AURORA | A familiar name crept onto the most recent list of Aurorans who have expressed interest in running for a seat on Aurora City Council this fall, one that floated around the halls of Aurora Central High School in the 1960s, the state Legislature in the 1990s and, most recently, the crannies of the Aurora Cultural Arts District on East Colfax Avenue.
Bob Hagedorn, a former Democratic state lawmaker in both chambers of the Golden Dome in the ‘90s and early ‘00s, has declared his initial intent to represent Aurora’s massive northeastern Ward II on City Council next year,according to the most recent list of candidate’s released by the city clerk’s office.
Hagedorn joins four other candidates who have declared their intent to run for the open seat: Bernard Celestin, Glen Ressmeyer, Nicole Johnston and Jeff Wilson.
Renie Peterson, the incumbent council representative for Ward II, is term-limited and cannot seek re-election this fall. A total of five council seats, including Peterson’s are up for re-election in November.
A graduate of Aurora Central High School, Hagedorn has held a slew of roles in the city for more than four decades. The Democrat was first elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1992, followed by three subsequent re-elections. He served two terms in the state senate from 2000 to 2009.
During his time in the legislature, he championed health care, criminal justice and school reform.
Since leaving the state legislature, Haegdorn has been heavily involved in various north Aurora projects, serving as the president of the Aurora Cultural Arts District, organizing gallery exhibitions and founding the ‘Fax Aurora business league.
In races for a specific ward, candidates must gather 50 certifiable signatures from residents in that ward. In at-large races, candidates must gather 100 signatures from residents across the city. The first day to circulate petitions is Aug. 9, and a final list of signatures must be turned in to the city clerk’s office no later than Aug. 29, according to Janice Napper, who serves as the assistant city manager and the city clerk. Signatures will be verified in September.
Candidates are required to submit their first campaign finance reports in August.
To run for municipal office, candidates must be registered voters, U.S. citizens, at least 21 years old, a resident of Aurora for at least one year leading up to the election and, in races for a specific ward, a resident of that ward for at least one year.