Dan Freitas recall, Fairhaven, Massachusetts (2021)

• Recall efforts
  • Recall efforts by state
  • Recall efforts by office
  • Recall efforts by year
  • Upcoming recall elections
• Local recalls
  • City council recalls
  • Mayoral recalls
  • County commission recalls
  • County official recalls
  • School board recalls
  • Sheriff recalls
  • Special district recalls
• State and federal recalls
  • State executive recalls
  • State legislator recalls
  • U.S. Congress recalls
• Laws governing recall
  • States that have pre-petition signature requirements for recalls
  • States that require grounds for recalls
• Analysis
  • What are recalls?
  • Recall terms
  • 2024 mid-year analysis
  • 2023 year-end analysis
  • 2023 mid-year analysis
  • 2022 year-end analysis
  • 2022 mid-year analysis
  • 2021 year-end analysis
  • 2021 mid-year analysis
  • 2020 year-end analysis
  • 2020 mid-year analysis
  • 2019 year-end analysis
  • 2019 mid-year analysis
  • 2018 year-end analysis
  • 2018 mid-year analysis
  • 2017 year-end analysis
  • 2017 mid-year analysis
  • 2016 year-end analysis
  • 2016 mid-year analysis

2021 Dan Freitas recall Fairhaven, Mass.
Recall status
Approved
Recall election date
July 26, 2021
Table of contents
Recall vote Recall supporters Recall opponents Path to the ballot
See also
External links Footnotes

Voters in Fairhaven, Massachusetts recalled Selectman Dan Freitas on July 26, 2021, and elected Stasia Powers to fill the vacancy on the board.

Organizers said that they were attempting to recall Freitas because of abusive and disruptive behavior. They also alleged that Freitas had circumvented the standard process for selecting a new town administrator in order to advance an insider candidate. Freitas denied the allegations and said that the recall attempt was a smear campaign against him.

Recall vote

Yes/no recall question

Voters were asked whether they were for or against the recall of Select Board Member Dan Freitas.

Dan Freitas recall, 2021

Dan Freitas lost the Fairhaven Select Board recall election on July 26, 2021.

			Recall  Vote	%	Votes
		✖	Yes	81.9	1,906
			No	18.1	421
			Total Votes		2,327

---

It has been certified. Source

Replacement question

Voters were also asked to select a candidate to fill the vacant seat on the board, should the recall have passed.

General election

General election for Fairhaven Select Board

Stasia Powers defeated Leon Correy III and Cameron Durant in the general election for Fairhaven Select Board on July 26, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Stasia Powers (Nonpartisan)	35.6	809
		Leon Correy III (Nonpartisan)	34.6	785
		Cameron Durant (Nonpartisan)	29.1	660
		Other/Write-in votes	0.7	17

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,271
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Recall supporters

The recall petition gave the following grounds for recall.

"

For conduct unbecoming an elected official: (i.e. abusive treatment of fellow board members, constituents, and employees); for behavior that is disruptive to meetings (i.e. abandoning meetings); for placing personal relationships and agenda over public interest (i.e. Town Administrator hiring); and for behavior that prompted consideration of criminal charges (i.e. July 1, 2020 incident regarding alleged assault and battery).

”

Recall opponents

Freitas gave the following response to the recall attempt on his Facebook page.

"

I have received numerous calls today from people who cannot believe I am being recalled. We have a small group of people in town who have spread numerous lies about me. I cannot and will not spend my days on Facebook defending myself. For the past 3 years the Neighborhood News has written many, many false stories about me in her "editorial". I don't have the time to stop what I am doing and respond to all her lies! If the people of this town truly believe that I have done what they claim then why have you elected and re-elected me to the BPW and Selectmen position over and over. I can say that when they are done with this smear campaign they will be moving on to Peter Deterra and Mike Ristuccia and then probably Keith Silvia. They know that they can't beat me in an election so this is what they have left. If they do get the signatures needed I will resign. I will not run for re-election. I have given a large portion of my adult life to helping the people in this town! I have grown tired of the constant smear campaign from the people who are former town employees who have been fired from the town or left because they their actions would have gotten them fired. Please, they say that I treat the employees terribly! All you have to do is call the town hall and ask any employee if I treat them poorly. Walk in and ask. This whole thing is being done because I will not do as they want and remove the Interim Town Administrator who is doing a spectacular job! This will be the only time I defend myself against the lies being told. Think before you sign!

”

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing recall in Massachusetts

According to the Fairhaven town code, organizers were required to gather signatures from 20% of registered voters as of the preceding town election. The deadline for submitting petitions to the town clerk was April 27, 2021.

The Fairhaven Board of Registrars certified 2,521 signatures, which allowed the recall to proceed. The recall election took place on July 26, 2021.

See also

• Recall campaigns in Massachusetts
• Political recall efforts, 2021
• City council recalls

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• City of Fairhaven, Massachusetts
• Recall Dan Freitas website