Fate Voters Recall 4 Councilmembers, Runoff Looms

Fate, TX – Fate voters delivered a political earthquake that will leave the city facing an unusual governing challenge, four successful recall elections, one undecided race, and an unresolved question about how the city will conduct its next election.

Tuesday, November 3, voters in Fate, Texas, approved the recall of Mayor Andrew Greenberg and three sitting council members, Martha Huffman, Richard Maneval, and Mark Hatley. All four recall propositions passed by substantial margins. Meanwhile, the race to fill the vacant Place 1 council seat produced no outright winner, setting up a runoff between Stephanie Adams and Joshua Martin.

The results represent a significant shakeup of Fate’s elected leadership. And while voters have made their decisions, the city still has some explaining to do about what happens next.

Four Recall Propositions, Four Removals

The results of the four recall propositions leave little room for ambiguity.

Martha Huffman, Council Place 6, was recalled by a vote of 4,930 FOR removal to 3,457 AGAINST. The margin was 1,473 votes, with 58.78% supporting her removal.

Andrew Greenberg, Mayor, received an even larger rejection. Proposition B passed 5,159 to 3,265, with 61.24% voting FOR his removal. The margin was 1,894 votes.

Richard Maneval, Council Place 4, was recalled by a vote of 5,021 to 3,336. That represents 60.08% voting FOR removal, a margin of 1,685.

Mark Hatley, Council Place 5, also lost his recall election. Proposition D passed 5,133 to 3,239, with 61.31% supporting his removal. The margin was 1,894 votes.

(All election results are technically considered “unofficial” until canvassed by the city council)

These are not narrow victories that might reasonably be attributed to a handful of ballots. In every contest, more than 58% of voters supported removing the officeholder.

The results also demonstrate that Fate voters considered each recall independently. The four propositions appeared separately on the ballot, allowing residents to make individual decisions about each elected official.

Place 1: Adams Leads, But Cannot Claim Victory

The Place 1 special election produced a different outcome.

Stephanie Adams led the three-candidate field with 3,708 votes, representing 47.44% of the total. Joshua Martin finished second with 2,079 votes, or 26.60%. Randy Long received 2,029 votes, finishing third with 25.96%.

Adams came up 200 votes short of the 3,908 needed for a majority of the 7,816 votes cast in the contest. Martin edged Long by just 50 votes.

Consequently, the runoff will be between Adams and Martin. Long is eliminated from the contest.. Texas Constitution Article XI, Section 11, requires municipalities with three-year terms to elect governing body members by majority vote. Accordingly, a candidate must secure the required majority, and a runoff is necessary when nobody does.

The Place 1 vacancy resulted from the earlier recall of the previous officeholder, Codi Chinn. It was that recall that many say led to the sequence of events that culminated in the current recall.

The Bigger Problem: Who Can Call the Runoff?

Here is where things get interesting.

With Greenberg, Huffman, Maneval, and Hatley all recalled, four of the seven elected council positions are affected. That leaves just two council members. Texas Election Code Section 67.004(a) provides that two members of the canvassing authority constitute a quorum for purposes of canvassing an election. The City Secretary has previously cited that provision in official election documents. However, two council members are not a quorum that would be able to call for the runoff election.

The runoff cannot simply be treated as an administrative detail. It requires an election process conducted under Texas law, and the city must establish the authority and procedures necessary to move forward.

Unless the current council somehow manages to canvas the election for Place 1 and calls for the runoff before they canvas their own recall election, it may take a court to call for the runoff. It remains to be seen how the current council might accomplish this.

Even if they manage to solve for place 1, they won’t be able to call for an election to fill their own vacancies. Leaving the citizens of Fate without a functioning city council for months.

Fate’s Voters Have Spoken. Now What?

The November 3 results are a decisive rejection of four elected officials, but they also create an unusual period of transition for Fate.

The city must respect the voters’ decisions while ensuring that the remaining government operates within the Texas Constitution, the City’s charter, and applicable election laws.

There are practical consequences, too. The City Council controls major decisions involving the city budget, property transactions, bonds, taxation, municipal services, and the appointment of key officials. A prolonged inability to conduct council business could affect residents well beyond the political personalities involved.

Fate voters exercised two fundamental rights: the right to elect their representatives and the right to remove elected officials through the recall process established by law.

Those rights are not suggestions. They are mechanisms of accountability. But now the citizens must live with the consequences they have created.

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Questions & Answers

1. Who was recalled in the November 3, 2026, Fate, Texas, election?

All four recall propositions passed. Voters approved the removal of Mayor Andrew Greenberg, Council Member Richard Maneval, Council Member Mark Hatley, and Council Member Martha Huffman.

2. Who will face Stephanie Adams in the Fate Place 1 runoff election?

Joshua Martin will face Stephanie Adams. Adams received 3,708 votes (47.44%), while Martin received 2,079 (26.60%). Randy Long finished third with 2,029 votes.

3. Why is a runoff necessary in the Fate Place 1 election?

Stephanie Adams received 47.44% of the 7,816 votes cast, falling short of a majority. Article XI, Section 11 of the Texas Constitution requires majority-vote elections for municipalities with three-year terms.

4. Why could the four successful recalls create problems for Fate City Council?

Fate has a seven-member governing body consisting of a mayor and six council members. The four successful recalls affect the mayor and three council seats, leaving three council positions occupied. The city must address how the remaining members can conduct necessary government business and authorize the runoff election.

5. What are the sources Pipkins Reports used for the Fate election results and governing requirements?

References include:

• City of Fate, November 3, 2026, Special Election Information.
• Texas Constitution, Article XI, Section 11, governing majority-vote elections and municipal vacancies.
• Texas Election Code, Section 67.004, governing local election canvassing.
• Texas Election Code, Section 2.021, governing required runoff elections.
• Rockwall County Election Results. Unofficial.