Democrats to Lose Supermajority in Colorado House, Recounts Confirm

Recounts were triggered because of the slim differences between the candidates’ vote totals.

Democrats in Colorado will be losing their supermajority in the state House of Representatives after recounts confirmed Republicans won several tight races in the November election.

Military veteran and Republican Rebecca Keltie, 54, eked out a win over incumbent state Rep. Stephanie Vigil, 40, for the seat representing Colorado’s House District 16. Keltie was originally designated the winner by six votes. The recount, which was announced complete by Colorado’s secretary of state on Dec. 5, saw Vigil gain three votes, making the final margin three.

Vigil said she may challenge the results.

“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,” the Democrat said in a statement to news outlets.

Keltie did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The other recount confirmed that Republican Dan Woog, 46, beat businesswoman Jillaire McMillan, 46, in the race to represent Colorado House District 19.

Woog, who represented a different district from 2021 to 2023, gained one vote in the recount. The final margin was 110 votes.

Woog previously said in a statement on the social media platform X: “I have been elected to represent you in House District 19. Thank you to everyone for your support throughout the election!”

McMillan wrote on Facebook after the recount results were released: “Thank you to the 28,310 of you who trusted me with your votes. The results of this race weren’t what we wanted, but I’ll still be using my time, energy, and connections to make this world a better place—just like so many of you that I was privileged to meet during my campaign.”

The mandatory recounts were triggered because of the slim differences between the candidates’ vote totals. State law triggers recounts if a race’s margin ends below 0.5 percent.

A third race, which did not go to a recount, ended with Republican Ryan Gonzalez, 29, a business school graduate, ahead of incumbent Democrat state Rep. Mary Young, who is in her 70s.

Gonzalez posted to X, thanking voters for choosing him.

The three flips mean Democrats will have 43 seats compared with 22 for Republicans. Democrats needed 44 seats to continue enjoying a supermajority in the Colorado House.

The new session is slated to start in January 2025.