An attempt to recall Escondido City Councilwoman Olga Diaz failed this week when those behind the effort didn’t get enough signatures to put a measure on the November ballot.
Escondido moved from citywide elections to districtwide elections last year to settle a lawsuit alleging that the city discriminated against Latino voters. The newly drawn districts left Diaz, a liberal and Escondido’s only Latina council member, representing a mostly conservative, Republican constituency.
Robroy Fawcett, who helped lead the effort to recall Diaz, said it failed for a simple reason: “Not enough money.”
Fawcett said he wanted Diaz recalled so that he and the other residents of his newly drawn district could vote for their city representative.
Diaz is running for mayor in November against current Mayor Sam Abed. If she wins, her replacement would be appointed by City Council. Her council term is up in 2016.
Diaz said she was glad the recall effort was over.
"It always seemed a little odd to me, specifically because there was no accusation of any kind of wrongdoing," she said.
