TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Recall Regina 2020 effort failed after not getting enough signatures.
“We fell just short after the initial count,” said Recall Regina 2020 Chairman Joseph Morgan.
They collected more than 24,000 signatures but were still about 500 short of what they needed. Morgan admits more signatures would have ended up being thrown out if they had made it to the review process. But he says hopes they still sent the mayor a message.
“Recall Regina 2.0 is certainly a very real possibility, I'm not going to sit here and say it's going to happen right now, but it's a real possibility,” he said.
Morgan says the group launched their recall efforts last summer after Mayor Regina Romero unveiled a Black Lives Matter banner at city hall and then later stood against a request to paint a thin blue line in front of TPD headquarters.
"When that took place it literally sent this thing into orbit.”
Morgan’s group has been involved in a number of protests including a “maskless” protest in front of Romero’s house. He says the mayor’s position on masks and a mandatory curfew helped the recall effort pick up steam.
“I had people who didn’t agree with us at the start, turn 180 degrees this year in 2021 and say where do I sign. They had enough.”
Morgan says while the recall effort fell short, the signatures still represent a significant amount of Tucsonans. "Listen to what 24,153 legitimate signatories, forget the people in the county that signed and weren’t able to sign, but forget that stuff, and say to myself how do we change.”
Mayor Romero’s office responded to the recall effort failing with this statement:
"Mayor Romero answers to all of the residents of Tucson, who have elected her with strong majorities in every city election she has run in. This recall effort was no more than a fringe group with unvalidated signatures attempting to overturn the will of the majority of Tucsonans. Nevertheless, she will continue her tireless work to build a more strong, sustainable, and resilient city for all Tucsonans, regardless of whether they voted for her or not."
