Ram Gomez and Carrie Scruggs recall, Aransas Pass, Texas (2023-2024)
| Ram Gomez and Carrie Scruggs recall |
|---|
 |
| Officeholders |
Carrie Scruggs |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2024 Recalls in Texas Texas recall laws City council recalls Mayoral recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Mayor Ram Gomez and City Councilmember Carrie Scruggs did not go to a vote in Aransas Pass, Texas.[1]
Recall supporters
Jason Followell initiated the recall effort. According to the affidavit he submitted as part of the process to begin the recall effort, "The grounds for removal are: For crimes against citizens, such as 1st Amendment rights violations, 14th Amendment rights violations, a history of fostering mistrust in government, lack of transparency, gross misconduct in office, lack of accountability and fail(ure) to ensure the integrity of their office."[1]
Recall opponents
Regarding the recall effort, Scruggs said, "Until the required 500 legal signatures are collected and verified there is no recall event." Gomez declined to provide a formal comment.[1]
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]
In an email to Aransas Pass Progress, City Secretary Mary Juarez said, “Per the city charter, citizens have the power to remove any member or members of the council by filing a petition signed by qualified voters of the city equal in number to 50% of the total number of votes cast in the last regular city election, or 500, whichever is greater. In the May 2023 regular city election, a total of 907 votes were cast; therefore, the total number of signatures by qualified voters is 500 for each recall petition." There is no deadline by which the signatures are required to be submitted.[1]
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
- Aransas Pass, Texas
- Recall campaigns in Texas
- Political recall efforts, 2023
- Political recall efforts, 2024
- City council recalls
- Mayoral recalls
External links
Footnotes
