In Colorado, two state senators were ousted from office in a September recall election over gun control, and another effort to take out state Sen. Evie Hudak is well underway. If successful, Colorado Dems would lose their edge in the state Senate—a distinct possibility that’s not lost on Gov. Hickenlooper.
So how did the Democratic governor respond to all this?
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper suggests national gun-control groups stay away from a looming recall battle that could switch control of the state Senate to the GOP. The groups poured money into an unsuccessful defense of two state lawmakers recalled over their gun votes earlier this year.
"Colorado is a state that people like to be themselves and solve their own problems," the Democratic governor said in an interview with Capital Download, USA TODAY's weekly video newsmaker series. "They don't really like outside organizations meddling in their affairs, and maybe the NRA gets a pass on that.
"But (it is) probably not a bad idea" for gun-control groups, such as the one established by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, to curb their efforts if gun-rights activists collect enough signatures to force a recall vote on state Sen. Evie Hudak, a two-term Democrat from a suburban district north of Denver, he said.
Of course, it’s probably too little too late. Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey points out that "Hickenlooper and his allies overreached on gun control, believing that the Boulder and Denver elite represented the political temperature of the rest of the state." Moreover, the gun control legislation advanced wasn’t just unpopular—it also cost the state significant tax revenue and jobs because it forced Colorado-based Magpul Industries to move its operations out of state.
Hickenlooper admitted in the interview that he didn’t think the first two recall efforts would get enough signatures, so he was only willing to guess that there’s a 50-50 chance they’ll get the recall vote for Hudak on the ballot.Petition organizers must validate 18,300 signatures by Dec. 3 to do so.