Steve Sisolak recall, Governor of Nevada (2020)
| Nevada Governor recall |
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| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2020 Recalls in Nevada Nevada recall laws State executive recalls Recall reports |
Three efforts to recall Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) were launched in 2020. Supporters of each recall had up to 90 days to collect the 243,995 signatures needed to require a recall election. All three recall petitions against Sisolak failed to qualify for the ballot.[1]
- The first recall petition was launched on February 14, 2020, by a group called Fight For Nevada. Signatures for the recall were due on May 14, 2020.[2] On May 20, 2020, the secretary of state's office announced that the recall did not gather the necessary amount of signatures to make the ballot. The recall group gathered 33,105 signatures.[3]
- The second recall petition was launched on September 3, 2020, by the PAC called Save Nevada - Recall Steve Sisolak. Signatures for the recall were due on December 3, 2020.[4] The recall effort was abandoned prior to the signature deadline.[5]
- The third recall petition was launched on September 3, 2020, by the PAC called Battle Born Patriots. Signatures for the recall were due on December 3, 2020.[4] The group announced in December that the recall effort had failed. The group had previously announced that they had collected 31,000 signatures.[1]
Sisolak was elected as Nevada's governor in 2018 with 49.4% of the vote. Brian Sandoval (R) served as governor from 2011 to 2019.
To read about other recall efforts related to the coronavirus and government responses to the pandemic, click here.
Recall supporters
First recall effort (ended)
The recall effort was organized by a group called Fight For Nevada. The group's website listed the following reasons for recall:
| “ |
Governor Sisolak’s first responsibility is to serve the residents of the State of Nevada. Sisolak has shown publicly that he will not support and defend the U.S. Constitution or the Bill of Rights upon which our Nation is founded. Sisolak has placed himself and his Office in an adversarial position against the majority of Nevada residents, and does not, in no way, represent Nevada values. Among other grievances, Sisolak has signed into “law” or stated he will support the following: Anti-2nd Amendment legislation including a ban on commonly owned firearms, illegal restrictions on the transfer of private property, laws requiring forced metering of private water wells, abortions without parental notice for our children, voter fraud via the DMV, forced Nevadans to report mileage in preparation for mileage tax, supported the State Income Tax, and repeatedly violated the constraints placed upon him by both the U.S. and Nevada Constitutions. Sisolak has effectively lost the support, trust and confidence of his constituents. Sisolak is unable to ensure the public's safety, nor will he protect the security and unalienable Rights as afforded us.[6] |
” |
| —Steve Sisolak Recall Petition Language[7] | ||
Federal court denies request for extension (May 15, 2020)
On May 11, 2020, Fight For Nevada filed a lawsuit in federal court asking for an extension of time to collect the necessary signatures to get the recall on the ballot. The group requested an extension of the 90-day period to collect signatures equal to the length of the state's coronavirus stay-at-home order.[8] On May 15, 2020, federal court Judge Richard Boulware denied the request for an extension of the signature-gathering period for the recall. He wrote in the order, "The Court does not find that an inability to file this particular recall petition presents a severe burden when Plaintiff has not established with any detail what additional burden or inconvenience it faces if the Secretary does not extend the deadline."[9]
Second recall effort (ended)
The second recall effort was organized by the recall PAC called Save Nevada - Recall Steve Sisolak. The PAC registered the recall with the state secretary of state on August 30, 2020, and filed its notice of intent to recall the governor on September 3.[4] According to The Nevada Independent, the petition said that the governor "failed to uphold his oath of office" and engaged in the "wanton destruction [of] Nevada’s economy and that of her residents."[4]
Kelly Slater, a freelance DJ in Las Vegas, told the The Nevada Independent that he started the recall effort after several recall groups did not launch their own recall efforts. He said, "I just decided that it was time for somebody to do something and actually follow through. And that’s when I took the initiative and downloaded the recall paperwork and submitted it to the state."[4]
Third recall effort (ended)
The third recall effort was organized by the recall PAC called Battle Born Patriots. The PAC registered the recall with the state secretary of state on August 28, 2020, and filed its notice of intent to recall the governor on September 3.[4]
According to The Nevada Independent, the recall petition said that the governor had "placed himself and office in an adversarial position against the majority of Nevada residents and does in no way represent Nevada values." The recall effort also criticized the governor over his support of gun control legislation, laws related to metering of private water wells, the idea of a statewide income tax, and a DMV policy for reporting mileage. This recall effort had the same reasons for recall as the first recall effort against the governor in 2020 by the Fight For Nevada group.[4]
Recall opponents
After the first recall was announced, Gov. Sisolak's office issued the following statement:[10]
| “ |
The Governor's Office was informed by the Secretary of State's Office, as required by NAC 306.007, that a Notice of Intent to circulate a recall petition has been filed February 14, 2020. The Governor remains focused on the important matters of the state.[6] |
” |
After the second and third recalls were announced, Gov. Sisolak's office issued the following statement:[4]
| “ | The governor is focused on the job he was elected to do. Right now, that includes leading the state through an unprecedented global pandemic. Nevada has a recall process, and Nevadans have a right to exercise that process if they so choose.[6] | ” |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Nevada
According to a 2010 court ruling by the Nevada Supreme Court, those who seek to recall public officers must collect signatures of at least 25 percent of the voters who cast their ballot in the election when the officers last won their seats.
For the recalls against Gov. Sisolak to be placed on the ballot, supporters of each recall needed to gather 243,995 signatures within 90 days of the recall notice of intent being submitted.
Ballotpedia covered 35 coronavirus-related recall efforts against 94 officials in 2022, accounting for 13% of recalls that year. This is a decrease from both 2020 and 2021. COVID-related recalls accounted for 37% of all recall efforts in both 2020 and 2021. In 2020, there were 87 COVID-related recalls against 89 officials, and in 2021, there were 131 against 214 officials.
The chart below compares coronavirus-related recalls to recalls for all other reasons in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Election history
2018
- See also: Nevada gubernatorial election, 2018
General election
General election for Governor of Nevada
Steve Sisolak defeated Adam Laxalt, Ryan Bundy, Russell Best, and Jared Lord in the general election for Governor of Nevada on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Steve Sisolak (D) | 49.4 | 480,007 |
 | Adam Laxalt (R) | 45.3 | 440,320 | |
 | Ryan Bundy (Independent) | 1.4 | 13,891 | |
 | Russell Best (Independent American Party) | 1.0 | 10,076 | |
 | Jared Lord (L)  | 0.9 | 8,640 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.9 | 18,865 | ||
| Total votes: 971,799 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Nevada
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Nevada on June 12, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Steve Sisolak | 51.8 | 72,749 |
 | Chris Giunchigliani | 40.3 | 56,511 | |
 | John Bonaventura | 3.1 | 4,351 | |
 | Henry Thorns | 2.0 | 2,761 | |
 | David Jones | 1.8 | 2,511 | |
| Asheesh Dewan | 1.0 | 1,468 | ||
| Total votes: 140,351 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Nevada
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Nevada on June 12, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Adam Laxalt | 74.7 | 101,651 |
 | Dan Schwartz | 9.5 | 12,919 | |
 | Jared Fisher | 4.9 | 6,696 | |
 | Stephanie Carlisle | 4.7 | 6,401 | |
| Bill Boyd | 4.4 | 6,028 | ||
 | Stan Lusak | 0.7 | 1,011 | |
| Frederick Conquest | 0.6 | 766 | ||
| Edward Dundas | 0.4 | 576 | ||
| Total votes: 136,048 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Historical governor recalls
From 2003 to 2019, Ballotpedia tracked 58 gubernatorial recall efforts against 16 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 Nevada
- Political recall efforts, 2020
- Gubernatorial recalls
- Mike Dunleavy recall, Governor of Alaska (2020)
- Gavin Newsom recall, Governor of California (2020)
- Gretchen Whitmer recall, Governor of Michigan (2020)
- John Bel Edwards recall, Governor of Louisiana (2020)
- Tony Evers recall, Governor of Wisconsin (2020)
External links
- Fight for Nevada - Recall Governor Sisolak website (Recall 1)
- Save Nevada - Recall Governor Sisolak Facebook page (Recall 2)
- Battle Born Patriots - Recall Governor Sisolak Facebook page (Recall 3)
- Battle Born Patriots - Recall Governor Sisolak website (Recall 3)
- Office of Gov. Sisolak
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Pahrump Valley Times, "Effort to recall Nevada’s governor fails, Battle Born Patriots to continue on," December 11, 2020
- ↑ The Nevada Independent, "Conservative, pro-gun rights group files long-shot bid to recall Sisolak," February 14, 2020
- ↑ Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Group attempting recall of Sisolak falls well short of goal," May 20, 2020
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 The Nevada Independent, "At least four groups mounting separate campaigns in difficult quest to recall Sisolak," September 10, 2020
- ↑ RN&R Extra, "Sisolak recall deadline nears," November 21, 2020
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Fight For Nevada, "About," accessed February 18, 2020
- ↑ Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Group looking to recall Sisolak suing for more time," May 11, 2020
- ↑ The Nevada Independent, "Judge denies Sisolak recall group’s request for more time to gather signatures," May 15, 2020
- ↑ KTVN, "'Fight for Nevada' Collecting Signatures to Recall Governor Sisolak," February 15, 2020
