Poway Councilmember Blain resigns a day after voters show support for his recall

Poway City Councilmember Tony Blain resigned Wednesday, effective immediately, a day after early returns showed that voters in a Nov. 4 special election strongly supported his recall. 

City officials said they were notified by Blain of his resignation on Wednesday.

Blain, who was elected in November 2024 to represent residents in the city’s District 2, did not release a statement about his resignation.

Mayor Steve Vaus said Blain could have saved the city “hundreds of thousands of dollars had he resigned earlier.”

“A resignation that comes on the heels of a crushing recall election defeat rings hollow,” Vaus said. “Coming now it’s too little, too late.”

The San Diego County Registrar of Voters released early results Tuesday night that showed voters were overwhelmingly in favor of his recall — 80% to 20%.

Blain has been accused of vote trading, along with threatening recalls against his colleagues and trying to use law enforcement to silence his critics, which led to the citizen-initiated recall effort. He has been censured twice by the City Council.

He also is facing felony charges of perjury and bribery.

A special City Council meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 7 to discuss the schedule and process for moving forward consistent with California state election code, said city spokesperson Rene Carmichael. In April, the City Council unanimously approved a new policy that requires a special election when filling a vacancy occurring within the first 18 months of a councilmember’s four-year term.

The special election will ensure that voters in District 2 select their next councilmember, Carmichael said.

On Oct. 24, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office filed five criminal charges against Blain. The felony charges are perjury, asking for a bribe by a member of a legislative body, soliciting a bribe and destruction or removal of public records. The misdemeanor charge is for petty theft, pertaining to the removal of a campaign sign.

Blain was to be arraigned on Monday, but that was postponed to January because he is deployed overseas as a U.S. Army Reserve doctor.

Anita Edmondson, who along with John Mullin and John Couvrette led the recall campaign, said Tuesday night that the election results showed that “when Poway residents see a problem, they’re willing to stand up and take action.”

“This community came together to protect our city and we couldn’t be prouder of our volunteers and recall supporters,” she said.