Northern Virginia," August 2, 2021
- ↑ Arlington County, Virginia, "Courts & Judicial Services," accessed August 4, 2021
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "Historical Elections Database: 2019 Commonwealth's Attorney," accessed August 5, 2021
- ↑ ARL Now, "Carjackings, Assaults Rose in 2020, While Alcohol-Related Crimes Fell," June 23, 2021
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 ARL Now, "Recall Effort Targets Arlington’s Top Prosecutor," August 3, 2021
Footnotes
