Publish Date: Thursday January 14, 2010
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Gilbert ‘Bo’ Ortiz |
Pueblo County Clerk Gilbert "Bo" Ortiz announced on Jan. 5 that he will seek re-election in November.
Ortiz, 39, became well-known in Pueblo West last spring and summer when he presided over the recall election that eventually led to the unseating of three members of the Pueblo West Metrpolitan District board of directors, and the resignation of a fourth.
Ortiz was thrust into the spotlight when a Pueblo West citizens group submitted recall petitions. Ortiz first had to rule on the legitimacy of the signatures and then had to preside over a hearing on the legitimacy of the petitions by the board members targeted for the recall.
Because the Pueblo West recall was being held in a special district, new ground was covered and Ortiz was forced to make decisions that had no precedent. Ortiz maneuvered through the difficult time, which was especially impressive because Pueblo County had been criticized for its performances in elections before Ortiz took office.
The Pueblo West recall election produced the biggest turnout in the community's history with more than 6,000 voters casting ballots. The previous high was just over 1,000 in 2008.
Ortiz was elected to the county office in 2006 after serving on City Council. When he took over the county post from longtime Clerk Chris Munoz, the county election office was among those on the Colorado Secretary of State's "watch list" for previous election problems.
"I inherited that situation, but we were also the first county removed from that list by the state," Ortiz told The Pueblo Chieftain, crediting his office with improving election operations. Since those opening months, Ortiz's office has overseen 10 local, state and federal elections.
"I enjoy this job and the challenges that come every day," he said.
Asked to list his accomplishments, Ortiz pointed to getting the county off the watch list, initiating an online service so county residents can renew license plates over the Internet, and creating a means for the public to record documents electronically.
Ortiz is also a well-known Democrat who is often seen at partisan political rallies and events.
Last fall, some local Republicans challenged Ortiz's ability to fairly oversee the city's mail-ballot election. When the election was over, however, Republican Councilwoman Judy Weaver had prevailed in her re-election bid. Also, a ballot question calling for a new mayor's office in Pueblo city government went down to defeat. Local GOP activists linked that effort to Pueblo Democrats.
"I thought it was funny that some council members thought a mail-ballot election was unreliable because that's how they were elected in the first place," Ortiz said. "Some of those same critics also vote by mail every election."
Ortiz acknowledges that he is a partisan Democrat.
"But when I come into this office every day, I have to be unaffiliated and oversee the job so that all county residents are served," he said.
He understands that Pueblo frequently has very close elections, noting that he won the Democratic primary in 2006 by just two votes.
"That seems to be part of our heritage - close elections," Ortiz said.
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