Larry Don Suckla — who edged out Mark Roeber by three votes in the Republican primary — now faces Gunnison County rancher and Democratic nominee Kathleen Curry in the General Election. (File photos courtesy of Montrose Daily Press)
With the nail-biter GOP primary over for State House District 58, the final contenders for the seat are preparing for a match-up.
Larry Don Suckla of Montezuma County edged out Delta County’s Mark Roeber by three votes, a margin that held after a mandatory recount, and he is now officially the Republican nominee to replace Marc Catlin of Montrose, who is vying for a Senate seat. Suckla faces Gunnison County rancher and Democratic nominee Kathleen Curry in the General Election.
“Every vote matters. We just found out in this election,” Suckla said, as he prepared to hit the campaign trail. “Government’s not the solution. The people are.”
Curry now has clarity, too. “I know it was a stressful period trying to figure out what the final count was,” she said, congratulating Suckla on his primary win. “I appreciate the folks in the eight county elections offices that went back and redid the count. I also appreciate the Colorado Secretary of State’s effort to oversee the process, because it was a really important race for both candidates, and I know they wanted to get it right and feel confident in the outcome. Now we have that. The process worked.”
Suckla is a third-generation rancher and farmer, who owns a Cortez-based auction house. He previously served as a Montezuma County Commissioner and was honored as County Commissioner of the Year in 2017 by Colorado Counties Inc. When he first threw his hat into the ring to become the Republican nominee in HD58, Suckla said he was running for his kids and other young people; water and education topped his agenda.
Suckla said he is going to be campaigning on rural values for the General Election. “When I ran for county commissioner, I didn’t know a dang thing about it. There’s that saying where sometimes it’s best to jump into the swimming pool before you learn how to swim. I wasn’t guided by the standard. I found my own way,” he said.
“I believe as a state legislator, I can do the same thing. I know this sounds crazy, but I think I’m going to be effective because I’m naive. It worked for me as a county commissioner and I think it’s going to work for me in the State Legislature.”
Suckla said he means that he is one of the people — a farmer, a rancher, a retired firefighter and EMT, who also has worked as a logger and owned a landscaping company. “I went through all of that. So I can relate,” he said.
Suckla said that when he served as a county commissioner, and was asked to raise taxes, he instead looked at farmers who were sacrificing and asked why the government wasn’t matching their belt-tightening. To him, it seemed the government should share in shortfalls, not just in windfalls.
Suckla said he isn’t sure what to expect of his Democratic opponent, who has previously served in the Legislature. “But I think I’m going to like her. She’s been there and done that. I haven’t, but I’m not your normal Republican. Most Republicans don’t ride a mountain bike and a horse. Little things like that — if you ride a mountain bike, you must be a liberal. If you ride a horse, you must be a conservative,” Suckla said, in resisting pigeonholing candidates based on affiliation.
As for how the General Election will shake out: “I’m hoping. I don’t know if I feel optimistic. I can represent all three parties, which is Republican, Democrat and the independents (unaffiliated voters). The independents are disgusted withy both parties,” Suckla said.
Curry said the outcome of the GOP primary doesn’t really change her overall message. “It does cause me to think about where I want to invest resources and make sure I cover all the bases. It’s a big district. But now that I know who I’m running against, I’ll be thinking about how I spend my time,” she said. “It’s the same message, though: That my experience having served as a legislator puts me in a great position to pick up the job and hit the ground running.
“My focus will be on what’s important for this district. Policy is more important to me than the politics.”
Curry previously served three terms, representing House District 61, but redistricting now places her in the 58th House District, which includes Gunnison, Montrose, San Miguel, Ouray and Hinsdale counties, along with parts of Delta, Dolores and Montezuma counties. She was elected as a Democrat in 2004, but changed to independent in 2009. Since leaving office, Curry works with her husband on their Gunnison Valley cattle ranch, as well as a lobbyist for the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association the the Gunnison County Stockgrowers Association.
Earlier this year, she said she would continue being a strong voice for water and agriculture, as was Catlin before her.
Curry, too, said the recent GOP primary showed that every vote matters. She trusts the outcome. “I consider Mark (Roeber) a colleague and I appreciate him stepping up to run. It worked out the way voters wanted it to work out. …At least now I have certainty.”
