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Pitkin County Commissioner Francie Jacober and Toni Kronberg appeared to have secured their places on the Nov. 5 ballot for Pitkin County District 5.
Jacober received 1,646 votes, or 57%, and Kronberg received 763 votes, or 26.2%, in Tuesday’s primary election, as of the 9:06 p.m. ballot count update from the Pitkin County Clerk and Recorder’s Office.
Neil C. Reilly received 457 votes, or 16%, to come in last among the three candidates.
Jacober and Kronberg will face off for the District 5 seat in the November general election.
Just 3,054 ballots were cast out of a total 13,108 active voters in the county. Grueter said turnout was low, even for a primary.
“We’re kind of sitting around going, where are all the ballots?” said Grueter.
District 5 ecompasses the most rural stretches of the county including the Crystal River Valley; parts of the Fryingpan Valley; and some of Old Snowmass. All Pitkin County voters, however, were eligible to vote for the candidates in District 5.
Jacober, reached by phone, expressed eagerness to continue work on affordable housing, the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport, social services and the protection of open space in a second term.
“I’m very happy with the results and very appreciative of everybody who supported me,” said Jacober. “I love my job and I look forward to serving the people of Pitkin County for another four years.”
Kronberg said she was excited that she likely secured a spot on the November ballot, and thanked the people who encouraged her to run.
“There’s still a fair amount of voters who have not cast their ballot, yet,” she said of her plan to close the gap between herself and Jacober before the fall election.
Going door-to-door and continuing her advocacy for safety on Highway 82 will continue to be her campaign focuses, she said.
Reilley could not be reached after the 9:06 p.m. ballot update.
Two other county commissioner seats, Districts 3 and 4, will be listed on the Nov. 5 ballot. But District 5 is the only contested district.
Grueter estimated there are fewer than 50 ballots that need to be cured as of 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Ballots with signature problems or other discrepancies can be cured up until July 3.
Hurd claimed 42% of the vote (about 34,000 votes), standing well ahead of former State Rep. Ron Hanks (28%). Carbondale financial adviser Russ Andrews stood in last place with 6%.
The remaining candidates each hovered around 8%. In total, 81,500 votes had been cast as of the Aspen Daily News’ press time.
Reached around 8:40 p.m., Andrews said he had had “better nights.” He said he was “shocked” by the results, having expected to take at least second or third place. Nonetheless, he said he was proud of the race he ran and the connections he made along the way.
“I reached out and made friendships with every one of my opponents,” Andrews said.
He said he is considering running for chair of the state Republican Party, though he hasn't made a firm decision.
Andrews did better in Pitkin County than he did in the broader district. Hurd led with 35%, with Andrews coming in second (24%). Hanks earned 17%, with Pueblo resident Stephen Varela one point behind. Pitkin County voters had cast 915 ballots in the Republican primary as of press time Tuesday evening.
With six candidates, the election is CD3’s most crowded Republican primary in history. The district includes all of the Roaring Fork Valley.
If Hurd wins, he will face Democrat and former Aspen Councilman Adam Frisch in the November general election. At $13.2 million, Frisch has raised the third-largest sum of any 2024 congressional candidate in the country. He is the only non-incumbent candidate in the top 10. The Frisch campaign currently has $3.8 million still unspent as of June 5.
By the same date, Hurd had accrued $1.1 million in total donations with $220,000 unspent.
Frisch narrowly lost the district to U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Silt, in November 2022. After a series of personal missteps, Boebert announced in December 2023 that she was leaving CD3 to try her luck in CD4, which covers much of the Colorado’s eastern plains.
As of the press deadline on Tuesday, Boebert had an impressive lead in her new district, claiming 43% of the vote (110,900 votes had been cast). The next highest vote-getter had only 15% of the vote. CD4’s race also was split between six candidates.
While Frisch had nearly defeated Boebert, analysts say a battle against Hurd would be much more difficult in the conservative-leaning district. Seen as a moderate, Hurd has racked up a bevy of endorsements from politicians, including former CD3 representatives. Hurd is a clear departure from Boebert’s hardline policy views, bombastic style and occasional scandals.
Late Tuesday evening, the Frisch campaign released a statement about the GOP primary results. Here are a few excerpts:
“First, I would like to thank all the candidates who ran in CD3’s Republican primary and personally congratulate Jeff Hurd. My hat always goes off to anyone who is willing to stand up to represent their country and community," the statement said.
"It's unfortunate, however, that both political parties often cater to the extremes and prioritize party loyalty over the best interests of the country. It’s why I entered this race. I won’t be a yes man for either party. I’ll be an independent voice of reason for rural Colorado to cut inflation, secure the border and protect a woman’s freedom to make her own health care decisions," Frisch continued.
He added that the last thing the district needs is "another corporate lawyer funded by corporate PAC money."
"My presumptive opponent won’t have the backbone to stand up to Washington interests," Frisch's statement said. "[Hurd] will choose a federal abortion ban over trusting the women of CD3 to have the freedom to make their own health care choices and he threatens one of our most precious resources: water."
One of Hurd’s biggest backers is actively working to take San Luis Valley's water to the Denver metro area, Frisch said.