In 2025, Ballotpedia tracked 276 recall efforts against 388 elected officials. This marked an increase in the number of recall efforts and a slight increase in the number of officials targeted for recall compared to 2024, when Ballotpedia covered 248 recall efforts against 387 officials.
A total of 44 officials, or 11% of those targeted for recall, were removed from office in recall elections in 2025. This was the lowest percentage of officials removed since 2021, and the third-lowest since Ballotpedia began tracking recall data in 2012.
For the fourth year in a row, city council members faced the highest number of recall efforts among all office types, with 47% of the officials named in recall efforts in 2025 being city councilors. City councilors were also the top recall target from 2016 to 2020. In 2021, school board members faced the most recall efforts.
In Michigan, 58 officials were targeted for recall, the most out of any state in 2025. California had the second-highest number of officials targeted for recall, and Colorado had the third. This was the fourth consecutive year that Michigan had the most officials targeted for recall.
Ballotpedia covered several notable recall elections in 2025:
- On Sept. 9, a recall election in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, saw Mayor Kahlil Seren removed from office
- On Sept. 16, a recall election in San Francisco, California, saw Supervisor Joel Engardio removed from office
- On Sept. 30, a recall election in Jackson County, Missouri, saw County Executive Frank White removed from office
- On Nov. 4, a recall election in Mesa, Arizona, saw City Councilwoman Julie Spilsbury removed from office
Learn more about these recall elections in our latest recall report, which includes a detailed comparison of recall data from 2025 and previous years, as well as coverage of two efforts to recall Oregon state Rep. Cyrus Javadi (D) and an effort to recall Michael Todd from the Liberty Elementary School District school board in Arizona.
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