Mendocino County DA Fights Back as Recall Campaign Intensifies

The campaign to recall Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster is moving into a new phase, with organizers bringing on political consultants and exploring legal support as they prepare to begin signature gathering.

Eyster, who has held office since 2011, is already on the defensive. In his official response to the recall, he wrote that it has been his “honor to give [his] all to protecting the public from crime” and argued the campaign stems from dissatisfaction with just “one of the thousands upon thousands of cases” his office has handled.

That case involved former county payroll manager Chamise Cubbison, who was arrested in 2023 on felony charges of misusing $68,000 in payroll funds during the COVID era. She spent 17 months suspended without pay before a judge dismissed the charges earlier this year, ruling there was no evidence of fraud or concealment. 

For Helen Sizemore, the recall’s lead organizer, the Cubbison prosecution was the breaking point. A longtime Mendocino County resident with more than five decades in politics — from serving as a state Democratic delegate to working in Sacramento and now as vice chair of the Inland Democratic Club — Sizemore said she is channeling that experience into the recall effort because, in her words, “the county can’t afford his ego.”

Eyster countered that the prosecution was grounded in law enforcement’s investigation. He noted that the Sheriff’s Office originally recommended three charges, but his office reduced that to one, and that he brought in an independent prosecutor because the defendants were county employees. “The Sheriff’s Office did its job. I did my job. The special prosecutor did her job… the court process was fair, correct and legal,” he wrote.

Under California law, a recall campaign begins with filing and publishing a formal notice, which the targeted official has the opportunity to answer in writing. Once the petition format is approved, organizers have 180 days to gather signatures equal to between 10% and 30% of registered voters, depending on the jurisdiction. If enough signatures are verified, a recall election is scheduled.

Mendocino County Registrar of Voters Katrina Bartolomie confirmed her office received a Notice of Intent to Recall on Sept. 12, backed by more than the required 60 valid proponents. Eyster filed his opposition statement on Sept. 19. Sizemore Bartolomie said organizers have since published their notice and plan to deliver copies to her office on Sept. 29. If the petition is approved, the campaign will need about 8,200 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. Sizemore said the campaign is already preparing for that stage. Volunteers are being trained on signature collection, and organizers are considering keeping an election lawyer on retainer.

While the Cubbison matter sparked the recall push, Eyster’s critics point to other controversies as evidence of what they describe as a pattern. His cannabis restitution program—derided by opponents as the “Mendo Shakedown”—has long drawn fire, as has his handling of police misconduct cases in Ukiah and Willits. The passage of Assembly Bill 759 in 2022 also intensified criticism. The law shifted district attorney elections to presidential years, extending Eyster’s current term by two years. What might have been the end of his tenure in 2026 now stretches to 2028, a timeline that frustrates opponents who note that Eyster has already run unopposed in three straight elections.

Eyster, in his filing, dismissed the criticisms as partisan and reiterated his intention to serve out his full term. “I am proud of my non-partisan record,” he wrote. Supporters of Eyster point to his prosecutorial record as proof of effectiveness, citing his decision to personally take over the Hopkins Fire case — which led to a 15-year prison sentence and millions in restitution — as well as the successful prosecution of the “Covelo Six” for kidnapping, torture and murder.

If the recall qualifies and voters choose to remove Eyster, California Elections Code §11382, passed in 2023, specifies that the ballot would not include a replacement candidate. Instead, the office would be left vacant “until it is filled according to law.” That could mean an appointment by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors or, potentially, the governor. County officials have not yet clarified how that process would unfold.

Critics argue that Eyster’s power has gone largely unchecked for more than a decade, while supporters say his record speaks for itself. For now, the recall effort is ramping up, and Eyster has made clear he plans to fight back and serve through December 2028.

MendoFever reached out to District Attorney David Eyster for additional comment on the recall effort but received no response before publication. Below is his full statement to all about the situation.

Note: The wording was revised around the term COVID payroll funds to make it clear that these were funds used during the time of COVID.