By Jen Schumann | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice
Against the backdrop of the Rockies, where the day fades in Colorado’s House District 17, the election of 2024 has emerged as a battleground where democracy’s integrity is as much at stake as a campaign victory.
Picture this: You’re Gordon Bertoglio, a 74-year-old Republican volunteer, standing by a campaign sign that you’ve just gotten to stand straight. The air is crisp, the stakes high. Suddenly, a confrontation turns violent.
Gordon, a longtime precinct leader and dedicated volunteer, found himself not just defending signs, but his very safety. A man who Gordon suspects is working for the Regina English campaign approached.
“He grabbed the [Riggs’ campaign] sign and I confronted him,” Bertoglio said. “I asked if he’d been the one stealing our campaign signs.”
The man replied to Gordon, “You put your signs in front of ours and blocked it.”
Gordon then asked the man to replace the sign he’d taken.
“That’s when he shoved me,” Gordon said. “I hit my head on the asphalt and next thing I knew I was standing by my car with blood pouring down the back of my head.”
The impact left him disoriented and bleeding.
“I don’t remember how I got back to my car. I was knocked out and woke up with my head bleeding,” he added.
Bertoglio is out of the hospital now, but has doctor appointments scheduled to follow up on symptoms he’s feeling related to his concussion.
Despite his injuries, Bertoglio is attending candidate debates and was willing to tell his story. When asked what impact his story will have, he replied: “Maybe that people out there getting involved don’t get into people’s faces. [And] to be aware of what’s around you. If people want to fight, back away and take pictures from a distance. Let the police sort things out. But it sounds like the police are overwhelmed.”
Before retiring, Gordon Bertoglio worked at the Federal Aviation Administration’s Longmont in-route air traffic control center as a tech ops specialist, maintaining equipment and automation systems. Even in retirement, he continued his dedication through volunteer work, aiding House District 16 and 17 candidates.
Rebecca Keltie and Elizabeth Riggs have expressed gratitude for Bertoglio’s support.
“Gordon is such a dedicated volunteer. He’s always out there, making sure signs are up, helping with whatever we need. He’s just incredible,” Keltie said. “He cares about his community and wants to make a difference. We need more people like him.”
For Riggs, Gordon’s impact extends beyond campaigns.
“Gordon is amazing. He’s always there helping out, driving people around or putting up signs. He’ll do anything to help,” she said.
Riggs views him as a personal support figure.
“He’s like a grandfather to me. He helps everybody, not just candidates.”
Just days before Gordon’s ordeal, Riggs, a candidate for House District 17, experienced her own trial by fire.
“I went out door-knocking, and a man who opened the door was having a civil conversation with me. And then the conversation turned on a dime,” she said. “The man opened the door and engaged in a conversation with me about illegal immigration. All of a sudden, he said he was finished talking. I was caught off-guard when he punched me in the face.”
Despite the assault, Elizabeth chose not to press charges, hoping instead to extend the olive branch message of peace.
“Pressing charges wasn’t going to fix anything,” she reasoned.
For Keltie, a candidate for House District 16, the violence hits close to home. With 80-year old-volunteers who do so much for her campaign, which many she considers dear friends, she can’t stand the thought of a similar attack happening to them.
“I can’t have them get hurt on my watch. I’m putting signs up myself now,” she said. “I was in the military for 21 years. I had 180 kids that I was responsible for. Certain missions we did, it was truly life or death.”
Keltie compares that experience to the campaign trail.
“Everyone just needs to chill out,” she said. “It’s an election [not a war zone]. No one’s dying. There’s no life or death here. The violence just needs to stop.”
Keltie’s stance as a candidate begs scrutiny for those close to this incident.
“As a candidate, if I knew my people were treating others like that, I would immediately apologize and take responsibility. You can’t turn your back on bad behavior because otherwise, it just gets worse.”
This isn’t just about Gordon, or Elizabeth and Rebecca, they say. The district is simmering with tension, where political signs are not just markers of support, but targets of hostility.
“This has been going on for years,” Bertoglio said. “They just keep taking them.”
Yet, in the face of such adversity, the message from these warriors of democracy is clear.
“We need to stay involved in this process,” Bertoglio insists.
Riggs adds, “Don’t let the violence discourage you. Your vote matters.”
And Keltie says Republicans must “show up and take part, or else they win.”
In light of the violence, Bertoglio, with the support of Elizabeth and Rebecca, is calling on the attacker to take responsibility for the assault and step forward. Bertoglio hopes the individual will come forward and make amends for the assault.
“I hope this person comes forward and turns himself in. At least to make restitution for the expenses I’ve had — ambulance ride, hours in the ER getting patched up. None of that’s cheap anymore,” Bertoglio said.
Keltie encourages the attacker to step forward and make things right: “If this person comes forward, maybe we can avoid harsher consequences. The least they can do is cover the medical costs Gordon’s had to deal with.”
If the attacker is connected to the El Paso County Democrat Party, Gordon is calling on the party to take responsibility and cover the costs incurred. Riggs echoes the call as an act of making things right for Bertoglio.
Keltie also stresses the importance of accountability.
“Someone needs to be held responsible,” she said. “It’s not okay for the other side to think they can get away with it. This is not just about the signs. If they tear down my signs, fine. Just don’t hurt my people.”