AURORA | Final Aurora City Council campaign reports for the 2025 election underscored that winning Democratic candidates were far outspent by unsuccessful Republicans across all the races.
All told, more than $1 million was raised and spent among a dozen candidates seeking five seats on the city council, according to campaign finance records.
The wrap-up revealed that there was substantial political dark money, raised by non-profit groups to conceal donors’ identities, with nearly half a million dollars poured into a Republican-leaning group called Building Aurora’s Future.
In the final reported filings, Building Aurora’s Future contributed $430,000 and spent another $355,483.10, with Our Money Our Future contributing $285,000 and Advance Colorado Action contributing $145,000.
Outside the city council election, a committee was created to support the soon-to-be-created Downtown Development Authority, or DDA, on East Colfax. The effort raised and spent $19,315 for the campaign. Mayor Mike Coffman was the largest contributor, donating $10,000 to the project.
The DDA was approved by voters in the special district and will now collect money through tax increment financing, using future increases in property and sales taxes to fund local infrastructure along the East Colfax corridor between Yosemite and Oswego streets, and between East 14th and East 16th avenues.
Among groups and industries backing council candidates, the Metro Housing Coalition spent $18,000 on the Republican candidates Steve Sundberg and Marsha Berzins.
New Era Colorado spent $8,945 on Democratic and progressive-leaning candidates, and now council members, Alli Jackson, Gianina Horton, Amy Wiles and Ruben Medina.
A few last-minute contributions came in for the winning candidates, primarily for at-large winner Rob Andrews.
Westside Investment had multiple family members contribute to Danielle Jurinsky’s campaign, totalling more than $10,000 during the election season. Then Westside’s Andrew and Jackson Klien each contributed $1,150 to Rob Andrews after he won.
Another housing developer, Carla Ferriera, the managing principal at The Aurora Highlands and Christina Faraci, a political consultant both heavily donated to Republican candidates earlier in the year, and then contributed to winning candidates after the election.
Ferriera contributed to Ruben Medina’s campaign early in the election before he won.
Rob Andrews
Andrews is a Democrat who won the at-large seat on the Aurora City Council.
He received $60,661 in total contributions, spent $48,476 in campaign expenditures, and ended his campaign with a balance of $12,185. Andrews reported an additional $10,770 in contributions sent after the election from realtors, investors, consultants, and developers, each contributing at the capped amount of $1,150.
Andrews donated $10,164 to his own campaign.
Andrews spent $18,500 on 4Degrees Digital, a communications and political advertising firm; $6,554 on Hilltop Public Solutions, a campaign management company; $4,200 on Political consultant Howard Chou; and $3,820 on printing.
Watson Gomes
Gomes is unaffiliated and ran for Aurora City Council at-large.
He received $711 in total contributions, spent $691 on campaign expenses, and ended his campaign with a balance of $20.
Gomes spent $581 on advertising and $100 on bulk texting.
Alli Jackson
Jackson, a Democrat, won a Aurora City Council at-large seat.
She received $23,555 in total contributions, spent $19,600, and ended with a balance of $3,955.
Jackson reported receiving an additional $3,395 in her final filing. Most of the contributions are dated before election day, with a few that came after. Christena Faraci, a political consultant who paid Jackson $1,000 after the election, and Juan Marcano, who also paid her $1,150, both have dates recorded after the election.
Jackson spent $3,554 on Corazon Printing, $3,265 on DSPolitical, a data and technology company that does political advertising, $2,069 on Good Party, LLC, a campaign organization that fights against dark money and $1,973 spent on Meta/Facebook ads.
Danielle Jurinsky
Jurinsky, a Republican incumbent, lost her at-large seat.
She received $260,575 in total contributions and spent $194,66, ending with a balance of $69,576.
Jurinsky spent $54,500 for political consulting and campaign strategies, $20,913 on DTC Print Brokers, $20,000 on Look Ahead Strategies, a communications and research firm for political campaigns, $17,160 on Outdoor Promotions, or bus stop ads and $13,800 on Porchlink media for neighborhood newsletters.
Amsalu Kassaw
Kassaw, a Republican incumbent, lost his at-large seat.
He received $105,534 in total contributions and spent $105,154, with a balance of $379.
Kassaw spent $40,000 on Saratoga Strategies for political consulting and campaign strategy, $31,102 on Majority Strategies LLC, a Republican political advertising firm, $8,378 on printing campaign paraphernalia, and $2,000 on consulting.
Stephen Elkins
Elkins, an unaffiliated candidate, lost his run for Aurora City Council Ward I.
He received $19,165 in total contributions and spent $19,117, with a remaining balance of $48.
Elkins spent $14,204 on Saratoga Strategies LLC, $906 on DTC Print Brokers, $750 on Blitz Canvassing LLC, $444 on event organizing software Anedot, and $430 on Wizbang Solutions, a printer and mailer service.
Reid Hettich
Hettich, an unaffiliated candidate, lost his run for Aurora City Council Ward I.
He received $20,160 in total contributions and spent $15,369, with a remaining balance of $4,791. He also donated $10,659 to his own campaign.
Hettich spent $10,000 on video production through Truce Media and an additional $3,494 on miscellaneous campaign paraphernalia, such as t-shirts.
Gianina Horton
Horton, a Democrat, won her run for Aurora City Council Ward I.
She received $21,037 in total contributions and spent $19,886, with a remaining balance of $1,152.
In the final filing due Dec. 5, Horton reported receiving an additional $1,635, with all payments recorded as received before the election and many of them local small donations. The largest contributions were $500 from the Colorado Blue Flower Fund, an organization that uplifts female candidates and $400 from the Communication Workers of America Political Action Fund.
Horton spent $4,868 on Community of Color Organizing a civic engagement company, $4,277 on Superior Blue Strategies, a political consulting and communications firm for Democrats, $3,500 on Eye Contact Media LLC, a media consultant and $1,115 for Artistic Apparel graphics and signs.
Steve Sundberg
Sundberg, a Republican incumbent, lost his seat on the city council in Ward II.
He received $78,475 and spent $72,969, with a remaining balance of $9,735.
He spent $43,879 on Majority Strategies, a Republican advertising firm; $5,000 on Public Relations Services; $3,147 on Art Works Serigraphy, Inc., for screen printing; $3,147 on Ringside Consulting, an accounting and finance company; and $2,575 on Anthem Communication.
Amy Wiles
Wiles, a Democrat, won her run for Ward II Aurora City Council.
She received $15,305 in total contributions and spent $13,514, with a remaining balance of $1,791.
Wiles received an additional $1,795 in contributions after she won the election, mostly from local small donors. The largest contributions included the Colorado Blue Flower Fund, which uplifts women candidates.
She donated $1,646 to her own campaign.
Wiles spent $4,000 on Eye Contact Media LLC, a media consulting company; $2,828 on MityMo Creative, web design for ecommerce and political campaigns; $1,574 on Good Guys Signs; $1,411 on Minuteman Press; and $1,150 on Good Party LLC, a political technology organization.
Marsha Berzins
Berzins is a Republican and a former city council member who lost in her run for Aurora City Council Ward II.
She received $33,296 in total contributions and spent $22,846, with a remaining balance of $10,450.
Berzins spent $8,502 on Saratoga Strategies, $5,342 on DTC Print Brokers, $3,885 to repay herself for a personal loan to run, $1,525 to 303 Creative and $1,250 to Blitz Canvas.
Ruben Medina
Medina is a Democrat, an incumbent city council member who won a second term in Ward III.
He received $22,702 in total contributions and spent $13,775, with a remaining balance of $8,927. Medina had $155 in additional funds to report in his final filing, and all of it was dated before the election.
Medina spent $2,800 on Zenith Strategies, $2,486 on Corazon Printing, $1,498 on Piramides Mexican Restaurant, $1,000 on Pubsent and $800 on Politics With Purpose LLC.
It is heartening to live in Aurora and to see Aurora citizens say no to so many campaigns that far outspent the winners. It simply means WE, the citizens of Aurora, were not bought and paid for by dark money! We all saw the chaos, ignoring citizens, and bullying and said no more. Now, the burden is on the winners to right the ship, listen to the public, and solve the holes in the budget caused by Conservatives. As a matter of fact, I think people all over the country are realizing that “Conservative” is a misnomer in today’s world. So-called conservatives are not careful with budgets, they just spend it to benefit the already wealthy, widening the wealth gap!