The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office cleared the way Monday for signature-gathering to begin in the effort to recall Colorado Senate President Leroy Garcia.

Garcia, of Pueblo, was re-elected with 74% support in 2018, but Susan Carr, spokesperson for the recall campaign, said his votes for Senate Bill 181 — the oil and gas bill — and the national popular vote compact aren’t good for his district.

“When our politicians turn their back on the people that elected them, we have to do something about it,” she said.

With the Secretary of State’s Office approving the recall petition format Monday, the recall group now has until Oct. 18 to collect 13,506 valid signatures from district voters.

“This is yet another attempt by Colorado Republicans to steal a Senate seat because they can’t win elections through legitimate means,” Colorado Democratic Party Chair Morgan Carroll said in a statement.

Elsewhere around the state, conservatives already are circulating petitions in separate efforts to recall Sen. Brittany Pettersen of Lakewood, Rep. Pete Lee of Colorado Springs and Gov. Jared Polis. A campaign against Rep. Tom Sullivan of Centennial was dropped earlier this summer.