It appears that enough signatures have already been collected for the recall of both Commissioner Chris Barnett and Andreas Blech.
As of 11/17/25 Chief Petitioner Jim Goodwin submitted:
Commissioner Blech: 7,079 signatures submitted
Commissioner Barnett: 7,312 signatures submitted
The required number of signatures is: 6,445 valid signatures
Signature gathering remains open until: Sunday, November 23, 2025
The calls have already started from the commissioners and the republican party. They are demanding signature verification as opposed to a formula. Odd, I didn’t hear that from these same people when it came to the recent recall of the chair of the party.
Needless to say, there is a law in regards to this formula. In my opinion, this may be one reason why the republican party is trying to unseat the current county clerk Rhiannon Henkels with one of their own picking – but the law is the law. Let’s take a closer look at where the 4,500 number comes from in regards to signature requirements and formulas.
https://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Documents/RecallManual.pdf
“Recalls for all other offices that require more than 4,500 signatures, the statistical sampling process described in OAR 165-014-0110 will be used to determine if the petition contains the required number of signatures, otherwise all signatures will be verified“
This formula requirement was recently challenged in court and is still being decided on.
I have no issue with people exercising their right to challenge laws in court. My concern is with any effort—by an individual or a group—to bypass established procedures by trying to replace the county clerk with someone who lacks experience and may use the office to advance a political agenda. That’s not how the process should work.
In the end, it will be up to the voters how they decide the fate of these two commissioners unless one or both resign.
