State Rep. Tom Sullivan, an unabashed gun-control advocate who successfully passed legislation that gives judges the authority to temporarily remove firearms from people believed to be a risk, will face a recall petition if his critics can gather enough signatures by mid-July.

The Secretary of State on Monday approved the petition language submitted to begin the recall proceedings. The organizers of the recall must collect more than 10,000 signatures by July 12 to trigger an election.

Sullivan — who sponsored the so-called red-flag bill — is one of several Democratic lawmakers who are expected to face recalls this fall. Conservative activists have promised more than a dozen state lawmakers could be targeted. Monday’s development comes less than a day after another Democratic lawmaker targeted for recall resigned her seat amid undisclosed criminal allegations.

Kristi Brown, who filed the petition, said the policies Sullivan and other Democrats supported — including an update to the state’s sex education laws and reforms to the state’s oil and gas industry — are out of step with voters, despite the fact that Democrats won complete control of state government during the 2018 election.

“I think Rep. Sullivan needs to be recalled,” Brown said. “Like the rest of the Democrats, he didn’t represent the families of Colorado. The overreach by Democrats this session was just too far.”

Brown is the state Republican Party’s vice chair. However, she is organizing the recall as a resident, not in her official capacity.

Colorado’s political class had been expecting to hear an announcement Monday about more recalls from the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, a conservative gun-rights advocacy organization. When asked if Brown was working in concert with the group, she said: “Anyone who wants to get involved in this recall is welcomed.”

Sullivan, who lost his son in the Aurora theater shooting, said he would not be detoured by the recall.

“Alex being murdered in the Aurora theater massacre was the hardest thing I’ve ever dealt with,” he said in a statement. “Threats from extremists like Rocky Mountain Gun Owners do not scare me, and they will certainly never stop me from protecting other families from that heartbreak. I won’t be bullied by the gun lobby and I will always keep my promises to my community and my constituents.”

Democratic lawmakers, along with Gov. Jared Polis, have been on a sort of victory lap since the session ended earlier this month, celebrating what will be remembered as one of the most transformative — and dramatic — legislative sessions in recent memory.