Montrose County voters have voted to remove Commissioner Scott Mijares from office, ending a year of controversy that many residents say undermined confidence in county leadership. Unofficial results show 52.05% of voters supported the recall, while 47.95% opposed (8,439 to 7,773 votes). The recall ballot included a simultaneous election to fill the seat; Kirstin Copeland — the only candidate on the the ballot — received 7,963 votes and will succeed Mijares once the results are certified.
Leading up to the recall
Mijares’s term until now has been identified by public clashes with fellow commissioners and county staff, most notably over the hiring of Dr. Mirza Ahmed as public health director and former County Manager Frank Rodriguez.
One of those disputes triggered the reclassification of public health director position to “interim,” followed by high-profile resignations including County Manager Frank Rodriguez and County Attorney Marti Whitmore.
Critics argued that the board’s decisions sowed instability and eroded public trust in county administration.
The recall campaign, organized by locals including Phoebe Benziger and Linda Gann, gathered steam over the summer — driven by grassroots efforts such as door-to-door canvassing, signature drives, yard signs, and “Honk & Wave” events.
Statement from recall organizers
“Our community showed up — and together, we restored trust.
From the beginning, this effort was bigger than politics. Republicans, Democrats, and Unaffiliated voters came together when we all saw that our county leadership had lost its way — forcing the resignations of trusted employees and putting the county at financial risk unnecessarily. Bad decision upon bad decision led to a community outcry that united us all to recall Scott Mijares.
With neighbors standing shoulder to shoulder in the summer heat, collecting signatures outside the post office, the pickleball courts, Monte de Rosas, the Farmer’s Market, the recreation center, and the library and through the long days of summer and the crisp evenings of fall, our community showed up.
They showed up to talk with friends and neighbors, to sign postcards, to display yard signs, to make phone calls, to walk door to door, and to attend Honk & Wave events that lifted everyone’s spirits and spread the message of change. Together, we kept the conversation going about what matters most in Montrose County.
From the very beginning, people told us what they wanted: to restore integrity, public trust, accountability, and fiscal responsibility to our local leadership. By recalling Scott Mijares, we did just that.
To our campaign team, our volunteers, and every single supporter — we can’t thank you enough. Your energy, persistence, and kindness carried us through.
This victory belongs to all of us. It’s proof that when people come together, listen to each other, and care deeply about their community, real change is possible.”
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The Montrose Business Times attempted to contact Commissioner Mijares for comment Tuesday evening but did not receive a response before publication.
Copeland is expected to be sworn in later this month to serve out the remainder of the term. Her arrival is likely to shift the dynamic of the three-member board, which has been deeply divided in recent months.
Conservative slate wins all four Montrose school board races
In parallel contests for the Montrose County School District RE-1J board, four candidates ran on a shared platform with strong ideological messaging. Their campaign called explicitly for rejecting what they framed as “woke agendas” in schools. They organized as a unified slate, even though the ballots are non-partisan.
The slate — comprised of Neisha Balleck, Scott Scarborough, Tiffany Vincent, and Shane Daly — emphasized conservative education policies, parental control, and resisting what they called liberal influences on curricula.
Election results:
• Balleck (District A) defeated Darren Sofka by ~57.2% to ~42.8%.
• Scarborough (District C) won against Alice Murphy by ~53.9% to ~46.1%.
• Vincent (District E) prevailed in a three-way race with ~54.5%, ahead of Kris Besler (~34.8%) and Hollee Mundell (~10.7%).
• Daly (District G) beat Jessica Corrigan ~55.9% to ~44.1%.
Other ballot measures & regional outcomes
• Voters narrowly rejected a proposed charter amendment for the City of Montrose which would have updated dated language and capped City Council limits at eight total years, 52.24% No vs. 47.76% Yes.
• In the Montrose Regional Library District, both measures failed: the levy renewal (6A) and a property-tax limit adjustment (6B) lost by about 64% and 63.8% to No, respectively. Those measures would have continued funding at the current level for the district.
• On statewide issues, Proposition LL (school-meal funding) narrowly failed in Montrose County (49.55% Yes / 50.45% No), while Proposition MM (tax extension) lost more decisively (43.2% Yes / 56.8% No). Those proposals passed statewide.
• In Norwood, Colorado, voters approved Ballot Issue 5A (58.3% Yes) to fund a new preschool-through-high school facility. Brandi Griffith and Randy L. Harris won seats on the local R-2J school board.
Justin Tubbs is the Montrose Business Times editor. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 970-765-0915 or mobile at 254-246-2260.
