Narrow gap in fundraising efforts of Pueblo County clerk candidates

If money is any indication, the race for Pueblo County clerk is neck and neck.

Democrat incumbent Gilbert “Bo” Ortiz is seeking his third term as county clerk. He’s being challenged by Republican Victor Head, who garnered national attention when he led a recall effect that ousted former state Sen. Angela Giron.

According to campaign finance reports filed by each candidate on Oct. 14 to the Colorado Secretary of State, Ortiz has raised $30,935 while Head has collected $29,282 in donations.

Ortiz said he wasn’t surprised by his opponent’s collections. “He raised a lot of money last year during the recall election so we expected him to raise a lot of money,” Ortiz said.

“Well, we saw that last year money doesn’t always matter. It doesn’t always win elections. In the recall we were outspent about 8 to 1,” Head said.

But there’s no question money helps. KRDO NewsChannel 13 asked the candidates why the seat for county clerk is a coveted one among Republicans and Democrats.

“We run the elections department and there’s clear differences between me and my opponent on how we should run those elections,” Ortiz said.

“It’s the amount of discretion that’s involved in it and how the clerk wields that discretion,” Head said.

According to numbers provided by Ortiz, 20 percent of active voters had voted as of Oct. 23 with Republicans slightly outvoting Democrats.