By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice
The Democratic Party’s grip on the Colorado House has been loosened a bit following Republican victories in a pair of races which were so tight as to trigger mandatory recounts.
Both Rebecca Keltie, in House District 16, and Dan Woog, in House District 19, won majorities following recounts performed in three counties and reported by the Colorado secretary of state’s office.
“A mandatory recount was required for the general election races for House Districts 16 and 19 due to the narrow vote margin between the top vote-getter and second-highest vote-getter,” the secretary of state’s advisory read.
The trigger for a mandatory recount is a margin between the top two candidates of 0.5%.
Republicans will hold 22 seats in the 75th General Assembly in the Colorado House, withdrawing Democrats’ supermajority in the 74th session to a simple majority.
“It means Republicans will be entitled to another seat on committees, and that’s a win,” said former Republican Minority Whip Richard Holtorf, noting it adds more conservative voices into legislative discussions.
Democrat Stephanie Vigil gained three votes in the District 16 recount, tightening the race from six to three votes total, but was unable to flip the outcome. Keltie earned 20,641 votes, or 50.0% of the 41,099 total votes. Vigil had 49.9% of the vote. The secretary of state’s report notes the majority and not just plurality for Keltie, as she officially earned 50.00004%.
“Thank you to all the election workers who worked tirelessly to ensure a fair recount in this election process,” a Twitter/X post from the Colorado House Republicans reads.
The District 19 margin wasn’t quite as razor-thin. Democrat Jillaire McMillan was unable to flip any votes, while Republican Woog earned an additional vote. It handed Woog a 110-vote margin for 50.1% of the 56,730 votes cast. McMillan finished with 49.9% of the vote, with Woog holding a final margin of 0.2%.
The count has been finalized— @Keltie4Congress has officially won the seat for House District 16! Congratulations to Representative-Elect Keltie! Thank you to all the election workers who worked tirelessly to ensure a fair recount in this election process.#coleg #copolitics
— Colorado House Republicans (@COHouseGOP) December 5, 2024
Here’s a look at the official results:
| District 16 Rebecca Keltie | Recount vote gain/loss 0 | Votes 20,641 | % of vote 50.00004% |
| Stephanie Vigil | +3 | 20,638 | 49.99996% |
| District 19 Jillaire McMillan | Recount vote gain/loss 0 | Votes 28,310 | % of vote 49.90% |
| Dan Woog | +1 | 28,420 | 50.10% |