Rep. For Columbine/Aurora District Targeted By Gun Nut Recall Petition

Fresh off successful recall campaigns that ousted former Colorado State Senate President John Morse and State Senator Angela Giron in September, the gun crazies have decided to take aim at another Colorado Democratic lawmaker. Evie Hudak of Westminster is targeted to be the next casualty on the gun lobby’s political hit list in Colorado. Colorado’s Secretary of State has authorized the group “Recall Hudak, too” to begin gathering signatures to put a recall measure on the ballot to remove Hudak from her State Senate seat. She represents the 19th District in the state of Colorado, and because she only won the 2012 election by 580 votes she offers an enticing target for the GOP and their gun lobby backers.

Hudak survived an earlier petition drive this year, when activists failed to get enough signatures to trigger a recall effort against her. A similar effort directed at Representative Mike McLachlin of Durango also failed to gather a sufficient number of signatures. However, signature gatherers did succeed in putting a recall measure on the ballot to remove Morse and Giron and both were defeated in September in low turnout elections. Morse lost narrowly 51-49, while Giron was handily defeated 56-44. The NRA spent 360,000 to back the recall efforts.

Recall proponents must gather 18,900 valid signatures in two months to initiate the recall process, a task they failed to achieve earlier this year. However, emboldened by their September success, pro-gun activists have the wind at their back and must feel that gathering the needed signatures will be easier this time. Morse and Giron were both ousted in Districts that supported Obama in November 2012, so Hudak has reason for concern, especially given her narrow margin of victory in 2012 when voter turnout was high.

If this recall effort is placed on the ballot, the race will be doubly consequential, because Democrats cling to an 18-17 majority in the Senate that would be overturned if Hudak’s seat slipped into Republican control. A recall election would not only remove her from office but it would tip the balance of the State Senate into Republican hands. Democrats must draw a line in the sand in Colorado and reject the bullying of the NRA and other gun rights advocates who continue to target lawmakers simply because they had the good sense to improve background checks, make it harder for domestic abusers to obtain firearms, and reduce the prevalence of high capacity magazines that enable shooters to fire multiple rounds in a matter of seconds.

Evie Hudak represents a district in metro Denver, home to two of the most horrifying gun tragedies in recent memory–the Aurora Shooting Massacre and the Columbine High School killings. If Democrats allow the opponents of common sense gun laws and the GOP another Colorado victory, it will be a huge step backwards. Residents of Hudak’s District should refuse to sign the recall petitions. In addition, they must be prepared, in case the signature drive succeeds, to vote NO on the recall measure.

Edited/Published by: SB

Keith Brekhus is a progressive sociologist who resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He is co-host for the Liberal Fix radio show. Keith is a former Green Party candidate for US Congress (2002 in Missouri's 9th District). He can be followed on Twitter @keithbrekhus.