According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a grand total of 17 state legislators had ever been recalled in the history of the United States prior to last night. The 18th state legislator in our history to ever be recalled is Van Wanggaard of Wisconsin, although Wanggaard may not be leaving peacefully it seems. Wisconsin State Senators Randy Hopper and Dan Kapanke were recalled in 2011, which means we now have a new Democratic majority in the Badger State Senate.
The electorates in only six states have ever successfully recalled a state legislator. In many of those instances, it was a single legislator who was recalled for illegal or immoral behavior. Of course, in those instances, the best the minority party could even hope for was to deadlock that particular state body.
California did recall a state senator in each of 1913 and 1914, but that didn't affect the balance of power. In Michigan in 1983, however, two Democratic state senators were recalled, although one of them resigned rather than face the recall election. This was a Republican "Tax Revolt" in Michigan, and with the departure of the two Democratic state senators, Republicans gained control of that body and have not relinquished it since.
Besides last night, and in Michigan back in 1983, the only other time a recall could be said to have triggered a change in the power of a state legislative body in the history of America occurred in 1995 -- and, in reality, it was the general election and a parliamentary procedure that changed the power, and it was all because California's Willie Brown wouldn't go down without a fight:
The impetus was a political earthquake: The election of 1994. The Republican Party scored across-the-board victories, the likes of which they had not seen in a generation. In addition to gaining control of both houses of Congress for the first time since 1954, the Republican Party retained the California governorship and succeeded in gaining a razor-thin 41-39 seat majority in the California assembly. The Republicans expected to elect the speaker, an enormously powerful position in the assembly, enabling them to topple their longtime Democratic nemesis, Speaker Willie Brown. However, due to the casting of one Republican vote for the Democratic candidate for speaker, the assembly was tied and eventually, through further political maneuvers, Willie Brown was reelected to the speakership
Republicans launched two recall drives, one against the Republican who voted for Brown, Paul Horcher, and the other against Democrat Michael Machado, who the Republicans claimed had promised to vote against Brown. The Horcher recall easily succeeded, while the recall against Machado failed by a wide margin. However, the Republicans troubles did not end there. In what the New York Times referred to as "a stunning display of political power," Brown succeeded in getting another Republican, Doris Allen, to switch, he had Allen elected speaker, and himself named speaker emeritus. Allen, not respected by either side, was quickly recalled and voted out of office. Before the recall of Allen took place, Allen gave up the speakership in favor of another Republican, Brian Setencich. The Republicans then managed to oust Setencich through parliamentary means and finally elect their new choice, Curt Pringle, as speaker.
So, technically, Michigan was kinda the first, if you count the resignation on account of the recall. California's State Assembly changed hands because of a general election. At least they should have gained control after the general election and only actually gained "control" after using parliamentary procedures to oust Assemblyman Brian Setencich.
What Wisconsin was able to do is unique in the total number of recalls. It is unique in the fact that recalls were completely seen through to wrest majority control of a state legislative body. In other words, these were "total recalls." No resignation or parliamentary procedure changed the balance of power -- it was all due to effective recalls. Newly minted Senator John Lehman deserves congratulations for his efforts. So do our Wisconsin buddies on dkos! Now it is up to us and the new Badger state senate to protect this majority in November. If the "movement recall" in Michigan in 1983 is any indication, Wisconsin Democrats may have the upper hand in keeping that body out of Republican control for quite some time.