Perry Will apparent winner in Garfield County Commission District 2 race
For the Post Independent
Elliott Wenzler/Post Independent
Outgoing Republican state Sen. Perry Will was well on his way to becoming the newest Garfield County commissioner, holding a comfortable 6% lead over Democrat Caitlin Carey as final ballots were being counted in Tuesday’s election.
The second report from the Garfield County Clerk and Recorder’s Office, reflecting 70% of active voters in the county, had Will leading with 13,959 votes (53.2%) to Carey’s 12,301 (46.85).
Assuming that margin holds, Will would replace seven-term County Commissioner John Martin of Glenwood Springs come January.
Martin decided earlier this year not to run for another four-year term, opening a door for Will who said he has long wanted to be a county commissioner.
“I gave up a state senate seat to come home and do this, so obviously I wanted to do this and to serve the people of Garfield County,” Will said Tuesday night as he awaited the final unofficial report from county election officials.
Editor’s Note: Final results were not available by the Post Independent’s print deadline. Results will be updated online Wednesday.
Will served as a state representative for District 57 before being appointed in 2023 to fill the vacant Senate District 8 seat when former state Sen. Bob Rankin resigned.
Redistricting in the state moved Will, a New Castle resident, into the newly redrawn Senate District 5. Will decided to run instead for county commissioner in this year’s election.
Challenging him for the vacant commissioner seat was New Castle Town Councilor Caitlin Carey, who was elected to that position in 2022.
Carey did not return a call seeking comment before the deadline for this story.
She ran seeking to bring change to the three-member county board — which for the past 14 years has been entirely made up of Republican membership — focusing on issues around affordable housing, wildfire preparedness, environmental concerns and transparency in county government.
Will said he believes the experience he gained in state government will benefit his work as a county commissioner.
“I just think I have a lot to offer the citizens of the county, and can be effective in moving this county forward,” he said. “Any position I have doesn’t define me. I do it for the people I serve.”
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