Among the seven candidates so far who want to succeed outgoing Senate President Leroy Garcia is a familiar name: former state Sen. Angela Giron of Pueblo, whom voters recalled in 2013.

And next Saturday’s election is starting to shape up as a battle between endorsers: in Giron’s corner, Sen. Julie Gonzales of Denver; in Nick Hinrichsen’s, incoming Senate President Steve Fenberg of Boulder.

Garcia announced on Feb. 3 he would resign his seat on Feb. 23 to become special assistant to the assistant secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs within the Department of Defense at the Pentagon.

As of Friday, Giron has not yet submitted a letter of intent  to vie for the Senate District 3 seat that Garcia will vacate in 12 days. 

However, she told Colorado Politics Saturday she intends to run and is waiting for clearance from her employer, the Boys and Girls Club of Pueblo, where she serves as president. She added she plans to be nominated from the floor when the vacancy committee convenes next Saturday.

Giron has already won an endorsement from Gonzales, who posted her support on Twitter Saturday morning. Gonzales is caucus chair for the Senate Democrats, and in that role is also tied to the Democratic Senate Campaign Fund, which raises money for Democratic Senate candidates.

The vacancy election will be held on Feb. 19 in Pueblo at the Pueblo Democratic Party headquarters on 602 West 9th St.

House Majority Leader Rep. Daneya Esgar of Pueblo chairs the Senate District 3 Democratic committee and confirmed a list of six other candidates.

Two of those candidates have already filed for the November election, in addition to seeking the seat through the vacancy election: Jason Munoz and Hinrichsen. 

In addition to Fenberg, Hinrichsen won an endorsements from Sen. Janet Buckner of Aurora, according to Hinrichsen’s Facebook page. Fenberg currently serves as Senate Majority Leader.  

Munoz, who has ties to former state Sen. Abel Tapia and former state Rep. Buffie McFayden, both of Pueblo, lost the House District 47 race in 2016 to Rep. Clarice Navarro-Ratzlafff, R-Pueblo. He is currently a marketing and community relations coordinator for NeighborWorks Southern Colorado, according to the Pueblo Chieftain.

Other candidates who have announced their intention for the Feb. 19 vacancy election include Brandon Martin, Roxanne Pignainelli, Chuck Hernandez and Larry Atencio, former Pueblo City Council president.

Garcia will be succeeded by Fenberg, whose nomination as Senate President will have to be confirmed by the full Senate on Feb. 23. Succeeding Fenberg as majority leader is Sen. Dominick Moreno of Commerce City, currently vice-chair of the Joint Budget Committee.

Giron was elected to Senate District 3 in 2010 but was recalled by voters in September 2013 in retaliation for her support for gun control legislation in the 2013 session. She was succeeded by Sen. George Rivera, R-Pueblo, who served out the rest of Giron’s term, and lost his bid for election for a full four-year term in the 2014 election to Garcia.