Victoria Markinson, representing the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Group, asked the Pueblo County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 2 to formally name the county elections office after Carrie Clyde Holly and to place a portrait and historical materials on public display.

Markinson told commissioners the group has struggled to raise funds for a previously approved statue and instead bought and paid for an oil portrait and a plaque. "We would like to have the Pueblo County elections department formally named the Carrie Clyde Holly Pueblo County Elections department," she said, and asked that the portrait and related memorabilia be displayed in a lobby area so more people could see them.

The request matters, Markinson said, because Holly was a Pueblo pioneer in politics: the group’s handout states she was the first woman attorney in Pueblo, one of the first women elected to what is now House District 46, a school board president and, the group said, the first woman in the United States to get a bill passed. Markinson said fundraising for a statue in the range of $150,000 has proved difficult and the group is proposing the naming and display as an alternative public honor.

Commissioners expressed support in principle but said they want to hear from the county clerk and recorder, Candice Rivera, before taking formal action. “Before I make any—or anyone is going to make any call on this—I’d rather talk to Ms. Rivera,” one commissioner said. Markinson said she had spoken with Rivera twice and that Rivera was “very much an advocate” for the idea.

County staff and commissioners suggested practical next steps: confirm the clerk’s support, identify appropriate public display space (several commissioners noted ongoing courthouse remodeling and lobby areas that could be suitable), and return the item to a future work session or regular agenda with the clerk’s confirmation. Markinson told the board the group would be happy to work with county staff on placement and on fundraising tools such as an on-site donation box to support further elements like a plaque or reception.

Commissioners and staff asked for more detail about placement and timing; Markinson said the group would welcome an unveiling in March (Women’s History Month) even if all exhibit elements were not yet complete. No formal naming or appropriation was made at the Jan. 2 work session; commissioners directed staff to obtain confirmation from the clerk and to schedule the matter for a future agenda once that confirmation is in hand.

The suffrage group identified a paid, commissioned oil portrait (approximately 4 feet tall including the frame) and a plaque as items already funded and ready for display. The group also noted it possesses additional memorabilia and a state-recognition document the presenters said had been given to the group.

The board did not vote on naming or funding at the meeting. Staff indicated that if the clerk confirms support, the item could be returned to a work session or regular agenda for formal discussion and possible direction to staff or a vote by the commissioners.

Markinson and other group members said they will coordinate with the clerk’s office and county staff on next steps.

The presentation occurred during the Board’s Jan. 2 work session; commissioners said they would place the item on a future agenda after confirming the clerk’s position.