Just like the national GOP has worked tirelessly on voter suppression and gerrymandering in a concession that it cannot win on ideology, the Nevada GOP has decided to add recalls as a tactic.
As first reported and covered well by The Nevada Independent, NV GOP has launched recall efforts against three Senators (so far) in an attempt to create a majority in time for the next legislative session in 2019. You see, NV has a citizen legislature that only meets every other year. And our State Senators serve a 4 yr term with only half up for election every 2 years. As Jon Ralston points out in his excellent opinion piece (Recallmania by GOP reveals desperation about 2018 map, willingness to subvert process), the GOP is in trouble.
“The real secret here, though, is not who is behind this. The dirty secret here is this is grounded not in political principles but in campaign panic because the Republicans essentially have no chance to take the state Senate at the ballot in ‘18.”
The opinion piece is blistering. The news pieces don’t make the NV GOP look any better. There needs to be no specific language when the notice for intent to recall is posted but there’s been no argument that the three Senators being targeted have been accused of any sort of malfeasance or unethical behavior. From varied reports, it seems that their sins are that they took Democratic positions on bills. Strange given that they are two Democrats and one Independent who caucused with the Democrats. So, why? Again, from Ralston
“I’ll tell you why: Because they are desperate, because they know they are unlikely to win back the Senate at the ballot next year and because….they can. That is the standard in the Era of Trump, a perversion of the Nike slogan applied to campaigns and politics: Just Do It.”
A little about the women (and yes, they’re all women) being targeted.
Joyce Woodhouse won narrowly in 2016 to return to the Senate and she chaired the powerful Senate Finance Committee. At least one (paid) petitioner mentioned that she co-sponsored a bill (that ultimately never even went to a vote) that would place certain restrictions on local police in dealing with illegal immigration and ICE. The GOP claimed, falsely, that it was a bill to make Nevada a sanctuary state even though it basically codified what is said to be current standard practice.
Patricia Farley was a Republican who became an Independent and caucused with the Democrats. She’s up for re-election in 2018 and has since announced that she would not run. It’s unclear whether or not she would have won but this particular recall seems to be about two things — Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson was angry that she left the party and he also resents that she was assigned to the interim legislative body that handles issues that come up between legislative sessions. The Democrats made an unusual decision to include Farley in the group, arguing that an Independent should be included. But since she caucused with the Democrats, it essentially gives the Democrats a 4-2 advantage on a committee that is usually evenly split.
Nicole Cannizzaro is my State Senator and she was a particular stand out for being a freshman Senator. As this was the last one filed, there is no reports yet of just what she is supposed to have done wrong but, if it mirrors the others, it will become about votes she took. Cannizzaro got several workplace protections passed (including some big ones for pregnant workers and breastfeeding moms) and is definitely considered to be a future star. Clearly, the GOP is terrified of her. Here’s her statement:
There is an official campaign — DECLINE TO SIGN — to beat back these three recalls. Its website is stoptherecalls.org and there’s a hotline to report where/when people are handing out petitions.
This is a long shot — no recall of a legislator has succeeded — but it’s nonetheless galling that, upon realizing that they had very little chance of winning back the State Senate in 2018, they decided to try and steal a couple of seats instead. It’s becoming more and more clear that the GOP knows two things — people aren’t voting for their policy ideas and it’s becoming difficult to rig the system in many places. This is yet another attempt to undermine democracy and hopefully it fails.