Illinois lawmakers eyeing recall of elected officials

[January 25, 2025]  By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributor

(The Center Square) – Legislators from both sides of the aisle are urging the Illinois General Assembly to work together to give voters the ability to hold elected government officials accountable.

State Rep. La Shawn, D-Chicago, is continuing in his crusade to create a process that could give Chicago voters the power to immediately recall their mayor from office.

House Bill 1084 seeks to create a pathway for such action. It would require an affidavit being filed with the Board of Elections and a petition being signed by voters equal to at least 15% of the total votes cast in the previous Chicago mayoral election.

While Ford is adamant that voters should have such options at their disposal in cases where they’ve lost total confidence in a leader, he’s quick to add Mayor Brandon Johnson’s current struggles with voters isn’t what’s fueling his actions.
 

“This was something that was asked for when Laquan McDonald was assassinated by police [in 2014],” Ford told The Center Square. “Everyone looked for a way to deal with the administration and they searched to find out how to remove the mayor. They realized that there was no mechanism in place. They asked for a recall bill to be filed for the mayor of the city of Chicago.”

Ford adds he’s filed some version of the bill every year since 2015 and nothing about his actions are motivated by Johnson’s current struggles with voters, including a November Change Research poll that found 70% of them now have an unfavorable opinion of him.

“This bill is not targeting the mayor,” he said. “It's really just about having good policy. Poll numbers could change overnight. You don't recall a mayor or an elected official based on polling numbers because they could turn around and numbers could shoot up. My intent is to just have the mechanism in place in case there are circumstances that require the need to remove a mayor from office.”

State Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago.
Greg Bishop

State Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, has a separate measure in House Bill 1304, which provides that local officeholders who were elected during a general or consolidated election may be recalled under the act.

Ford and Ugaste released a joint statement Thursday saying they plan to work together to have a comprehensive process to empower local voters.

“In extreme cases, it would be in the best interests of residents and taxpayers to have options in place to remove public officials who have acted inappropriately or have historically low approval ratings,” Ugaste said. “Representative Ford and I have both filed legislation to address accountability for officeholders, and it would be in the best interests of all Illinoisans if we can work together in a bipartisan manner, which we have committed to start. The process to initiate these recalls should not be easy, and with high threshold limits and signature requirements, any political or partisan concerns should not be a factor.”

Ford said he’s dedicated to collaborating with Republicans and Ugaste.

“We must get this right and prioritize the needs of voters,” Ford said in the statement. “Holding public officials accountable is vital for restoring and maintaining public trust, and we are responsible for ensuring that voters have a voice when elected leaders fail to meet expectations.”

Legislators return to the capitol Tuesday.

Greg Bishop contributed to this report.