One of the state’s most closely fought Republican primaries is headed to a recount.
The Republican candidates in House District 58 are separated by just three votes out of nearly 13,000 that were cast. That’s well within the margin to trigger an automatic recount, which Secretary of State Jena Griswold ordered on Monday.
The district stretches across eight counties in Southwest Colorado, including Delta, Dolores, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel counties. The clerk in each county now will do a complete recount of the relevant ballots that were cast in their jurisdiction.
The recount must be finished by the end of next Friday, July 26.
At present, Larry Don Suckla of Cortez leads the race, with J. Mark Roeber just a few votes behind. They’re running to replace term-limited Representative Marc Catlin. The winner will take on Democrat Kathleen Curry in a district that leans 12 points in Republicans’ favor. Curry previously served in the House from 2005 to 2010.
Suckla is a rancher, farmer and auctioneer as well as a retired firefighter and EMT, his website states. He is a former Montezuma County commissioner.
Roeber, of Delta County, is a rancher and former Delta County commissioner. Both candidates have said their focus is on rural values, with both calling out water as a top issue.
It’s been a dramatic ride in HD58. Earlier in the counting process, Roeber had a lead of as many as 41 votes, but it flipped to Suckla after the ballot curing process was completed on July 5, The Montrose Daily Press reported.
Ballot curing happens when a voter acts to fix a mistake with their ballot, such a missing or apparently mismatched signature, that would otherwise keep it from being counted.
Editor's note: This article was correct July 15, 2024, to reflect that J. Mark Roeber is a former Delta County commissioner.
