Some In Shasta County Want To Recall Supervisor Kevin Crye. They Think They Have the Signatures To Do It.

Boxes holding unverified signatures in support of the recall of Shasta County Supervisor Kevin Crye. Photo by Annelise Pierce.

9.14.23 10:15 am: We have updated the article to correct the number of votes Crye won by in the November 2022 election.

Shasta County Supervisor Kevin Crye has been in office for only eight months but he has already gained national notoriety. Crye, a talent agent and businessman who has lived in Shasta County for most of his life decided to run for board supervisors last year after the political upheaval that was fostered around the COVID-19 pandemic.

Crye won the general election in November 2022 by only ninety votes. Since then, he has often sided with two other Shasta County supervisors on important topics, including how to manage the county’s voting systems. Together supervisors Crye, Chris Kelstrom, and Patrick Jones have taken the county down an unknown path, voting to hand count all of Shasta County’s ballots during the next general election, something that has never been done in a county of this size.

Those decisions have left a significant portion of Shasta County’s District 1, which Crye represents, unhappy. They are especially angry that Crye reached out to MyPillow CEO and election fraud proponent Mike Lindell for advice on Shasta County’s voting systems, flying out to visit him at the county’s expense. Many also don’t like that he has committed the county to the financial expense of piloting a voting system that the county’s elected registrar of voters has strongly opposed and that the state of California does not currently allow. A bill that would stop Shasta County’s efforts to count, AB 969, has been voted forward and is awaiting Governor’s Newsom’s signature.

On Tuesday, September 12, about a dozen of those who support the recall of Kevin Crye gathered in front of the Shasta County Elections Office to hand in signatures that they’ve been gathering for months. In California, recall elections can be initiated for any reason, as long as enough voters sign on to support them. Just over 4,000 verified signatures, documenting the support of 20% of District 1 voters, are needed to put Crye’s recall on the ballot.

At the Elections Office yesterday, September 12, his opponents held signs indicating that they had collected and were turning in over 5,000 signatures to be reviewed by Shasta County’s Clerk and Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen. If enough of those signatures are verified, they’ll be able to place a recall question on next spring’s general election ballot so that a majority of the county’s District 1 voters can decide whether they want to recall the supervisor.

Some of the supporters of the recall hold signs showing the number of signatures they’ve gathered. Photo by Annelise Pierce.

Darling Allen’s office will now review the signatures to ensure that all of them belong to District 1 voters and that they match the official signatures and addresses in the county’s voting records.

Gorder said recall organizers have already vetted the list themselves and thrown out 500 signatures that were found to belong to those outside District 1, before handing them into Darling Allen’s office Tuesday.

A recall Crye supporter sits with a hand-lettered sign at the elections office. Photo by Annelise Pierce.

Speaking for the group yesterday, Gorder said he and others were humbled by the hundreds of volunteers and thousands of Shasta County voters who were “taking this step to restore responsible and stable governance we all deserve for our families and ourselves.”

“Our politically diverse volunteers and petition signers should be proud,” Gorder continued. “We all stepped forward to address Supervisor Crye’s betrayal, failed leadership, and damage to our community. We have shown that by actively participating in local government, and following the law, we can make a positive impact with our community.”

If he is recalled, Crye’s replacement could be selected by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who could also decide to allow voters to replace Crye themselves, as has happened in other North State counties. Recall proponents reached out to Newsom by letter months ago asking him to allow local voters to choose Crye’s replacement if he is successfully recalled. They haven’t heard back.

Regardless of whether the recall moves forward, Crye told Shasta Scout by phone yesterday, September 13, he is excited to have a break from the signature-gathering portion of the recall process and is ready to take the steps needed to hold onto his seat regardless of whether the recall moves to the ballot.

“I’m not going to slow down what I’m doing. If they did get the signatures I’ll keep doing the work but with the distraction of running another campaign. Either way, I’m undeterred with making sure the people of Shasta County who support me know I’m not rolling over. I’m positive we’ll win in the end.”

Asked if he had any concerns about whether the elections office would accurately verify the signatures for recall, Crye says he has to trust that the Elections Office will do the right thing. All he’s asking for, he said, is that the process be fair, and consistent with that used for other recalls.

Darling Allen’s office has thirty days to verify recall signatures. Under the law her department is permitted to randomly spot check only 500 of the signatures, Cathy Darling Allen said. “But just as we did in the recall in 2021/2022 for Leonard Moty,” she continued “we will examine each signature submitted so that all parties can be confident in the results.”

She said staff has already started a raw count where the petition itself is examined and the total number of submitted signatures is counted. After that, staff will move on to verifying each individual signature.

In response to questions from the media, Gorder said the recall movement is feeling confident and is already looking ahead to election planning. He said locals can anticipate many upcoming events, rallies, and town halls which will be announced soon via social media channels.

Have questions, concerns, or comments? Reach out to us: editor@shastascout.org.