Rick Snyder recall, Michigan (2015-2016)

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Michigan Governor recall
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Officeholders
Rick Snyder
Recall status
Did not go to a vote
See also
Recall overview
Political recall efforts, 2015
Recalls in Michigan
Michigan recall laws
State legislative recalls
Recall reports
Rick Snyder
Image of Rick Snyder

Republican Party

Prior offices
Governor of Michigan
Successor: Gretchen Whitmer

Education

Bachelor's

University of Michigan, 1977

Graduate

University of Michigan Business School, 1979

Law

University of Michigan Law School, 1982

Personal
Religion
Christian: Presbyterian
Profession
Executive, venture capitalist

Multiple efforts to recall Rick Snyder, a Republican elected in 2010, from his position as the Governor of Michigan took place in 2015 and 2016.[1]

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Recall is a process whereby an elected official can be removed from office prior to the end of his or her term.
  • The last governor to face a recall election was Scott Walker (R-Wis.) in 2012; Walker retained his seat. Only two governors in U.S. history have been successfully recalled.
  • Four recall petitions were approved for circulation, three of which concerned the Flint water crisis. The fourth addressed an executive order given by Snyder regarding oversight of the School Reform Office.
  • Petition backers needed to gather 789,133 signatures within a 60-day period in order to trigger a recall election; the petition expired on August 20, 2016.[2][3]

    • Overview

    See also: News in Context: The Flint Water Crisis

    Three recall petitions were approved for circulation in February 2016.[4] The first petition, which received unanimous approval on February 8, addressed an executive order giving Snyder’s office control of the state’s School Reform Office, which was previously under the Michigan Department of Education.[5]

    The second petition, approved on February 22, sought to recall Snyder because he "declared a state of emergency in the County of Genesee and the City of Flint pursuant to the Constitution of the state of Michigan" over the Flint water crisis.[6][7][5]

    A third petition, also over the Flint water crisis, was approved on March 7, 2016, and referenced a quote from Snyder in which he stated that the government had "failed" the citizens of Michigan.[8]

    A fourth petition over the Flint water crisis was approved for circulation on March 31 after a U.S. District Court judge overturned a February 2016 ruling by the Board of State Canvassers.[9]

    Click here to scroll through the full timeline of events.

    Petition circulation

    Petitioners

    The first petition, approved on February 8, 2016, was filed by Benjamin Lazarus, a member of the Warren Consolidated Schools Board of Education. The second petition, approved on February 22, 2016, was filed by Reverend David Bullock. The third petition was filed by activist Quincy Murphy and approved on March 7, 2016. The fourth petition was filed by Robert Davis in February 2016 and unanimously rejected by the board; a U.S District Court judge overturned the rejection on March 31, 2016.[7][10]

    Signature collection

    Bullock stated he would work with Lazarus and others who submitted failed recall petitions in order to gain the signatures necessary to trigger a recall election. Petition backers had 60 days from the date the first signature was obtained to amass 789,133 signatures, and they had to file the petition within 180 days of its approval.[7]

    Signature collection began on March 27, 2016.[11] However, petition backers had continued to extend its 60 day deadline in an attempt to collect the required number of signatures, which invalidated many of the signatures obtained in the first months of the campaign. The campaign reported between 250,000 and 300,000 valid signatures on its Facebook page on July 14, 2016. The deadline to submit the petition to the secretary of state was August 20.[12]

    Recalls in Michigan

    Recall process

    Recall is a process whereby an elected official can be removed from office prior to the end of his or her term. All elected officials in Michigan are subject to recall except judges of courts of record.[13] The process for recalling a state official in Michigan is outlined below:

    • A recall petition must first be filed with the Board of State Canvassers. The board holds a hearing to determine whether the reason for the petition is factual and clear; that is the only criteria considered by the board to approve or reject the petition. Click here to learn more about these hearings.
    • Once approved by the board, the petitioner must amass a number of signatures equal to 25 percent of the number of votes cast in the last general election in the electoral district of the officer sought to be recalled.[14] The petitioner has 60 days to collect these signatures beginning on the date the first signature is collected; however, the petition must be submitted to the Michigan Secretary of State no later than 180 days after it was approved by the board.[14][15]
    • If an approved petition is appealed to the state Court of Appeals, then "the recall petition cannot be circulated until the Court of Appeals renders a decision or until 40 days following the date of appeal, whichever is sooner."[16]
    • The Secretary of State then has 35 days to determine the validity of the signatures on the petition by verifying the voter registration status of those who signed.[17] If the petition is approved, a special recall election will be scheduled on the next general election date wherein other candidates may challenge the incumbent for the governor's seat.[14]
    • If an election is forced, the incumbent may submit a justification statement for the conduct that triggered the recall which is printed on the special election ballot for voters to consider.

    Clarity and factual hearing

    A clarity and factual hearing is the first step in the recall process. Michigan laws state that the reason for petition must be deemed factual and clear by the Board of State Canvassers before the recall petition can be placed in circulation. The board does not document a rationale for their determination, only the judgment of rejected or approved.[14]

    The board also does not have the authority to make a determination on the legitimacy of the reason for recall, nor do Michigan laws explicitly state the criteria for judging a petition as factual and clear.[14] This means that any reason for the recall can be placed on a petition and approved for circulation, so long as the reason is clearly stated and does not contain falsehoods.

    Political recalls
    RecallBanner.jpg
    Learn more


    History of recalls

    Michigan has had a recall system since 1908. Michigan and Oregon, which also instituted a right of recall in 1908, were the first two states to adopt statewide recall procedures.[18]

    Michigan recalls have become significantly harder after Governor Rick Snyder approved changes to the state laws governing recalls in 2012 that require stronger charges against officials and faster signature collection. No state officials have been recalled since the laws were passed.[14]

    Only three United States governors have faced recall elections. Two of them (Lynn Frazier, R-N.D. in 1921 and Gray Davis, D-Calif. in 2003) were consequently removed from office while the other (Scott Walker, R-Wis. in 2012) retained his seat.[19][20][21]

    Notable recalls

    See also: Rick Snyder recall, Michigan (2015 and 2016)

    Responses

    See also: National responses to the Flint water crisis

    In March 2016, House Minority Leader Tim Greimel (D) called for Snyder's resignation, stating that "it’s inconceivable that the Governor was not aware of what was going on [in Flint]...if that's the case, then he’s the worst manager ever."[22] Greimel was the highest ranking Democrat in the state to call for Snyder's resignation and promised to support the recall effort if Snyder refused to step down.[22][23]

    On March 18, 2016, Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich (D) stated he would also sign the recall petition. "It was clearly a culture created by the governor that was implemented in a number of departments that failed my community," he said. Ananich served on a special committee charged with investigating the Flint water crisis at the time of this statement.[24]

    At the time of the recall effort, no governor in Michigan had resigned since 1969.[25] Snyder defended his handling of the Flint water crisis and cited a series of failures on the parts of multiple state officials that led to the delay in addressing the water contamination.[26]

    If Snyder had resigned, it would have activated the line of succession and Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley (R) would have become governor.

    Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm (D), who served from 2003 to 2011, told The Detroit News in March 2016 that she did not believe Snyder should step down, stating, “I think he has the motivation to fix it.” She went on to add: “... I don’t know if he resigns that Brian Calley is in a better position to get things done than he is.”[23] Granholm was the subject of a failed recall attempt in 2010.

    “I think what the governor is trying to do is pointing out the shortcomings there – as he has acknowledged in Michigan – so that we know where the system has failed on all levels and work to correct those failures," said Sarah Anderson, communications director for the Michigan Republican Party.[24]

    Polls

    Should Rick Snyder remain in office or resign?
    Poll Remain in office Resign from officeUndecided/refusedMargin of ErrorSample Size
    EPIC-MRA
    January 23-26, 2016    		61%29%10%+/-4.0600
    Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted on this issue. Those displayed are a sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

    Timeline of events

    Scroll through the timeline below to read about the events that took place during the effort to recall Rick Snyder:

    2016 Events

    Four recall petitions were approved in 2016.

    • January 2016: Snyder was the subject of eight recall petitions in January 2016, none of which were approved. Seven were from Detroit Pastor Angelo Scott Brown, whose three previous petitions related to the Flint water crisis were denied.
    The eighth petition was from Flint resident Quincy Murphy, who also sought to remove Snyder over the Flint crisis.[1]
    • February 2016: Snyder was the subject of 17 recall petitions in February 2016. The majority of the petitions were related to the Flint water crisis; the State Board of Canvassers rejected all but two of the petitions.[27]
    The first approved petition—filed by Benjamin Lazarus of the Warren Consolidated Schools Board of Education and approved on February 8—addressed an executive order that moved the school reform office under the purview of the Department of Technology, Management and Budget.[5]
    The board also approved a second recall petition on February 22. The petition sought Snyder's removal since he "declared a state of emergency in the County of Genesee and the City of Flint pursuant to the Constitution of the state of Michigan" over the Flint water crisis.[5]
    • March 2016: Snyder was the subject of one recall petition in March 2016. The petition, also over the Flint water crisis, was approved by the board on March 7, 2016, and submitted by activist Quincy Murphy. Murphy had previously submitted several recall petitions that were rejected by the board as not factual and clear.[8]
    As reason for the petition, Murphy referenced a quote from Snyder: "Government failed you: Federal state, and local leaders by breaking the trust you placed in us," Snyder said in the formal address. "I am sorry most of all that I let you down. You deserve better. You deserve accountability; you deserve to know the buck stops here with me."[8]
    The petition was the third approved by the board to date.
    On March 31, 2016, U.S. District Court Judge Judith Levy ruled that a petition filed with the Board of State Canvassers by activist Robert Davis should not have been rejected. Davis had sued the board over the decision in February 2016. The petition sought to recall Snyder over the Flint water crisis; the exact petition language was not available.[9]
    2015 Events

    No recall petitions were approved in 2015.

    • Detroit Pastor Angelo Brown put a total of four recall petitions before the Board of State Canvassers regarding the Flint water crisis in 2015. Three of the four were rejected and one was withdrawn.[28][29]
    In response to one of the rejected petitions, the Michigan Board of State Canvassers stated that Snyder's term began after the water crisis, in which the Flint City Council took water from the Flint River instead of from Detroit.[29][28] The board also determined that Brown did not state his reasons factually and clearly as required by Michigan recall law.[1]

    State profile

    Demographic data for Michigan
     MichiganU.S.
    Total population:9,917,715316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):56,5393,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:79%73.6%
    Black/African American:14%12.6%
    Asian:2.7%5.1%
    Native American:0.5%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
    Two or more:2.6%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:4.7%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:89.6%86.7%
    College graduation rate:26.9%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$49,576$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:20%11.3%
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Michigan.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

    Presidential voting pattern

    See also: Presidential voting trends in Michigan

    Michigan voted for the Democratic candidate in four out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

    Pivot Counties (2016)

    Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, 12 are located in Michigan, accounting for 5.83 percent of the total pivot counties.[30]

    Pivot Counties (2020)

    In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Michigan had 11 Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 6.08 and 4.00 of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

    More Michigan coverage on Ballotpedia

    Recent news

    The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Rick Snyder recall. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

    Rick Snyder recall, Michigan (2015-2016) - Google News

    See also

    Previous recall efforts:

    Michigan government:

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kathleen Gray, 8 more petitions to recall Gov. Rick Snyder filed," January 14, 2016 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "2016recall" defined multiple times with different content
    2. ↑ This period begins on the date of the first signature collection; the petition must be filed within 180 days of approval.
    3. ↑ This number is equal to 25 percent of the number of voters in the preceding statewide election.
    4. ↑ Recall petitions for state officials are approved by the Board of State Canvassers
    5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Detroit News, "1 of 10 Snyder recall petitions OK’d for circulation," February 8, 2016
    6. ↑ The petition does not directly attribute responsibility for the crisis to Snyder; the board need only determine if the language of the petition is factual and clear and does not have the authority to make a determination of the legitimacy of the claim for recall
    7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 The Sacramento Bee, "State Board of Canvassers approves petition to recall Snyder" February 22, 2016
    8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Detroit Free Press, "Panel approves 2nd Snyder recall petition over Flint," March 7, 2016
    9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Detroit Free Press, "Former union activist has 60 days to gather signatures to recall governor," March 31, 2016
    10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named approved
    11. ↑ The New York Times, "Recall Effort in Michigan Intensifies Pressure on Gov. Rick Snyder," March 12, 2016
    12. ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Gov. Rick Snyder recall effort has Aug. 20 deadline," July 17, 2016
    13. ↑ Big Government, "The Right of Recall," February 9, 2010
    14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 Michigan Secretary of State, "Michigan Election Law, Chapter XXXVI," accessed March 15, 2016 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "michiganlaw" defined multiple times with different content
    15. ↑ In the event the Secretary of State is the subject of a recall petition, the petition must then be filed with the governor.
    16. ↑ Michigan.gov, "Recall Elections: The Role of the Board of State Canvassers," accessed February 12, 2021
    17. ↑ The petition signatures are cross-referenced with the state's qualified voter file.
    18. ↑ Big Government, "The Right of Recall," February 9, 2010
    19. ↑ NNDB, Lynn J. Frazier profile
    20. ↑ CNN, "Davis in defeat: 'We'll have better nights to come'," October 8, 2003
    21. ↑ The Guardian, "Wisconsin governor Scott Walker survives bitterly fought recall election," June 6, 2012
    22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 WLNS.com, "Skubick: Top Michigan House Democrat calling for Gov. Snyder to resign," March 2, 2016
    23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 [http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/michigan/flint-water-crisis/2016/03/06/granholm-snyder-move-flint/81396904/ The Detroit News, "Granholm: Snyder should move to Flint ," March 6, 2016]
    24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 WDET, "Top Democrat in State Senate Says He’ll Sign Snyder Recall Petition," March 18, 2016
    25. ↑ Michigan Radio, "Neither party wants Rick Snyder to resign over Flint," February 2, 2016
    26. ↑ The New York Times, "Gov. Rick Snyder of Michigan Apologizes in Flint Water Crisis," January 19, 2016
    27. ↑ Michigan Department of State, "Board of State Canvassers: Meeting Minutes," accessed February 28, 2016
    28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 2015recall2
    29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 WTVB, "Petition to recall Gov. Rick Snyder rejected," November 14, 2015
    30. ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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