Pueblo's 2024 primary election is June 25. Here's who's running and what's at stake
Through the first six months of 2024, some Puebloans have had the opportunity to vote in three different elections: the city's mayoral runoff, the presidential primary and now the primary for several other offices.
Candidates for Congress, state offices and local contests are running in the Democratic and Republican primaries ahead of the general election later this year.
In November, Americans will decide who will be president for the next four years, but there are many contests at the local and state levels that will also be on the ballot.
Here’s what you need to know to make your voice heard in this election — the most important of which is that your ballot needs to be received by 7 p.m. at the latest on Tuesday, June 25.
What voters need to know
Most voters in Pueblo County were mailed their ballots in the first full week of June.
Unaffiliated voters received ballots for both the Democratic and Republican primary, but are only allowed to vote in one of the party primaries.
If someone sends in ballots for both of the major party primaries, then all of their votes will be disqualified.
The county advises personally delivering ballots instead of mailing them back through the postal service.
Voters can sign up for electronic ballot tracking notifications, which can alert them when their ballots have been received and counted, at pueblo.ballottrax.net.
Following some voter confusion and controversy about the placement of holes in the return ballot envelopes in the November 2023 election, the envelopes in this year's election are intact.
Where to drop off ballots in Pueblo County
There is one in-person voter service polling center available for this election at the Pueblo County elections office on the seventh floor of 201 W. Eighth St., locally known as the former Wells Fargo building in downtown Pueblo.
This center is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with special hours from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 22, as well as 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the day of the primary election, June 25.
Here are the 24-hour secure ballot drop box locations throughout Pueblo County:
Pueblo County Election Office: 201 W. Eighth St., on the eastern side of the building along Main Street
Pueblo County Courthouse: 215 W. 10th St., on the western side of the building along Court Street
Colorado State Fairgrounds: 950 S. Prairie Ave.
Lamb Branch Library: 2525 S. Pueblo Blvd., behind the building
Routt Avenue motor vehicle drive-thru: 1228 Routt Ave.
CSU-Pueblo: 2200 Bonforte Blvd., access from Gonzales Drive
Pueblo Community College: 900 W. Orman Ave., access from Harrison Street
Pueblo Rural Fire: 29912 US-50 BUS
Beulah General Store: 8869 Grand Ave.
Greenhorn Valley Library: 4801 Cibola Drive in Colorado City
Pueblo County Sheriff’s Substation: 320 E. Joe Martinez Blvd. in Pueblo West
Which Republicans are on the ballot?
Six candidates qualified for the primary in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District. Puebloan Stephen Varela is the first candidate listed on the ballot after emerging as the top candidate at the CO-3 assembly in April.
Ron Hanks, a former state legislator, won the controversial endorsement of the Colorado GOP.
Also running are Lew Webb, a Durango businessman; Russ Andrews, a financial advisor from Carbondale; Curtis McCrackin, a business owner from Delta; and Jeff Hurd, a Grand Junction attorney.
The race for House District 46 is between two candidates: Christina Mascarenas and Kim Swearingen.
All of the Republicans vying for county offices are unopposed. Steven Rodriguez is running for the board of Pueblo County commissioners in District 1 and Paula McPheeters is seeking the District 2 seat on the BOCC. Also, Kala Beauvais was the only candidate for district attorney who qualified for the ballot at the local assembly.
Which Democrats are on the ballot?
All of the local Democratic races are uncontested. Adam Frisch narrowly defeated Puebloan Sol Sandoval in the primary for CO-3 in 2022 and is running unopposed in the primary after several other candidates dropped out of this year’s race.
State Reps. Tisha Mauro and Matt Martinez are both running uncontested for their second two-year terms at the state capitol.
Pueblo County Commissioner Daneya Esgar is running for her first full term after being appointed to the District 2 seat last year, and Miles Lucero is the only Democrat who made it out of the local assembly to face the now-independent incumbent Epimenio “Eppie” Griego for District 1.
Kyle Aber is also the only Democrat to be running for Pueblo’s district attorney. The incumbent, Jeff Chostner, was first elected in 2012 but is not seeking an additional term.
Anna Lynn Winfrey covers politics for the Pueblo Chieftain. She can be reached at awinfrey@gannett.com. Please support local news at subscribe.chieftain.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Here's who is running in Pueblo County's 2024 primary elections
