By Jen Schumann | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice
The final act of a mother’s life has come to symbolize the stakes in Colorado’s House District 16 race.
A late mother’s son ensured his mother’s ballot was cured, honoring her final wish to participate in the electoral process.
“She saw herself as a patriotic American,” said Rebecca Keltie, the House District 16 Republican candidate. “That was her last act on Earth, and it touches my heart to know she voted for me. It’s humbling.”
In one of the last two uncalled Colorado House races, the story highlights the weight of every vote.
As of today, Keltie leads incumbent Democrat Steph Vigil by 21 votes. The razor-thin margin triggers an automatic recount per state law. With a midnight Wednesday, Nov. 13, deadline to cure ballots, Keltie and her team are working non-stop to count every eligible vote, she said Wednesday.
For Keltie, the effort has been a community-wide labor of love. “It’s an all-hands-on-deck effort,” she said. “I’ve had Republicans, Libertarians, Democrats and unaffiliated voters helping across the board. I feel so blessed.”
Volunteers have been contacting voters at risk of ballot rejection. They help resolve issues to ensure the votes count.
Keltie also noted the critical role of overseas and adjudicated ballots.
“I believe the overseas ballots are still trickling in, and we also have the adjudicated ballots — the ones where people made a stray mark or didn’t fill the bubble in all the way. Judges have to review these and fix them if possible, or sometimes they’re thrown out,” Keltie said. “It’s unfortunate, but hopefully, we can get most of that fixed. It’s a meticulous effort to ensure accuracy, and everyone is doing their part.”
With Ryan Gonzalez’s win in HD50, Dan Woog’s lead in HD19, and Keltie’s chance to win in HD16, Republicans may end the Democrats’ supermajority in Colorado’s legislature. They need a sweep of those races to do so.
“We only needed to flip three seats to bring balance,” Keltie explained. “This race is extremely significant for ensuring Colorado has the balance it needs. Even Democrats have said they want more balance, and this race helps achieve that. It shows the importance of what a vote means to someone.”
Keltie is moved by the Republican unity in helping her campaign. Her district has its political differences. But, she has seen some collaboration among factions and parties.
“This has been my dream — to see Republicans pull together and work toward one common goal,” she said.
Her legislative priorities, shaped by input from her constituents, reflect this collaboration: “The top four concerns I hear are crime, education, parental rights and affordability,” Keltie said. “These are my priorities because they are the people’s priorities.”
Keltie emphasized her deep community engagement: “We knocked on tens of thousands of doors. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was 20,000. I’m not just in touch with my constituents. I’m part of them. Their concerns are my concerns, and that’s exactly what I’m being hired to address with their vote.”
Keltie’s 21-vote lead highlights the importance of every ballot and every vote.
“We need to teach young people how much one vote matters,” she said. “This race is proof of that. The importance of voting cannot be overstated.”
With the recount process likely ahead, Keltie remains optimistic but cautious.
“I’m not one to count my chickens before they hatch,” she said. “But I believe in the process, and I’m confident we’ll see a fair outcome.”
Approaching the election’s final moments, Keltie emphasizes the importance of staying engaged.
Keltie warned about the dangers of disengagement: “We’ve often taken our eye off the ball, thinking, ‘The election is over. We’re done.’ No, no, no. That’s just the beginning.”
She hopes her campaign inspires action, adding, “Disengagement has made it 10 times harder to get back to where we should be.”
Using a vivid analogy, Keltie compared civic engagement to maintaining a vehicle: “It’s like maintaining your car. If you don’t take care of it, it’ll start to fall apart. The same goes for our rights and freedoms,” she explained. “If we keep up the maintenance of our Constitutional Republic, we can ensure the America we want doesn’t slip away.”
Keltie’s military background also reinforces her commitment: “I served in the military for 21 years, protecting our constitutional rights. It means so much to see people exercise their right to vote — it shows that service wasn’t for nothing.”