A recall effort against Lemon Grove Mayor Alysson Snow has failed.
The attempt to unseat Snow was waged by the Lemon Grove Neighborhood Association, a group led by City Council regular Kenneth King. The recall petition began circulating in the summer, but failed to gather the required number of signatures by the deadline.
Three prior attempts also failed when King submitted a Notice of Intent to circulate the recall petition that lacked the required number of signatures or contained incorrect information.
By Dec. 8, the 160-day deadline for returning the petition, the City Clerk’s Office had not received any paperwork. A city spokesman announced on Dec. 9 that no further action would be taken and the recall process was “considered terminated.”
“Recall proponents needed 3,349 register(ed) voters in Lemon Grove to force a recall election,” the city wrote in a statement.
King posted a statement online to announce the recall effort had ended.
“While our committee successfully engaged with thousands of concerned residents for signatures and information,” King said, “We have made the difficult but necessary decision to protect the people of Lemon Grove by ensuring that recall signers are shielded from any further intimidation, harassment, or doxxing.”
Recall volunteers faced “unprecedented barriers that went far beyond typical political discourse” throughout the signature-gathering process, he wrote.
The advocacy group is now “pursuing accountability through the proper legal channels,” he said.
Snow filed a lawsuit in San Diego County Superior Court against organizers of the recall effort in August, including King. She alleged that recall proponents engaged in a “bait and switch” scheme by deceiving voters while gathering signatures for the petition.
In the lawsuit, she alleged that petitioners had violated state election laws by “falsifying documents” that were submitted in support of the recall effort.
“He took that (earlier) notice that he circulated and got signatures,” Snow said. “That notice that he circulated was different from the one he turned in.”
Snow said she has video proof of this.
Further, Snow alleged that King and two others had prepared a false Notice of Intention to circulate the recall petition, in which false statements were made about her. This included an allegation that she was part of a federal investigation into corruption in cannabis licensing.
In the statement, King did not acknowledge Snow’s lawsuit, but said it “served a darker purpose: it created a climate of fear.”
“It’s really rich that he’s complaining that we had to take legal action because the legal action was a result of his (alleged) election fraud,” Snow said.
“Countless” voters were afraid to sign the petition out of fear of being targeted, King said, which “undoubtedly suppressed the signature count.”
“The recall petition may not be moving to the ballot, but our work has only just begun,” he wrote. “The effort to recall Mayor Snow has galvanized a watchdog coalition that is stronger and more organized than ever before.”
The attempt to unseat her fell short because she was elected by an “overwhelming majority,” Snow said. She was elected in November 2024 with 4,059 votes, about 40% of votes cast, over then-Mayor Racquel Vasquez and then-Councilmember Liana LeBaron.
Now that the recall is behind her, Snow said she feels “really relieved.”
“It’s nice to be able to turn the page and now just focus on getting this city moving forward with a fully staffed team of council members,” Snow said.