Robert Garcia recall, Long Beach, California (2020)

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2020 Robert Garcia recall: Long Beach, Calif.
Recall status
Did not go to a vote
Table of contents
Recall supporters Path to the ballot
See also
External links Footnotes

An effort in Long Beach, California, to recall Mayor Robert Garcia was initiated in June 2020. Recall organizers announced on November 9, 2020, that they had stopped gathering signatures.

Recall supporters

The recall effort was organized by Long Beach resident Franklin Sims. Petition language cited the following as grounds for the recall:

“

Mayor Garcia has advanced his political career at the expense of LongBeach's most vulnerable residents. For this we seek his immediate recall. In exchange for substantial contributions from a powerful police lobby, Garcia has repeatedly failed to discipline police brutality. Even when unarmed black and brown locals were murdered by officers, Garcia routinely excused police misconduct and brazenly forces local tax payers to cover multi-million dollar settlements. Favoring downtown gentrification and ignoring housing inequities, Garcia gives generous tax breaks, and substantial building contracts to Corporate Development donors. But for the poor, Garcia shows little compassion. He regularly raises their taxes, fines and fees to finance the salary increases and city contracts of his donors. Reminiscent of Jim Crow in the South, Garcia grossly insists on building an $85 million Olympic pool adjacent to affluent beachfront residents while poor black and brown children suffer segregation. A stewart of systemic racism, Garcia has willingly stood aside while his Big Oil donors pollute more of the air inhaled by black and brown children living along our city's Diesel Death Corridor. Alarmingly, Garcia's political ascension seems to know few moral limits. Thus, having lost our public trust we respectfully seek his swift recall.

”

Recall opponents

Garcia gave an official response to the recall effort:

“

Under Mayor Garcia's leadership, Long Beach has: Adopted 6 balanced budgets and maintained an AA credit rating. Launched the largest infrastructure program in a generation. Built and planned 4,000 new affordable and working-class homes across the city. Created $3.5 billion in construction work and good paying jobs. Modernized the Long Beach Airport. Made the Port of Long Beach into a leading sustainable economic driver. Reduced officer involved shootings and use of force. Worked to reduce crime in neighborhoods. Received a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign for LGBTQ inclusion. For the first time in history, had more women on citywide boards and commissions. Expanded preschool and internships across the city. Mayor Garcia will continue to focus on making the City of Long Beach a leader in education, sustainability and good paying jobs.

”

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing recall in California

Recalls of local officials in California start with notices of intent to targeted officials. Each notice requires signatures from 10 city residents, the name of the targeted official, and reasoning for the recall that cannot exceed 200 words. A copy of the notice is delivered to the city clerk, who publishes the notice in at least three public places. Targeted officials have seven days following receipt of their notices to issue statements of defense. A recall petition can be circulated against each targeted official once the notice of intent is published.

Recall organizers filed a notice of intent to recall on June 29, 2020. Petitioners were required to submit 26,503 valid signatures by December 29, 2020, to put the recall election on the ballot. On November 9, 2020, Sims announced that gathering signatures had stopped after the presidential election on November 3, 2020. Sims said that he expected Garcia to be appointed to a position in President-Elect Joe Biden's administration.

See also

• Recall campaigns in California
• Political recall efforts, 2020
• Mayoral recalls

External links

Suggest a link

• Government website of Long Beach, California