EVRAZ Rocky Mountain Steel Not Involved In Garcia Recall Attempt

UPDATE: EVRAZ emphasizes its work with President Garcia in a tweet sharing this story:

This past legislative session we worked with the #Colorado senate president and other legislators on many issues important to our #steel workers & biz in #Pueblo. We will continue to do so. @evrazna is not involved in the recall campaign against @leroy_Garcia https://t.co/BQsLoBb8gJ

— EVRAZ North America (@evrazna) August 22, 2019

Despite being cited by name in an official document filed by those trying to remove State Senate President Leroy Garcia (D-Pueblo), EVRAZ Rocky Mountain Steel is not involved and is taking no position on the recall effort. The company is the largest private employer in Pueblo.

Reached for comment via email, EVRAZ spokesperson Patrick Waldron wrote:

EVRAZ Rocky Mountain Steel was not aware of [the recall] before published reports, nor are we involved in the petition.

Waldron declined to give a position on the recall itself as the company does not make endorsements in political campaigns.

The latest recall campaign is the fifth so far this year, all targeting Democratic state legislators. It’s the first, however, to cite a private business by name.

Colorado law requires that recall petitions include a formal “statement of grounds” listing the reason for recalling the elected official.

In claiming that Garcia’s support of SB19-181, the oil & gas safety regulation bill, is a reason to recall him from office, proponents Victor Head, Susan Carr and Ernest Mascarenas wrote:

According to one of Pueblo county’s [sic] largest employers, EVRAZ Rocky Mountain Steel, these restrictions will threaten jobs and tax revenue in Pueblo county [sic].

Recall Statement of Grounds, approved by Colorado Sec. of State on 8/19/19

EVRAZ indeed opposed the bill, arguing against it in a March 11 guest column for the Pueblo Chieftain.

Garcia is Pueblo’s first Senate President in seventy years. He has represented Pueblo at the state capitol since 2013 when he was elected to the House. He joined the Senate two years later. Following the Democrats’ winning control of the chamber last November, the caucus selected Garcia as President for the 2019 session.