Tony Blain recall, Poway, California (2025)
| Tony Blain recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| Recall election date |
| November 4, 2025 |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2025 Recalls in California California recall laws City council recalls Recall reports |
An election to recall District 2 City Councilman Tony Blain is scheduled for November 4, 2025, in Poway, California. Recall organizers needed to collect 2,425 signatures to trigger a recall election.[1][2]
Recall vote
Tony Blain recall, 2025
Tony Blain is facing a recall election in the Poway City Council District 2 recall on November 4, 2025.
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Recall supporters
Recall organizers served Blain with a notice of intent during the March 18, 2025, meeting of the city council. The Recall Tony Blain website reads as follows:[3]
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Tony Blain is unfit to serve on the Poway City Council — period. His reckless, unethical, and potentially criminal behavior is a disgrace and is a potential legal and financial liability for the city. Blain attempted vote trading, extortion, and bribery -- serious crimes that triggered a review by the San Diego County District Attorney. He bullies and harasses City staff at all hours, demands they break protocol, and threatens jobs. The City Manager has filed a formal complaint. Blain has even tried weaponizing law enforcement against his critics. He has destroyed public records, refuses to interact with staff to prepare for meetings, and shuts out constituents, dodging public record laws by only taking calls or private meetings at his home. District 2 is left without real representation. Blain’s behavior is so egregious that the City Council voted unanimously to censure him, calling his actions “abusive, unprofessional, threatening, reckless, potentially felonious and unlawful” and that he “poses legal risks to the City.” This is the first censure in Poway’s 45-year history. 'Enough is enough. Poway deserves better![4] |
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Recall opponents
In an email to Voice of San Diego, Blain wrote, "Recall effort was launched by developers/ painting contractor Mullin (who residents accuse of developing 22-acre Highcrest Court with his brother-in-law in Poway paying miniscule approximately $2,500 mitigation fees when rest of developments in Poway then paid MUCH more) who financially benefits from Mayor Vaus and Councilmember DeHoff voting YES on all battery plants and developments AFTER they take campaign contributions from developers," and "Poway has corrupt Mayor who has appointed 4 Councilmembers instead of allowing Special Elections. Recall effort is simply a means of Poway Mayor trying to appoint a FIFTH Councilmember to maintain political control of Poway City Council and ruin our ‘City in the Country."[5]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in California
No specific grounds are required for recall in California. The recall process starts with a notice of intention to recall. The notice must be served to the officer whose recall is being sought as well as published in a newspaper of general circulation. The notice must then be filed with the relevant election office. Once the notice has been deemed sufficient by the election office, a petition must also be filed and approved by the election office. Once the petition is approved, it can be circulated. To get a recall on the ballot, supporters must collect signatures from registered voters in the jurisdiction. The number of signatures required is between 10% and 30% of registered voters in the jurisdiction, depending on the size of the jurisdiction. Jurisdictions with 1,000 registered voters or fewer require 30%, and jurisdictions with 100,000 or more registered voters require 10%. Charter cities can also set their own signature threshold. The amount of time allowed for the circulation of recall petitions also varies by the number of registered voters in a jurisdiction, between 40 and 160 days. Jurisdictions with fewer than 1,000 registered voters allow 40 days, and jurisdictions with more than 50,000 registered voters allow 160 days.[6]
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
- Poway, California
- Recall campaigns in California
- Political recall efforts, 2025
- City council recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ KPBS, "Poway Councilmember Tony Blain accused of harassment, faces recall," March 27, 2025
- ↑ The San Diego Union-Tribune, "Poway sets Nov. 4 special election on recall of Councilmember Tony Blain," August 6, 2025
- ↑ Recall Tony Blain, "Home," accessed April 2, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Voice of San Diego, "Poway Residents Start Recall Effort to Remove Councilmember Tony Blain," March 21, 2025
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Recall Procedures Guide 2023," accessed October 16, 2023
