Signature Gathering is Easy. Recalling Isn't.
The right's propaganda blog machine is in high gear once again, this time over the effort to recall Anchorage Assemblywoman Meg Zaletel.
Reportedly, Reclaim Midtown, led by political activist Russell Biggs, is "closing in" on the number of required signatures needed to place the recall question in front of voters.
Proponents of the recall effort are using the same argument to recall Ms. Zaletel that the group used in their efforts to recall Anchorage Assemblyman Felix Rivera from his Assembly seat in April—claiming that a Progressive "committed misconduct in office on August 11, 2020, by violating EO-15."
According to the Zaletel Recall statement, the group claims that Ms. Zaletel "knowingly participated in an indoor gathering of more than 15 people (a meeting of the Anchorage Assembly)" and that Zaletel continued to participate in an indoor gathering of more than 15 people at a meeting of the Anchorage Assembly after being "specifically informed of the violation."
Initiating a Recall of an Assembly Member is relatively easy—the courts have ruled that the allegations laid out in the recall petition must not be proven true and have left it to voters to decide those issues. Interestingly, Alaska Governor Michael Dunleavy suggested last week that the Alaska Legislature make it more challenging to recall elected officials.
The same argument used in the recall effort against Rivera was soundly rejected by District 4 voters, delivering the 'Recall Rivera' effort a crushing 56%-42% defeat in April. (We call that a blowout).
Regardless of that outcome, allies of Zalatel are taking no chances and have formed a "No On Zaletel Recall" group. The group is collecting donations to beat back the recall efforts.
In a June 2021 Anchorage Daily News Letter to the Editor, Anchorage resident Susan Soule wrote of Assemblywoman Zaletel and the effort to recall her:
"Meg is a remarkable and valuable public servant, but sadly, she’s also the current target of a misguided recall attempt. I hope the citizens of District 4, Midtown, will join me in voting to keep Meg on the Anchorage Assembly and to reelect her when the time comes. She is the kind of public servant we cannot afford to lose."
Susan Soule
