2024 has been marked in DC by news of potential recalls – Charles Allen, the Ward 6 DC Councilmember, and Brianne Nadeau (Ward 1) face formal recall petition drives prompted by frustration about crime. Still, recall proponents face a uphill battle. News reports will frequently note (including a nice overview from WAMU published recently) that no DC Councilmember has ever been recalled. But this actually understates the history:

Out of the 7 people who’ve been mayor, roughly 66 who’ve been on the DC Council, and 2 elected Attorney Generals, ZERO HAVE EVEN FACED A RECALL ELECTION.

You’d have to go all the way down to the Advisory Neighborhood Commission level to find a recall petition successful in leading to a recall election. There appears to have had six ANC recall elections, three successfully removing the incumbent.

A recall election is triggered only by collection of 10% valid signatures of all registered voters in the ANC SMD, Ward, or city as a whole (as relevant, depending on the position). Citywide positions like Mayor require that the 10% threshold be met in 5 out of 8 wards, to avoid such a recall being triggered by just a portion of the city. Initiatives and referenda on the other hand require only 5%, while candidates for elections require less than that.

Timeline:

Non-exhaustive list of recall efforts included

• Fall 1974: DC holds first direct election for mayor and Council
• June 1977: DC Council enacts law to allow recalls, initiatives, and referenda. Proponent of recall provision says it does not require any wrongdoing for a recall, saying that the standard is that elected official “is not giving satisfaction to the public … regardless of whether he or she is discharging his or her full duty to the best of his or her ability and as his or her conscience dictates.”
• November 1977: DC voters approve first amendment to DC charter to allow recalls, referenda, and initiatives. Passes with over 80% of city’s voters (though only 15% turnout)/
• February/March 1978: Congress approves charter amendment. Recall provision passes 350-4 in House, initiative/referendum provision slightly less but still overwhelming support 321-24.
• June 1979: DC Council bill that goes into more detail on how recalls, referenda, and initiatives work becomes law.
• May 1980: First initiative (legalizing lottery and parimutuel betting on dog racing and jai alai) fails 61-39%. 22 initiatives (out of 82 formally proposed prior to this current cycle today) have made the ballot, 15 have passed. Only 3 referenda (2 passed) have been voted on.
• August 1983: ANC recall petition drive successful in Dupont Circle, but no public recall held. Petition signatures collected to recall Chairman Linda Minich (190 signatures) and vice chairman Kathryn Ray (120 signatures) because they supported construction of addition behind Brookings Institution that would face P St NW. ANC voted 5-4 against recall with Minich and Ray both voting to keep themselves. ANC recall law at time didn’t trigger a public election.
• January 1989: First potential DC recall campaign aborted prior to any formal notice. Nationally famous homeless advocate Mitch Snyder announced he was considering organizing a recall campaign of Mayor Marion Barry stating he felt that the “mayor is incapable of managing the city” after negotiations for more homeless shelters broke down, following allegations that the mayor was involved in drugs in a hotel room. Snyder announced a day or later that he was abandoning the effort because of the racial implications of a white person trying to recall the Black mayor. A year later, Barry was infamously arrested at the now-Westin City Center Hotel for crack use; he was later convicted (though not actually for that incident), decided not to run again for mayor in 1990, went to jail, and was reelected in 1994. Tragically Snyder died by suicide in July 1990.
• March 1991: Bill authorizing recall elections of ANC members to be voted by the public becomes law.
• 1992: High-profile recall campaign of Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly launched by 22 year old UDC student Reginald Davis for mismanagement and cronyism. Recall campaign gets a ton of press, and unsubstantiated claims by Davis that enough signatures have been collected. DC Council even writes a letter saying they oppose the recall. Campaign fizzles after Davis arrested for cocaine distribution.
• December 1993: The first ever recall election held in DC history. In ANC 2E03 (Burleith/Georgetown), Theodore Jacobs survives a mail recall election 104-146. Recall launched because he supported the building of a power plant on Georgetown’s campus
• June 1994: Recall effort to recall Ward 8 CM Marion Barry launches for “destroying our neighborhoods by rezoning and bringing in large contractors and developers that do not employ local contractors, craftsmen or laborers.” Doesn’t go anywhere.
• 1995: Another recall effort launched against W8 CM Eydie Whittington, does not go anywhere.
• 1997: DC Professional Taxi Cab Drivers Association launch recall campaign against Mayor Barry for “increased water rates and alleged inadequate oversight of the police department and cronyism in awarding contracts” as well as “diminished home rule.” Most successful mayoral recall campaign to date still falls short (allegedly 28,000 signatures out of 34,000 required, meeting threshold in 4 out of 5 required wards).
• 2000: ANC 5A04 (Michigan Park/Fort Totten area) recall against Raymond Dickey fails.
• January 2004: The first elected official in DC history is recalled from office. ANC 4B07 Paul Montague, representing Lamond in Takoma/Manor Park area, recalled from office after 245-92 vote. One supporter of recall noted that he “hasn’t done anything to help the community” and “does not communicate with the community on issues important to them, and that he has tried to undermine projects established before his term.” Snafu with ballots meant some voters showed up and there weren’t ballots for them.
• 2004: ANC 1A08 (Petworth/Park View) Charles Matiella recalled 24-5. One supporter of recall said he “missed at least three monthly meetings, refused to organize a special meeting dealing with Park Road NW traffic and didn’t know his ANC’s boundaries, among other things.”
• 2004: Recall effort against Mayor Anthony Williams falls short (one report said they had 23,000 out of 35,400 signatures.. Recall proponents upset about “mayor’s decision to close D.C. General Hospital during his first term and to spend millions in subsidies and tax breaks on revitalizing downtown and spurring economic development across the city.
• 2005: Recall effort against Ward 6 CM Sharon Ambrose falls short. Recall proponents basically mad about support for Nationals Park. Ambrose, due to health issues, decides not to seek reelection later that year.
• February 2012: ANC 4B04 (Brightwood area) Douglass Smith recalled 83-64. Proponent said he had a “lack of communication with residents” and “lack of involvement” in community issues, including apparently playing too nice with Walmart coming in area.
• December 2019: Recall of Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans for ethics violations fails. Apparently for 1st in DC history, petitions were actually submitted to DC Board of Elections for a potential review to hold an election. 5600 petition signatures turned in, but Evans camp objected to 2000+ of them, and in end determined that recall only had 4000 valid signatures, not the 5,000 to trigger a recall election.
• October 2022: AN6A04 (east of Lincoln Park in Capitol Hill) Amber Gove fights off recall 357-109. Recall prompted by Gove’s support of bike lanes on North Carolina Ave. NE.

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