Backers of a long-shot effort to recall Gov. Jared Polis over his response to the coronavirus response and use of executive authority may begin collecting signatures.
The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office on Monday approved the petition drafted by “Recall Polis 2020,” which is tied to at least one of the people behind the failed efforts last year to remove the Democrat from office.
The organization has 60 days — or until Nov. 13 — to collect 631,266 signatures to force a special election to decide whether or not Polis, who is halfway through his first term in office, should be recalled.
Thus far, the Recall Polis 2020 issue committee, formed on June 10, reports raising only about $4,000 in cash. Organizer Lori Ann Cutunelli, of Summit County, reported donating more than $7,300 to pay for drafting the petition wording and to make a down payment on printing costs. Additionally, a GoFundMe campaign has raised about $7,600 from 275 donors.
Cutunelli, when reached by phone on Monday by The Colorado Sun, said she would call back, but never did.
When contacted by The Colorado Sun in August, one of the fundraisers for the failed 2019 recall effort said her group — Coloradans Against Polis — isn’t involved in the new campaign. Coloradans Against Polis still had more than $11,000 in its account at the end of August after raising more than $101,000 in 2019.
However, Greg Merschel, one of the people behind Resist Polis PAC — which Coloradans Against Polis was formerly known as — is listed as one of the organizing members of Recall Polis 2020.
“People are madder than hell this time out,” Merschel, a Republican who lives in Grand Junction, said in an interview on Monday when asked how he plans to collect the signatures needed to force a recall election. “I mean, the high schoolers can’t play football but the Denver Broncos can.”
Colorado Sun correspondent Sandra Fish contributed to this report.Read more at The Colorado SunThe Colorado Sun is a reader-supported, journalist-owned news outlet exploring issues of statewide interest. Sign up for a newsletter and read more at coloradosun.com.