AURORA VOTES 2023: Democrats dwindle on city council as Coffman locks in second term

AURORA | Democrat Juan Marcano conceded the race for Aurora mayor to incumbent Republican Mike Coffman on Thursday, joining the majority of this year’s progressive city council slate in defeat.

Nov. 7 was a banner day for Aurora Republicans, who cheered Colorado voters’ rejection of Proposition HH, and a bleak one for Democrats, who now risk becoming further marginalized on the council, as their minority shrinks from four seats on the legislative body to three.

Aurora’s City Council includes four at-large council seats, six ward seats associated with each of the city’s six geographic divisions and one mayor elected by the entire city. This year, two at-large seats, three ward seats and the mayorship were up for grabs.

Four current council members are on track to be re-elected, including Republicans Francoise Bergan and Curtis Gardner, filling the Ward VI seat and an at-large seat respectively; unaffiliated conservative Angela Lawson, representing Ward V; and Democrat Alison Coombs, who won the other at-large seat.

Marcano’s Ward IV council seat is set to be filled by incoming Republican Stephanie Hancock, while Coffman earned himself another four-year term.

The new majority will provide security as well as some additional powers to Republicans. A supermajority of seven council members and the mayor acting in concert can act unilaterally in ways that a simple majority can’t, such as by dismissing members of the Aurora Civil Service Commission or moving the city’s planning and annexation boundaries.

As for the four ballot questions that the city council sent to voters, Ballot Question 3A, sponsored by Coombs, is also failing, meaning instances of gendered language in the Aurora City Charter will likely be preserved. Meanwhile, 3B, 3C and 3D, which propose various modifications to police and fire personnel rules, are on track to pass.

The three counties overlapping Aurora were mostly done counting ballots as of Thursday evening. Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder Joan Lopez said in a social media post Thursday afternoon that all ballots received by her office have been counted, not including a “small number” of duplicated ballots. Turnout among Aurora voters in Arapahoe County has been pegged at about 37.2%.

The Adams County Clerk and Recorder’s Office posted on social media Thursday morning that it has counted all ballots received by the close of Election Day. Douglas County spokesperson Wendy Holmes also said Thursday that the county had about 1,000 ballots on hand left to count by the end of the day Wednesday, which would not be enough to change the outcome of any contest.

Counties have until Nov. 15 to count ballots cast by overseas voters and those serving in the U.S. military. Voters also have until the 15th to “cure” ballots with missing signatures and other discrepancies.

2023 Aurora Mayoral Election

Blues seeing red 

Aurora’s step toward conservatism means the council will likely double down on work-first and sweep-based approaches to reducing homelessness, punitive strategies for discouraging crime, and tax cuts and regulatory rollbacks designed to benefit businesses.

Mike Coffman has said his priorities for his second term as mayor will include improving public safety by investing in the city’s police department and continuing to support tougher criminal penalties. He has also spoken about wanting to encourage the development of affordable housing, particularly in lower-income neighborhoods.

Before becoming mayor in 2019, Coffman served in the U.S. House of Representatives and as Colorado’s secretary of state and treasurer. He previously founded a property management company in Aurora and is a veteran of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.

The mayor could not be reached for comment Thursday. Coffman claimed about 52.6% of the vote between the three counties, while Juan Marcano received 40.6% and outsider Democrat Jeff Sanford took home 6.9%.

Marcano conceded once Arapahoe County released results shortly after 4 p.m. that showed Coffman continuing to lead by several thousand votes. By Thursday evening, all but one Democrat had announced the conclusion of their campaigns, with Jon Gray in Ward IV saying he would wait to speak with his campaign manager. Gray conceded the next day.

Marcano emerged as a prominent progressive voice on the council following his election in 2019, often coming into conflict with conservatives over social issues and the council’s spending priorities.

The architectural designer and child of Puerto Rican immigrants advocated for housing-first policies to address homeless camping along with nonprofit housing development and alternatives to traditional policing and jail time for criminals.

After conceding, Marcano said he was “pessimistic” about the new council and the ability of the majority to tackle problems facing the city.

2023 Aurora City Council Election: 2 At Large seats

“I think housing is going to continue to be a struggle for folks, and obviously wages are going to remain far below where they ought to be,” he said. “There’s going to be more folks out on the streets. The solutions that Coffman and the Republican majority ran on, including the folks who are about to get elected here, are completely ineffective.”

When asked why voters have rejected all but one progressive candidate this year, Marcano and other Democrats brought up the spending gap — conservative candidates spent about 1.8 times as much as the Democrats who appeared on the ballot, and conservative dark money groups spent several hundred thousand dollars more than their progressive counterparts.

“It’s so expensive to get the message out there. I didn’t do it. I couldn’t do it,” said Ward VI candidate Brian Matise, who invested $80,000 of his own money into his campaign. “How do you respond to all of the lies? They’re saying I’m soft on crime, and there were accusations that I’m a socialist, which are absurd. I was a Republican most of my life.”

Marcano also blamed the incumbent advantage held by most of the Republican candidates for Democrats’ struggles. Marcano and Ward V candidate Chris Rhodes both said the local Democratic Party will need to evaluate what may drive progressive Aurorans to the polls before the next council election in 2025.

2023 Aurora City Council Ward VI Election: southeast Aurora

“Republicans have figured out that they can just keep fearmongering on crime, and that turns their people out. But we haven’t figured out what turns out our people. We need to figure out what Democratic voters actually care about so they show up and vote,” Rhodes said.

Coombs’ re-election was the one bright spot for Democrats emerging from this electoral cycle — she traded her Ward V seat for an at-large seat and had claimed more votes than any other candidate with the exception of Coffman as of Thursday evening.

When asked what role a diminished progressive minority might play on the council, Coombs said she, Ruben Medina and Crystal Murillo will continue to advocate for policies that have community support and try to find common ground with Republicans.

She was also hopeful that her conservative colleagues would take the faith placed in her by voters seriously.

“I hope that (Coffman) will see that as a clear statement from folks that they do want him and the Republicans to work across the aisle,” Coombs said. “I really hope to see some change from my colleagues in terms of the outright rejection and shutting down of discussion around issues.”

Republicans say theirs was the winning message

For Republicans, the latest election was a sign that Aurora voters trust the council’s current conservative leadership and their approach to social issues such as public safety and homelessness.

Curtis Gardner, who beat out Democrat Thomas Mayes and fellow Republican Jono Scott for an at-large seat, said the vast majority of voters who he spoke with during his campaign expressed concern about crime.

“Especially in central Aurora, I remember we were in a neighborhood around Chambers (Road) and Mexico (Drive), and, I mean, every door we knocked on they talked about how they heard gunshots at night, and their cars were getting broken into,” Gardner said.

“I think most people want the same things. They want safe schools, and they want to feel safe when they go to church, or when they go to work. … For me and some of the other candidates, the focus was really on public safety. Certainly, both sides worked hard. But that difference in the messaging probably won out.”

2023 Aurora City Council Election: Ward IV, central Aurora

Yard signs for Coffman advertised the mayor as “tough on crime,” and other conservative candidates also ran on platforms that included tougher penalties for criminals as part of their approach to public safety.

While Scott ultimately fell to Coombs and Gardner, he too believed Republicans’ emphasis on protecting residents from criminals brought voters to the polls.

“I knocked on, I would venture to say, thousands of doors. And that was the number one issue at the door. People don’t feel safe. And I think they feel that conservatives can handle that better,” Scott said.

Stephanie Hancock bounced back to lead the Ward IV race this year after campaigning unsuccessfully in 2022 for the seat in the Colorado House of Representatives held by Democrat Iman Jodeh.

As the only new face on the council, Hancock brings a background in Aurora’s business and arts communities as the co-founder of 5280 Artist Co-Op and president of the Aurora Cultural Arts District. She is also a U.S. Air Force veteran and a graduate of Texas Southern University.

Her campaign platform included tackling crime by forcing more criminals to pay restitution and by offering job training and mentorship opportunities to Aurora youth. She also expressed interest in reducing street homelessness as well as addressing housing affordability through economic development and advocating for reform of the state’s construction defect laws.

Hancock said members of the public shared concerns with her about the problems of homelessness and crime “moving” from Denver to Aurora, though she credited her own victory to having honest conversations with voters and letting people know that she plans on representing constituents regardless of their political background.

2023 Aurora City Council Election: Ward V, central Aurora

“When people get away from the partisan politics of these things, and look at the bread and butter issues that we face, it’s common across the board,” she said.

“I’m very gratified by the fact that I had support from Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliateds, which tells me that people want to see real change happen in our city. And I want to earn their trust by doing exactly what I said, which is to attack the issues that face our beloved city.”

What they said:

Mike Coffman, R —Mayor

Coffman did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.

Juan Marcano, D — Mayor

“I’m very happy with the race I ran. I ran authentically as myself, I had a phenomenal campaign manager, and I’m very proud of how much I was able to raise as a grassroots candidate. It’s just that, with the fundraising past a certain point, you can’t really compete. But I am thrilled that Alison Coombs not only won citywide with record votes but won as the first LGBTQ woman on our council and as a democratic socialist like me. I love to see it. I think that at least bodes well overall for the future of the city.”

Jeff Sanford, D — Mayor

“I don’t have any regrets, other than I didn’t win, but I don’t look at it as I didn’t win. The electorate picked who they thought would do the best for the city. And he just happened to be an incumbent. … I wish we could bring down the temperature on politics and work more toward what’s best for the city. I know that’s very idealistic, and I knew it was when I went in. I stood for not raising campaign funds or spending them. That was a strategic error on my part, but I wouldn’t do anything differently.”

Alison Coombs, D — At-Large

“I’m certainly glad that I was able to get my message out to folks and that they support me continuing to serve the city in more of a citywide capacity. … I think I had the benefit of having the support of my existing constituents, who I’ve been responsive and supportive to. But I also have built a lot of relationships with folks across the city in all six wards. It’s a lot easier to stave off personal attacks when people know you personally.”

Curtis Gardner, R — At-Large

“I felt pretty confident going into Election Day. And being an incumbent certainly has an advantage. But you still have to run your race. And we were able to knock on tons of doors, thousands of doors, and that was in addition to outreach through all of the other stuff, like mailings and digital ads. … By and large, most people want the same things.”

Thomas Mayes, D — At-Large

“I’m feeling great. I plan to continue doing the work, I just won’t get paid for it, I guess. It is what it is. I’m excited the campaigning part of it is over, and we’ve got some challenging days ahead of us. That’s basically my mindset now: where do we go from here? … I think we ran well. I tried to run a very clean race, without mudslinging, and I’ve seen a lot of that being done. And that’s unfortunate, but that’s politics.”

Jono Scott, R — At-Large

“We ran a hard race with a lot of good support and came up short. … It was close. I mean, all four of us candidates are within 7%. That’s a close race. And my hat goes off to Alison and Curtis for running a great campaign. I’ll also say that I met Thomas Mayes, and I gained a friend through that. I enjoyed the process. And I hate to lose, but I’m not bitter about it. I’d do it again, even if I knew the result.”

Jon Gray, D — Ward IV

“Running this campaign was a labor of love in partnership with my wonderful family, dedicated volunteers, Democratic slate teammates and the community I hold dear. Although this race might be over, our work in Aurora is not. I will carry every conversation with Ward IV residents as inspiration as I continue the work to make Aurora a thriving city for all and continue to fight for equitable public safety programs, fully-funded community care for our youth and economic justice for all Aurorans.”

Stephanie Hancock, R — Ward IV

“I’m doing great. And I’m ready to get going. It was a hard race. We worked hard. We knocked on a lot of doors, and we talked to a lot of people. … I want to let people know how much I appreciate their support and their faith in me, and that I intend to earn it right from Day One.”

Angela Lawson, R — Ward V

Lawson did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.

Chris Rhodes, D — Ward V

“I’m obviously disappointed. Kind of all the emotions: confused, sad, angry. … We really need to start gearing up for 2025 if we’re serious about taking the city majority. We can’t put it off until the last minute and all of that stuff like we typically do. We need to start focusing on who we’re going to run in 2025 and getting them support. That’s kind of where my head is at now.”

Francoise Bergan, R — Ward VI

Bergan did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.

Brian Matise, D — Ward VI

“The voters spoke. I lost. I’ve congratulated Francoise. …  I think the voters in Ward VI, and I would agree with this, believe that my opponent Francoise Bergan’s responsiveness to them was an important factor. And I think she worked hard, and her involvement in the community likely was a big portion of the reason why she won, and so I think that should be acknowledged.”