In March 2015, a group of pro-gun activists began pushing for a recall of Sweeney. The organization, known as 'Recall Steve Sweeney', was led by the New Jersey Second Amendment Society which expressed displeasure with Sweeney's record on gun control legislation. The group's first attempt at filing petitions in March were denied by the state for lacking additional certifications. A second attempt began shortly after. For a recall election to happen, the group had to collect valid signatures from 25% of the 3rd district's registered voters, or 34,808 signatures in a time frame of 160 days. The threshold was not met by the deadline, thus ending the recall effort for a second time.