Colorado GOP wants to recall 5 Democrats after it got wiped out in last year's election

Republicans in Colorado can’t win seats in an election, so they’re instead trying to oust several Democratic lawmakers by using the state’s recall process.

“Once reserved for targeting corrupt or inept elected officials, the recall has become part of the toolkit for Republicans seeking a do-over of election results,” the Associated Press reported on Monday.

At least five Democrats are the target of Republican recall drives, including Gov. Jared Polis, two members of the state House and two state senators.

“We need to teach them how to spell R-E-C-A-L-L,” Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), currently the state’s GOP chairman, told supporters earlier in the year.

In an editorial on Monday, the Denver Post slammed the backdoor power grab and urged people to reject the recall effort.

“Voters knew when they cast ballots for Polis, Pettersen and Lee that they were progressive Democrats. These three individuals won while being honest with their constituents about the positions they held,” the newspaper’s editorial board said.

Democrats won control of the entire state government last November. The Republican party lost its single-vote majority over the state Senate, while Democrats kept control of the House and governor’s mansion. Democrats also won races for state attorney general, state treasurer and secretary of state.

The losses destroyed the absolute control Republicans exercised in the state for years. While they were in power, Republicans blocked progressive legislation, including paid family leave, gun reform and raising the minimum wage.

The GOP had another setback in June when they couldn’t muster enough support to recall Democratic state Rep. Thomas Sullivan, a gun safety advocate.

“These ridiculous recalls are sore loser politics from a Republican Party that’s desperate for a redo,” David Pourshoushtari, communications director for the Colorado Democratic Party, told Shareblue Media.

The Democratic party campaigned on issues such as health care, education and protecting public lands, Pourshoushtari said.

“The voters made their voices crystal clear in 2018, and they’ll see through this shady attempt by Colorado Republicans to overturn their decision,” he said.

Colorado Republicans could choose to campaign on messages that resonate with voters, or they could try to sneak back into office. For now, they’ve clearly chosen the latter.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.