Recall petition for Rep. Javadi falls short

Published 3:37 pm Wednesday, December 17, 2025

A petition to recall State Representative Cyrus Javadi (D-Tillamook) that was filed in September did not reach the number of signatures needed to refer the recall to voters. The deadline passed on Monday, Dec. 8.

According to the petitioner, Katrina Nelson, the petition received just shy of 3,000 signatures, short of the 5,417 valid signatures needed to put the recall on the ballot.

“Using the recall process, yeah, it was a long shot,” said Nelson. “My goal would be to just get people interested in being engaged in your local politics. Know where you live, what district you live in … know when and where the meetings are.”

Nelson initially filed the petition after Javadi voted for a bill making it harder to ban school library books based on their content in relation to different religions, sexualities, disabilities and a number of other topics. She then refiled it after he switched parties and became a Democrat in early September.

“He thinks everybody can afford more taxes,” said Nelson. “He campaigned on no new taxes, no new fees, lesser regulations. And that’s completely the opposite of what he’s doing.”

Javadi was the deciding vote in the House in favor of passing the transportation package, which increased the state gas tax and other fees.

When reached for comment, Javadi said he has had to make tough votes and is committed to serving his constituents.

“Representing this district means making tough calls sometimes,” said Javadi. “And I’ll keep doing my best to serve everyone here, whether we agree on every issue or not.”

Nelson said during her activism, she found the community to be largely disengaged from politics, and she will work to increase engagement in the run-up to election season. Javadi will be seeking the Democratic nomination for House District 32 in May 2026, and, if successful, will face a Republican challenger in the 2026 general election.

“My goal is to get more people off the fence to vote for change and make sure that they’re definitely informed,” said Nelson. “I want them to go to (Javadi’s) meetings and talk to him and see for themselves … . It’s not ever been about party for me — it’s always been about the right person.”