2022 election guide: What to know about Pueblo County's top races and ballot issues
Colorado's 2022 general election is fast approaching. Here is everything you need to know to educate yourself on this year's races and ballot measures to make an informed decision when casting a ballot in the midterm elections on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Chieftain reporters have conducted interviews with most of the local candidates and profiled ballot questions facing Pueblo voters. All of the local races and ballot measures have been summarized in this guide, which includes links to all of the Chieftain's in-depth reporting.
The Chieftain will not endorse candidates or ballot measures in this year's election.
Meet the local candidates
County commissioner District 3: Roxanne “Roxy” Pignanelli (D) and Zach Swearingen (R)
The county commissioners’ race raised controversy in July after the local Democratic party censured two of the county's top Democratic elected officials for endorsing Zach Swearingen instead of Roxy Pignanelli. Swearingen would be the first Republican commissioner elected in Pueblo County in at least two decades.
While candidates for county commissioner need to live within the boundaries of their districts, all voters in Pueblo County vote on the race.
Assessor: Frank Beltran (D, incumbent) and J. Angel Lewis (R)
Republican J. Angel Lewis is challenging incumbent Frank Beltran, who is vying to lead the county’s assessor department for a fifth four-year term. The assessor’s office sets property tax rates for property owners in the county.
Clerk & Recorder: Nathan Baxter (R) and Candace Rivera (D)
Democrat Candace Rivera unseated longtime Clerk Gilbert “Bo” Ortiz in the Democratic primary in June amid turmoil in the office including high employee turnover and several errors with ballots. Republican Nathan Baxter also bested a primary opponent, Sarina Adame.
Coroner: Brian Cotter (R, incumbent) and Zolanye McCulley-Bachicha (D)
Democrat Zolanye McCulley-Bachicha is challenging Brian Cotter, who is Pueblo's only countywide elected Republican. Cotter is vying to serve his third four-year term leading the county department that establishes causes and manners of death.
Sheriff: David Lucero (D, incumbent) and Joey Musso (R)
David Lucero, the Democratic incumbent, was appointed to the position in October after former sheriff Kirk Taylor resigned for a U.S. Marshal job. Joey Musso, a line-level deputy, is hoping to shake things up in the office.
Treasurer: Kim Archuletta (D) and Michelle Gray (R)
Incumbent Treasurer Del Olivas was ousted in the Democratic primary by Kim Archuletta, who has worked in the treasurer's office for more than four years. District 60 math teacher Michelle Gray is the Republican challenger.
State Senate District 3: Nick Hinrichsen (D, incumbent) and Stephen Varela (R)
Republican Stephen Varela is challenging Nick Hinrichsen, who was appointed to replace Democrat Leroy Garcia in February after Garcia was appointed to a position at the Pentagon.
Although Senate District 3, which encompasses all of Pueblo County, leans slightly Democratic, Colorado Republicans are hoping a Varela win will help them gain control of the state Senate for the first time since 2019.
Colorado House districts 46, 47 and 62
Most voters in Pueblo County live within three state House districts. If you’re unsure about the house district you live in, you can look up your voter registration with the Secretary of State’s office or explore an interactive map of the districts. Representatives are limited to four consecutive two-year terms.
State House District 46: Jonathan Ambler (R) and Tisha Mauro (D)
Jonathan Ambler is running for the third time as the Republican to represent western Pueblo County, much of Pueblo and the St. Charles Mesa. The district leans Democratic. Tisha Mauro is hoping to replace Daneya Esgar as the Democratic representative in Denver after Esgar served the maximum number of consecutive terms.
State House District 47: Dean Ormiston (D) and Ty Winter (R)
The northern part of Pueblo West, as well as the most rural areas in the eastern half of Pueblo County, are folded into this mostly rural district encompassing southeast Colorado. The Democratic candidate, Dean Ormiston, hails from Baca County in the southeasternmost corner of the state. He faces an uphill challenge in the Republican-leaning district against Republican candidate Ty Winter of Trinidad.
State House District 62: Matt Martinez (D) and Carol Riggenbach (R)
Pueblo’s Bessemer neighborhood and the East Side are within this district that also includes a narrow strip of rural Pueblo County east of Interstate 25 and the San Luis Valley. Both candidates are from Monte Vista. Democrat Matt Martinez has an advantage in the Democrat-heavy district over Republican Carol Riggenbach.
Congressional District 3: Lauren Boebert (R, incumbent) and Adam Frisch (D)
GOP congresswoman Lauren Boebert is running for a second term in Washington D.C. to represent Colorado's 3rd Congressional District, which includes the Western Slope, the San Luis Valley and Pueblo. Democrat Adam Frisch is hoping his outreach to moderate voters helps him defeat Boebert in the Republican-leaning district.
Pueblo County ballot questions
1A: term limits for county offices
This question asks voters: Should a new three-term limit be imposed on the Pueblo County assessor, treasurer and clerk — and should the term limit for commissioners be extended from two to three terms?
Commissioners are the only county officials who are limited to two four-year terms.
If approved, the updated clock for the term limits would apply for terms starting in 2023, so two current county commissioners, Garrison Ortiz and Eppie Griego, would be eligible to run for three additional terms in addition to their current two-term limit.
1B: broadband bill opt-out
Pueblo County is joining the city in asking local voters to opt out of a state law from 2005 that restricts local governments from facilitating services with broadband companies.
City of Pueblo ballot questions
2A: broadband bill opt-out
The municipal ballot language, which Pueblo City Council discussed at length earlier this summer during a work session, is very similar to the county question. Voters in most other Colorado cities and counties that have posed the question to voters have approved similar measures over the past 14 years.
2B: extend public safety sales tax
Puebloans have been paying an extra 0.2% in sales taxes for the past five years to fund 24 additional police positions and additional equipment. Voters will decide if the tax should be extended until 2027.
Pueblo West ballot questions
6C: temporary tax increase for roads
Pueblo West voters will weigh in for the third time whether to increase taxes for road maintenance. The ballot question asks to increase sales taxes by 1% for 10 years solely to fund basic infrastructure needs and would also transfer responsibility for road maintenance from the metropolitan district to Pueblo County.
6D: waive spending cap for previously approved sales tax for fire services
Pueblo West's second ballot question does not impose any new taxes but asks voters to raise the cap on the 1% sales tax increase passed in 2019 from $2.5 million to $5 million.
Statewide candidates and ballot questions
Coloradans will also decide on most statewide elected officials, such as governor, secretary of state and attorney general. There are also nearly a dozen proposed amendments and propositions ranging from decriminalizing some plant-based psychedelic substances to creating a state affordable housing fund.
State media outlets, such as the Colorado Sun, Axios and Colorado Public Radio have produced comprehensive guides about statewide candidates and ballot questions.
How to vote and return ballots
Pueblo County started mailing general election ballots on Monday, Oct. 17.
Ballots returned by mail require at least 71 cents of postage. The Secretary of State’s Office recommends that ballots returned by mail are postmarked by Oct. 31 at the latest.
All ballots need to be returned to a ballot box or voter service location by 7 p.m. on election day, Nov. 8, to be counted. Coloradans can register to vote on election day.
Pueblo County also maintains nine 24-hour ballot drop-off locations. Most are located around the city of Pueblo, with one location in Pueblo West, one on the St. Charles Mesa, and one in Colorado City. (All of the polling locations and drop boxes are listed at the end of this guide.)
Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder Gilbert “Bo” Ortiz said the location in Colorado City is new. The town of approximately 2,000 residents was living without a post office for part of the summer, but a new branch opened in September.
Additional voter service locations or ballot drop boxes could be opened in the future on the eastern edge of the county in Avondale or Boone, as well as in the western part of the county near Beulah, Ortiz said.
Starting on Oct. 24, three voter service and polling centers in the county will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday: at the downtown elections office, the Colorado building at the Colorado State Fairgrounds and the Pueblo West Library. An additional three locations will open Friday, Nov. 4. The polling locations at Colorado State University Pueblo and Pueblo Community College will open to the public starting the day before the election from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
All of the polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
All of Pueblo County's November ballots were printed with an error: a tear-off tab at the top of each ballot says that the ballot is for the primary election, instead of the general election, according to a release from the Secretary of State’s Office. Because the error does not affect the constitutional validity of the ballots and reprinting them would be logistically challenging, they will be sent to all of registered voters in the county.
That error, as well as several incorrect ballots sent to voters during the primary in June, led the secretary of state to appoint an election supervisor for November. A supervisor was also dispatched to Pueblo County for the primary election.
Ortiz, who's overseeing his last election after serving as the county's clerk for 16 years, encouraged voters to return ballots ahead of the final deadline at 7 p.m. on Nov. 8, as election staff can begin processing ballots ahead of time. When more ballots are returned early, results can be reported sooner on election night, Ortiz said.
Where and when you can vote in Pueblo County
Voter service and polling locations: Opening hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 8) when centers are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Open Monday-Friday, Oct. 24-28; Monday-Saturday, Oct. 31-Nov. 5; Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 7-8
Pueblo County Election Department, 720 N. Main St.
Colorado Building at state fairgrounds, 1001 Beulah Ave.
Pueblo West Library, 298 S. Joe Martinez Blvd.
Open Friday-Saturday, Nov. 4-5; Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 7-8
Pueblo Housing and Human Services, 2631 E. Fourth St.
Tom L. & Anna Marie Giodone Library, 24655 U.S. Highway 50 East
Colorado City Metropolitan District, 4497 Bent Brothers Blvd.
Open Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 7-8
Occhiato Building at Colorado State University-Pueblo, 2200 Bonforte Blvd.
Ballroom at Pueblo Community College, 900 W. Orman Ave.
24-hour ballot drop off locations, open until 7 p.m. on Nov. 8:
Pueblo County Election Office, 720 N. Main St.
Pueblo County Courthouse, 215 W. 10th St.
Prairie gate entrance at Colorado State Fair, 950 S. Prairie Ave.
Lamb Branch Library, 2525 S. Pueblo Blvd.
Pueblo Rural Fire, 29912 US-50 Business Loop
Pueblo West Sheriff Substation, 320 E. Joe Martinez Blvd.
Colorado State University Pueblo, 2200 Bonforte Blvd.
Pueblo Community College, 900 W. Orman Ave.
Colorado City Metropolitan District, 4497 Bent Brothers Blvd.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: 2022 election guide: Here are Pueblo County's top races, ballot issues
