colorado recall election colorado recall election successful effort recall democratic members following support new gun control legislation initially politicians targeted sufficient signatures obtained state senate president state senator petition drive national organizations gun rights gun control sides involved providing donations petitions submitted challenged effort court denied injunction requested court court hearing resulted election conducted person mail led complaining voter suppression election held september recalled voters districts replaced republicans respectively time state legislator colorado recalled senate elections months later rivera defeated democratic opponents background early colorado legislature passed series gun control bills following theater shooting aurora colorado sandy hook school shooting connecticut new laws provided ban magazines holding rounds ammunition universal background check requirement buyers pay fee background check initial recall petitions targeted senate president state representative additional petitions filed senators members recall drive spearheaded basic freedom defense fund county freedom defense committee recall drive led petition drive groups supporting accused firm collecting signatures hiring convicted gathering personal information recall said group misleading public addition recall drives brought support national groups sides issue supported recall effort donations national groups opposing recall included believed financially supported new_york_city mayor california submission certification petitions june turned signatures recall colorado secretary state republican needed certified order force recall election addition signatures turned recall needed certified efforts recall failed collecting signatures needed likewise efforts recall failed falling short signatures needed group backing alleged signatures petitions forged including individual dead years spokesman immediately issued statement calling investigation stating committed fraud guilty party prosecuted extent law group calling recall alleged volunteers signed petition requesting remove petition challenges immediately signatures recalling certified filed challenge petitions attorney said petitions circulated valid signatures invalid recall petition certified effort senators claimed petitions invalid use explicit language claim required state constitution initial hearings secretary state office denied challenges july filed suit seeking injunction block recall election time secretary state filed suit force democratic governor set date recall election july judge issued preliminary ruling recall process proceed challenged process court set recall election september election campaign election date set september national organizations sides gun control debate started weigh recall pro gun rights americans prosperity gun control mayor went door door effort gain voter support sides campaigns accused mud supporters upset alleging ethical misconduct noting cleared allegations supporters accused issue choice women rights abortion financial donations issue broad donated respectively support senators spent oppose recall spent support recall efforts total spent approximately opposing recall recall supporters spent replacement candidates early recall process republican announced candidacy senate seat rivera planning run elections stated ballot recall process rivera turn petition signatures order qualify ballot turned signatures july democrat sought ballot replace failed obtain required signatures candidate district republican announced interest replacing submitted sufficient signatures qualify ballot ballot challenge august filed lawsuit stating denied access candidate ballot conflict state law state constitution state law provided days obtain ballot petition signatures state constitution provided days august judge ruled state constitution provisions followed prospective candidates august turn petitions declined hear appeal ruling meant election officials unable conduct election mail usual colorado open polls person voting stated voting mail bad everybody august asked clarify voter vote recall order vote replacement candidate time turned petitions ballot democrat announced write candidacy august supreme_court ruled voter vote recall order vote replacement senators recalled majority vote secretary state announced brooks sufficient signatures qualify ballot leaving republican opponents ballot polling asked vote yes question recalled office state senator results conceded evening september initial poll returns indicate win recall election final votes recall difference final results ousted difference recall surprising district democratic republican news reports stated stunned results sources stated remained defiant claimed recall voter suppression noted weeks didn know rules referring change mail ballots person voting recall rivera elected replace defeating respective write opponents district district aftermath reactions claimed recall defeat voter suppression disputed saying result wasn caused voter suppression fact people showed vote vote said democrats fared worse people turned stated money spent brothers impossible democrats win writing stated effort triggered perception senators listening concerns public wall_street_journal viewed major win defeat mayor journalist stated defeat sign democrats control colorado government reached far gun control areas considering religious sex day voter registration polling polling firm public policy polling conducted poll district september asking likely voters supported recall supported components gun control bill approved governor vote hypothetical gubernatorial election republican questions results found voters supported recalling firm release poll results election day election recalled points released poll company director explained initially citing numerous unusual results included district supporting recall wide margin despite having carried points democratic president barack_obama election voters saying supported universal background checks voters split limiting high capacity ammunition magazines bullets opined good job turning election broadly support gun rights opposed decision release poll caused significant controversy journalists criticising supporting elections november senate elections months later rivera defeated large margins democratic opponents rivera lost state representative lost state representative noted gun control advocate despite seats democrats lost overall majority rivera lost votes lost votes campaign recall resignation october colorado secretary state approved second petition recall colorado state senator advocate gun control signature days collect signatures force recall election colorado senate district encompasses colorado westminster colorado later resigned face recall resigned democrats able appoint replacement recalled republicans gained majority state senate
Colorado recall election, 2013