Two Republican candidates in Colorado state House elections have secured very narrow victories following mandatory recounts conducted by the secretary of state’s office.
In House District 16, which includes a portion of El Paso County, Republican Rebecca Keltie received 20,641 votes, narrowly defeating the Democratic incumbent Rep. Stephanie Vigil, who garnered 20,638 votes. According to the office, Vigil’s vote count increased by three during the recount, The Center Square reported.
Secretary of State Jena Griswold initiated the recount on November 25. Under state law, recounts are mandatory when the vote difference in a race is less than 0.5% of the total votes for the winner, the outlet said.
“The mandatory recount for HD-16 brought this race to a tie,” Vigil said in a statement. “It was only in the process of the canvass board’s review that three Vigil votes were reversed, which therefore tilted the election in Ms. Keltie’s favor by three votes. It’s my understanding that the canvass board’s report will be certified by the Secretary of State, which will make Ms. Keltie representative-elect for HD-16.”
Vigil did not exclude the possibility of challenging the recount results legally.
“There are legal remedies available to me to investigate possible variables that would return the results to what the recount process initially determined, but I will need to consult with legal experts before making a decision of that magnitude,” Vigil said.
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