Recalls of Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung and Council Member Jamie Valencia move forward as committees submit petitions for approval

By The Committees to Recall Fred Jung and Jamie Valencia on August 13, 2026

Following verification of both Notices of Intent to Recall, resident-led recall committees launch official websites and prepare for the signature-gathering phase

The efforts to recall Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung and Councilmember Jamie Valencia have advanced to the next formal stage of the recall process. On Thursday, August 6, resident-led recall committees submitted formal recall petitions for both councilmembers for approval, following verification of both Notices of Intent to Recall with zero deficiencies.

The petitions are now under review. Once each petition is approved for circulation, the respective recall committee will be authorized to begin the main signature-gathering phase required to qualify that recall for the ballot.

The committees also announced the launch of their official websites, http://www.recalljung.com and http://www.recallvalencia.com, where Fullerton residents can learn more about each recall, review the committees’ rationale and supporting documentation, follow the campaigns’ progress, and find information about how to participate.

Because Jung and Valencia represent different City Council districts, the recalls are separate electoral efforts and will ultimately be decided by voters in their respective districts. Organizers are coordinating the campaigns, however, because they say the council members have consistently voted together on many of Fullerton’s most consequential decisions and that the concerns driving the two recalls are closely connected.

The recall efforts were initiated by Fullerton residents after years of engagement with the City Council through public comment, correspondence with elected officials, meetings with city leaders, and community organizing.

“A recall is not a step we take lightly. It is a significant democratic tool reserved for extraordinary circumstances,” the recall committee said in a statement. “Many of us first pursued the traditional avenues of civic participation. We attended City Council meetings, offered public comments, wrote to our elected officials, met with city leaders, organized our neighbors, and asked questions in good faith. But as Fullerton’s financial problems deepened and residents’ concerns continued to go unanswered, we came to believe that simply continuing through the usual channels was unlikely to bring about meaningful change.”

Organizers say the decision to pursue recalls rather than wait for the next election reflects the urgency of Fullerton’s current challenges.

“Mayor Jung and Councilmember Valencia still have nearly two years remaining in their terms. We believe Fullerton cannot afford to wait while our financial condition and infrastructure continue to deteriorate,” the committee stated. “Our city is facing a $13.7 million projected budget deficit, deteriorating roads and infrastructure, struggling small businesses, and difficult decisions about public resources that will shape Fullerton for years to come. Residents deserve leadership that is accountable to them during this critical moment.”

The committees say that while there are distinct reasons for recalling each councilmember, the campaigns are connected by concerns about the voting bloc Jung and Valencia have formed on the City Council and its influence over decisions affecting the entire city.

RECALL OF MAYOR FRED JUNG

Organizers of the Jung recall cite Fullerton’s worsening financial condition, decisions involving public property and political supporters, concentration of political power on the City Council, and declining public trust among their reasons for recalling Jung.

Among the issues identified by the Jung recall committee are:

Fullerton’s worsening financial condition: The committee says that Jung has presided over a dramatic increase in Fullerton’s projected budget deficit while residents continue to contend with deteriorating roads and infrastructure and the depletion of the City’s reserves.
City deals benefiting political supporters: The committee objects to deals Jung has made involving public property and politically connected interests, including a public lease of property near the Fullerton train station to a major political donor, and the sale of public land to a donor-connected church at a below-market price. Critics have questioned these politically motivated deals, particularly as other Fullerton small businesses have faced substantially increased outdoor dining fees on other city-owned property.
Concentration of political power. Jung has served as mayor four times during his six years on the City Council. In December 2025, Jung was again selected as mayor by the 3–2 council majority bloc that Jung controls, despite significant public opposition and Fullerton’s longstanding policy outlining a rotation of the mayoral position among the five council districts.

“These are not isolated disagreements over a single vote,” the committee stated. “Taken together, we believe they demonstrate a pattern of politically connected interests being prioritized while Fullerton’s finances, infrastructure, and public trust have deteriorated.”

Only registered voters in District 1 may sign the petition to recall Jung. For more information on the Jung recall visit: www.recalljung.com

RECALL OF COUNCILMEMBER JAMIE VALENCIA

Organizers say their concerns about Valencia center on what they describe as a failure to provide District 4 with a strong, independent voice. They point to her City Council record of consistently voting with Jung while ignoring her own district’s needs.

Since her election in 2024, Valencia has frequently aligned with Jung on consequential decisions involving City finances, public land, infrastructure, small businesses, and other community priorities.

The Committee cite Valencia’s support for public-land agreements they say provided unusually favorable terms to political donors; her role in deliberations that almost saw the city return $1.7 million in grant funding for an open space trail back to the state; her nomination of Jung to a fourth mayoral appointment immediately following public comments expressing overwhelming opposition; and her actions attempting to limit public discourse by reducing public comment time at council meetings.

They have also raised concerns about Valencia’s preparation for Council deliberations, citing her attempts to abstain from votes due to a lack of understanding of agenda items, and her apparent unwillingness to question proposals advanced by Jung and the Council majority.

“Councilmember Valencia fails to study the issues, ask difficult questions, and independently advocate for South Fullerton,” the committee stated. “Instead, residents have too often watched her provide another vote for Mayor Jung while District 4 continues to struggle with deteriorating roads, empty storefronts, and insufficient investment in families and local businesses.”

Only registered voters in District 4 may sign the petition to recall Valencia. For more information on the Valencia recall visit: www.recallvalencia.com

CORRECTING MISINFORMATION ABOUT THE RECALL PROCESS

On July 26, the Korea Daily, the largest Korean-language newspaper in the United States, reported that a representative from Mayor Jung’s office claimed that deficiencies had been found when the Notice of Intention to Recall was filed. That was not the case.

The Fullerton City Clerk told recall proponents directly that there were no deficiencies in the Notice of Intention that needed to be corrected. The Notice was submitted on time; no corrections or resubmission were required, and the recall proceeded to the next step.

“We do not know why a representative from Mayor Jung’s office would provide the Korean-language press with information that was false,” the committee stated. “What we do know is that it created the inaccurate impression that recall proponents had submitted deficient paperwork and had been directed by the City to correct it. That did not happen.”

The committee organizers emphasized that the Notice of Intention and the formal recall petition are separate stages of the process. The Notice initiates the recall; the formal petition is the document voters will eventually sign and must undergo its own review before circulation.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

The formal petitions are now under review by the Fullerton City Clerk. Once approved for circulation, organizers can begin collecting signatures. The committees expect signature gathering to begin in mid-to-late August.

Only registered voters in District 1 may sign the petition to recall Jung, and only registered voters in District 4 may sign the petition to recall Valencia. Residents from anywhere in Fullerton, however, can volunteer or otherwise support the campaigns.

In preparation for the launch of signature gathering, the committees are recruiting volunteers, organizing neighborhood teams, and beginning grassroots fundraising.

“We are entering the phase where this campaign moves directly into Fullerton’s neighborhoods,” the committee stated. “Once the petitions are approved, we’ll be talking with residents throughout Districts 1 and 4 about the recalls, answering questions, and giving voters the opportunity to decide whether these recalls should move forward.”

The committee organizers say the campaigns are ultimately about more than two elected officials.

“City Hall belongs to Fullerton residents, and elected officials are accountable to the people they represent,” the committee stated. “The power to recall exists for a reason. Democratic power means very little if citizens are unwilling to exercise it.”

ABOUT THE RECALL COMMITTEE

The Committees to Recall Fred Jung and Jamie Valencia are groups formed by residents of Fullerton who are seeking to recall Mayor Fred Jung from District 1 and Councilmember Jamie Valencia from District 4. Although the recalls are legally and electorally separate, the organizers are coordinating public outreach on issues they believe impact the entire community of Fullerton.

For additional information, supporting documentation, campaign updates, volunteer opportunities, and contributions:

Recall Fred Jung: www.recalljung.com

Recall Jamie Valencia: www.recallvalencia.com