(The Center Square) — Maine’s Democratic Gov. Janet Mills is facing a recall effort from critics of her transgender policies, but the citizen-led campaign is unlikely to result in her being removed from office.
An online recall petition calling for the removal of the first-term Democrat has gathered nearly 30,000 signatures since it was posted last week. The petitioner, Melissa Moulton, said she is “deeply disappointed” in Mills’ policies and the governor’s pushback on President Donald Trump’s efforts to prohibit transgender males from competing in women’s sports.
“I believe strongly that her policies are not in alignment with the wishes and values of the majority of Mainers,” Moulton wrote in the petition. “The feeling of disconnect between the populace and leadership is palpable and widespread.”
The recall effort comes as Mills battles the Trump administration over claims that the state is violating federal anti-discrimination laws for allowing transgender student athletes to compete in women’s sports.
Trump has vowed to withhold federal funding from any states that fail to comply with his executive order banning transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports. Mills clashed with Trump during a meeting of governors last month over her refusal to comply with his order, telling the president, “See you in court” after he threatened to pull back federal funding from her state.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights announced last week that an investigation determined Maine’s Department of Education is in violation of Title IX, a 1972 civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools that receive federal funding. Attorney General Pam Bondi has threatened to take the state to court over its alleged Title IX violations.
Despite growing support for the recall effort, it will likely hit a brick wall as Maine is not one of the handful of states allowing citizens to remove their governor by petition. The governor can only be recalled by a two-thirds vote in the state Legislature, where Democrats hold a majority of the legislative seats.
Only 19 states have laws allowing voters to recall a governor, and only four have gathered enough signatures to trigger a special election, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Only two governors have been successfully removed, NCSL says.
Moulton acknowledged that the recall effort isn’t legally permissible but urged Mainers to sign the petition to “voice our collective dissent” to Mills policies and call for change in the state’s direction.
“It is imperative that we hold our elected officials accountable,” Moulton wrote in the petition. “Together we can work to ensure our government truly represents us all.”
