Colorado Republicans threaten Griswold with recall after Supreme Court ballot ruling
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Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) speaks at a press conference on Feb. 6 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
A group of Colorado Republicans are threatening Secretary of State Jena Griswold with a formal recall effort after the Supreme Court struck down a liberal organization's attempt to block former President Trump from the primary.
Why it matters: The effort shows how Republicans are hoping to galvanize support after Trump's big court win, particularly after his recent legal losses.
- Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) posted a letter Monday on X while telling Griswold to "start packing your bags."
- Other co-signers, representing the Colorado Republican Party, include its chairman Dave Williams, vice-chairwoman Hope Scheppelman and secretary Anna Ferguson.
Reality check: The threat is a fundraising ploy being amplified by conservative media organizations.
- To recall a statewide elected official, the party would need to collect 636,127 valid signatures from registered voters in just 60 days to force the recall election — a feat that would take millions that Boebert and the party don't have in the bank.
- No statewide elected official in Colorado has ever been subject to a recall election.
What they're saying: "Your attempt to disenfranchise millions of Coloradans and prevent them from exercising their right to cast a vote in support of President Donald J. Trump is a stain on our republic and an outright embarrassment to Coloradans and Americans," the four Republicans wrote.
- The GOP bunch accused Griswold of making a "selfish political decision to rig the primary election against President Donald J. Trump," even though the decision came from the Colorado Supreme Court, not Griswold.
- The Republicans added that they are working on a "grassroots coalition of Coloradans and Americans to begin the process of holding you accountable for your attack on our elections and the voting rights of millions of Coloradans."
The big picture: The threat of recall elections has a deep history in Colorado after conservative forces ousted two Democratic state lawmakers from their districts in 2013.
- But since then, Republicans have fallen out of favor in Colorado and other recall attempts in smaller legislative districts have failed.
Catch up quick: Just a day ahead of Super Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Trump cannot be barred from appearing on Colorado's primary ballot under the 14th Amendment.
- In December, Colorado's highest court ruled that Trump is disqualified from the primary, finding that the 14th Amendment's insurrection clause applies to Trump in relation to his actions surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol riot
- Just weeks later, the Supreme Court in January agreed to take up the case.
Griswold said she was "disappointed" in the decision from the nation's highest court, adding that Colorado "should be able to bar oath-breaking insurrections from our ballot," per a post Monday on X.
- Spokespersons for Griswold did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment Tuesday regarding the letter.
Go deeper: Supreme Court rules Trump can remain on Colorado ballot
