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Ryan Jackson recall, Joplin, Missouri (2025)

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Ryan Jackson recall
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Officeholders
Ryan Jackson
Recall status
Underway
Signature requirement
6,700 signatures
See also
Recall overview
Political recall efforts, 2025
Recalls in Missouri
Missouri recall laws
City council recalls
Recall reports

An effort to recall Zone III City Councilman Ryan Jackson is underway in Joplin, Missouri.[1]

Recall supporters

The reason for recall reads, "Councilman Ryan Jackson has failed to uphold his Oath of Office and has shown an inability to conduct oneself in a manner that preserves public confidence and respect for the Government in which he serves and an inability to treat all citizens with courtesy, impartiality, fairness and equality, in violation of the Joplin City Code."[2]

Ron Burch is organizing the recall effort. Burch is the founder and a co-chair of JOMO Pride. In a statement, Burch said:[2]

A sitting Councilmember continuing to make disparaging and derogatory statements in public forums about the most vulnerable people in our community, and engaging in divisive rhetoric, comes at a price.

Hatespeech, slurs, making fun of those with disabilities and mental illnesses should not be tolerated from a sitting council member who should be held to a higher standard. This Recall Petition will serve as a pathway to show our community that they have the power to hold our elected officials accountable for their words and actions.

The Recall Petition is broad in language and not due to a singular incident, but a culmination of issues since Councilmember Jackson took office. More detailed information will be released after we address the full Council at an upcoming City Council meeting, at which time a press conference will be scheduled. [3]

Recall opponents

Jackson gave the following statement:[2]

I think all council members are entitled to our personal opinions and as long as we share that in our personal capacity and not from our council pages or on behalf of the council then we should be able to do that. I should be entitled to my freedom of speech just as anyone else is.

I’ve had criticism from other residents when they saw opinions or postings from council members they disagreed with and perhaps I didn’t agree with as well but it’s their right to have their opinion.

This is a huge topic on many levels in our country and we should be able to talk about it. I simply don’t indulge in calling men who are men women, or calling women who are women men. We should respect each other’s respective private spaces. [3]

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing recall in Missouri

Joplin's home rule charter contains information about the process for recalling city councilors. According to the charter, a recall petition "shall be signed by electors entitled to participate in such election equal in number to at least twenty per cent of the electors registered to vote in the last regular municipal election."[4]

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

External links

Footnotes