Unofficial vote results on Friday showed that Larry Don Suckla of Montezuma County led J. Mark Roeber of Delta County by three votes in the Republican primary race for Colorado District 58.

The winner will face Democrat Kathleen Curry in November.

The mandatory recount of cured ballots was ordered after voting on June 25 left Roeber with less than a 0.5% lead over Suckla.

On July 2, a count showed that Roeber led Suckla by 32 votes – 6,439 to 6,407, or 50.12% to 49.88% – according to the Colorado Secretary of State.

On Friday afternoon, the Colorado Secretary of State’s website showed that out of 12,971 votes, Suckla led Roeber by three votes – 6,487 to 6,484, or 50.01% to 49.99%.

Results are still considered unofficial. Both Montezuma County Clerk and Recorder’s Office and the Colorado Secretary of State Office were closed for the July Fourth weekend.

It was unclear Friday whether more cured votes would be counted.

Suckla took to Facebook on Friday with the most recent results, saying, “We won by three votes. You have no idea how much I appreciate everybody who voted for me.”

The curing process begins when a ballot is rejected because of a discrepancy with the signature on the ballot. Voters can cure a rejected ballot if the ballot signature doesn’t appear to match the one on file, if they didn’t sign the ballot envelope or if they didn’t include a copy of an acceptable form of identification.

County clerks notify these voters within two days of the vote, and voters can cure their vote through Wednesday, July 3.

District 58 encompasses eight counties – Montezuma, Dolores, San Miguel, Ouray, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose and Delta.

Suckla served as county commissioner for Montezuma County from 2012 to 2020. Roeber is a former Delta County commissioner.

Suckla told The Journal that he hopes this close race reminds people the importance of voting, even if they don’t believe their vote will make a difference.

“I hear people say that their one vote doesn’t make a difference, but it does,” Suckla said.