An election to recall District 2 City Councilwoman Julie Spilsbury took place on November 4, 2025, in Mesa, Arizona. Dorean Taylor defeated Spilsbury 52.8%-47.2%, according to the unofficial election results as of 8 p.m. MST on Nov. 4.
The recall effort began on Jan. 30, 2025, when Mesa resident JoAnne Robbins filed a recall petition. The grounds given in the petition for the recall effort include Spilsbury's votes in favor of changing a hotel into the site of Mesa's Off the Streets transitional housing program, increasing city council salaries, and increasing utility rates.
Ahead of the recall vote, Spilsbury said, "I took these votes because I believed they were in the best interests of the City and my constituents, and I stand by my decisions." She has also said, "It’s unfortunate that the special interest group behind this effort is willing to waste hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to run a special election in an attempt to overturn the will of the voters just months after I was resoundingly reelected."
Taylor completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. In her response, she said her priorities included "investing in better roads, eliminating traffic congestion, and reducing your commute times," reducing the cost of Mesa City government, and "fostering long-term solutions, support, and enhanced community outreach programs" to address homelessness.
On October 28, 2025, Politico reported that Turning Point USA, the non-profit organization that Charlie Kirk founded in 2012, helped collect signatures in support of the recall effort, sent texts and emails opposing Spilsbury, and canvased against Spilsbury leading up to the election. Before the election, Politico's Riya Misra wrote, "the outcomes of [Turning Point's] charge against Spilsbury may determine the staying power of Kirk’s legacy, and just how much TPUSA’s influence will shape the future of the party." Ahead of the election, Tyler Bowyer, Turning Point's chief operating officer, criticized Spilsbury, a Republican, for endorsing Kamala Harris (D) in the 2024 presidential election.
During a July 2024 city council meeting, Spilsbury said, "We do not serve a party; we serve the people of Mesa. ... That's how I've approached every vote, every decision and every congregation: with the goal of doing what’s right for our entire community regardless of political affiliation.”
Taylor, also a Republican, said, "I think party affiliation is important when you're running for anything, because everyone will have a bias no matter which party they’re in... I think it’s important to tell that to your voters so that if they don't talk to you, they kind of have an idea of which way you're going to vote.”
Recall organizers needed to collect 3,070 valid signatures to trigger a recall election. Of the signatures that were collected, 3,858 were found to be valid. The filing deadline for candidates interested in running in the recall election was Sept. 5, 2025.