AURORA | The first campaign finance reports of the 2025 Aurora City Council election cycle were filed last week, and at-large Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky emerged as the fundraising leader.
Fellow Republican and incumbent candidates were top fundraising reporters during this initial reporting cycle from Jan. 1 2025 through early last week.
In Aurora, at-large campaign donations from a single contributor are capped at $1,150, while single ward candidate donations are capped at $450.
Jurinsky reported the most amounts in all categories of fundraising.
In-kind contributions typically mean that someone provided services, not cash, for the candidate, which can include food, venues and other gifts.
At-large candidates
Danielle Jurinsky
Total contributions for the first reporting period came to $180,118, and in-kind contributions reached $900.00. Running for her second term, Jurinsky began her filing from the last election with $3,662.
Jurinsky, a Republican, received 107 contributions for the maximum amount of $1,150.
Her largest contribution was from Westside Investment Partners, a real estate development investment firm. The firm has active projects across the Front Range with seven in Aurora, including Aurora Crossroads and Green Valley Ranch. Andy Klein, Westside owner and founder, his wife and three children, all contributed the capped $1,150 donation. The addresses they filed under were in Denver, Englewood, Centennial, Greenwood Village and Highlands Ranch.
Total contributions from Westside Investment, with each family member’s contributions, came to $10,350.
It is not unusual in state and local campaigns, among Republicans and Democrats, for large contributors to get around campaign donation caps by having family members or multiple, linked businesses make donations.
Brannan Sand and Gravel also had eight employees contribute to Jurinsky’s campaign, equalling $9,200.
Other groups or companies that had at least four employees contribute to Jurinsky’s campaign include HEI Civil, a construction contractor for large-scale complex infrastructure; Bison Oil and Gas, Denver based upstream oil and gas exploration; Westwood Professional Services, a solar energy company; Alberta Development Partners LLC; and 76 Group, including previous city council member Dustin Zvonek. The 76 Group is a Republican lobbying and political consulting company.
These five businesses alone contributed $23,000 to Jurinsky’s campaign. She also had seven CEOs and two COOs, with two CEOs included above through HEI Civil and Bison Oil and Gas.
Jurinsky received $27,170 from Aurora donors, $51,540 from Denver donors and $8,670 from Englewood donors. The rest of her contributions came from many cities and towns across the Front Range, along with a few out-of-state contributions, including Arizona, Texas and Florida.
Total expenditures reported so far have been $38,540.
The top five expenditures paid for so far include Porchlink Media, for advertising, $13,800, Reputation Defender $5,000, Anedot, a fundraising site, $4,600, Ringside Consulting LLC $3,500, and 4Imprint Inc. $3,459, for contributor swag.
She also received contributions from fellow council members Françoise Bergan, Steve Sundberg, Amsalu Kassaw, Stephanie Hancock and Curtis Gardener.
Amsalu Kassaw
Total contributions reported so far have been $44,978.58
Kassaw, a Republican at-large incumbent city council member, received 17 contributions for the capped amount of $1,150.
His more notable $1,150 contributions came from James and Jill Spehalski. James is the owner of Marathon Land Company. Other top contributors include Mayor Mike Coffman, and Bruce and Nancy Benson. Bruce was previous president of the University of Colorado, former chairperson of the Colorado Republican Party and a former candidate for governor . Bruce and Nancy divorced in the 1990s; he is currently married to Marcy Benson.
Many of his contributions came from fellow Aurora Ethiopian immigrants, with whom he has strong ties to the large community.
Other notable contributions came from Jim Johnson, the chairperson and CEO of GE Johnson Holdings, Inc., Mel Tewahade, a financial planner for Infinity Wealth Management and Joy Hoffman from the Arapahoe County Republicans.
Kassaw received $20,363 of his current contributions from residents in Aurora, as well as money from Denver and other surrounding cities on the Front Range.
Total expenditures reported so far have been $5,723.
The top five expenditures are for Ringside Consulting $3,734, Anedot $1,026, Express Graphics $400.00, Gursha Ethiopian Restaurant, $274 and Horizon Repographics, $234.
Kassaw received $20,365 from Aurora and $11,164 from Denver. The majority of the rest of his contributions came from the cities that surround Aurora.
He also received contributions from fellow council members Jurinsky, Coffman, Stephanie Hancock and Sundberg.
Robert Andrews
Total contributions reported were $19,605, and in-kind contributions came to $1,202.
Andrews contributed $10,175 to his own at-large campaign, according to city campaign records.
Andrews, a Democrat, ran for mayor in the last city council election, but he stepped down to “not split the vote” with fellow Democrat Juan Marcano, local Democratic Party officials said. Marano lost the election to Mayor Mike Coffman. Andrews is running for Aurora City Council At-Large in this election.
Andrews has mostly received small donations. His largest two contributions are from Eric Nelson, a former Aurora Public Schools board member, for $1,126, Aziz Rahman for $1,000, and $806 from Genevie Williams.
He also received contributions from Democratic Adams County Commissioner Lynn Baca for $100, Former Democratic Arapahoe County Commissioner Nancy Jackson for $200, former Democratic State House Rep. Karen Middleton for $100 and Democratic 18th Judicial District Attorney Amy Padden for $100.
Contributions include $15,190 from Aurora donors, $3,965 from Denver donors and the rest of his contributions have been from various locations across the state.
Andrews’ total expenditures so far have been $1,103, with the top five services being Corazon Printing $317, Sam’s Club $300, Phoneburner $165, ACTBLUE, a fundraising platform, $141 and KeyBank $8.
Alli Jackson
Jackson, a Democrat, is running for Aurora City Council at-large.
Jackson’s reported contributions came to $1,410.00, and in-kind contributions came to $750.00; she donated $100 to her own contribution.
Top and most notable contributors include Rhye Mirch, UX Designer, for $750 and Nadine Bridges for $250. Bridges is the executive director of One Colorado.
Contributions include $820 from Aurora donors, $1,185 from Denver donors and a few from other Colorado cities and New Hampshire.
Total expenditures so far have been $285.18, with top expenditures being Alli Jackson for Aurora City Council for $265, and ActBlue for $19.68.
Ward I candidates
Rev. Reid Hettich
Hettich, an unaffiliated candidate and Aurora pastor, is running for Aurora City Council Ward I.
Total Contributions $16,552 and in-kind contributions $1,950.00; $10,658 was left over from a previous mayoral election.
Hettich’s notable contributions include Tina Sorensen, a marketing consultant for $1,210, and Aurora Planning Commissioner Becky Hogan, the wife of former Republican Mayor Steve Hogan and now a managing member of Edge Consulting $450.
Amy Wiles, candidate from Ward II contributed $50.
Contributions include $14,072 from Aurora donors, $220 from Denver donors and $1,210 from Parker donors.
Total Expenditures so far have been $11,952, with the top payees being Reid Hettich, Reid4Aurora, $11,327.70, which includes $1,250 for campaign consultants and Julie Speer, Julie Speer Productions for $625.00.
Stephan Elkins
Elkins, an unaffiliated candidate, is running for Aurora City Council Ward I.
His total contributions reported were for $2,830.00 and in-kind contributions were for $496.58; He donated $877 to his own campaign.
Elkins’ largest and most notable contributions include Janice Tilden, technical director, Board of Adjustment for the City and County of Denver, $450, Jerry Jurinsky $225, father of Aurora Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky, and John Fabbricatore $150, former senior executive service and former field office director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He also ran as a Republican for US House of Representatives in CD6 against Congressperson Jason Crow in 2024.
Contributions include $2,246 from Aurora donors, $580 from Denver donors, and other donors in Longmont, Virginia and California.
Other notable contributions came from current city council members and candidates Danielle Jurinsky $200, Steve Sundberg $225, Stephanie Hancock $100, Amsalu Kassaw $200 and Marsha Berzins $100.
Total expenditures reported so far have been $62.60, with payee Anedot, a donation website, $51.70.
Gianina Horton
Horton, a Democrat, is running for Aurora City Council Ward I.
Total Contributions $4,861.00 and In-Kind contributions $184.00
Horton’s top and most notable contributors include Kevin Amirehsani, Senior Policy Advisor on Tax Policy at Colorado Governor’s Office, for $450; Melanie Grant, a retiree that was Horton’s mentor in high school, for $450; Gertrude Grant $250, launched Denver Digs Trees program; Doris Burd, Denver County Court Judge; and Andrew Fish, Policy Analyst at Colorado Senate Democrats.
Another notable contributor is Alli Jackson, her fellow candidate in the at-Large race, who donated $50.
Contributions include $559 from Aurora donors, $2,841 from Denver donors and other contributions came from donors in other Colorado cities and a few states like Washington and Illinois.
Total Expenditures so far have been $1,638, with the top five payees including Pat Lombardi, graphic and web designer, $760; MinuteMan Press, printing, $300, VoteBuilder, campaign technology, $254.89, ActBlue, Democratic fundraising platform, $157 and Andrew Fish.
Leandra Steed
Steed, a Democrat, is running for Aurora City Council Ward I.
Total contributions reported totaled $2,935
Top and most notable contributors include Joyce Brooks for $450, Anette Bowser for $400, Rosemarie Allen for $200, Hailey McMoore for $100 and Omar Montgomery, president of Aurora NAACP, for $50.
Alli Jackson also contributed $50.
Contributions include $925 from Aurora, $975 from Denver and other contributions came from other Colorado Cities and a few out of state cities.
Total Expenditures so far have been $42.58, paid to Lea4Ward1.
Ward II candidates
Steve Sundberg
Sundberg, a Republican incumbent city council member in Ward II, received 54 contributions for the capped amount of $450.
Total contributions reported totalled $33,610.00, and he began his filing from the last election with $4,829.
He only had one company that had more than three employees contribute to his campaign. Advantage Security had six employees contribute to Sundberg, totalling $2,700.
Some notable contributions Sundberg received came from Jake Zambrano and Dustin Zvonek with the 76 Group, and Jake’s wife, Alyssa, who works for The Common Sense Institute, a right-leaning think tank. They all gave the maximum donation allowed.
Other notable contributions from local philanthropists include Republican Rick and Linda Enstrom owner of Enstrom Chocolates, Bruce and Marcy Benson (his current wife) and Ralph and Trish Nagel.
Sunberg received $11,855 from Aurora donors, $8,005 came from donors based in cities that neighbor Aurora.
Total Expenditures reported were $6,587 with the top five payees being Ringside Consulting for $2,000, Anthem Communication for $2,000, Vista Print for $626, Hillary More Photography for $550 and T-shirt Designer for $525.
He also received contributions from fellow council members Jurinsky, Kassaw, Hancock, Gardener, Bergan and Coffman.
Amy Wiles
Wiles, a Democrat, is running for Ward II Aurora city council.
Total cash contributions reported were for $2,655.00 and in-kind contributions of $63.00
Top and Notable contributors include Jacqueline Crockett for $450.00, Ann Hammell for $450, Maty Ross for $250 and Paul Henrion for $200 and Aurora Pastor Thomas Mayes for $50.
Total expenditures so far have been $80 with the top payees being Paypal for $72 and Act Blue for $8.
Ward III candidates
Rueben Medina
Medina, is a Democrat, incumbent city council member for Ward III, and all contributions reported came from the Committee to Elect Ruben Medina.
Contributions so far have been In-Kind for $300.
Marsha Berzins
Berzins, is a Republican and a former city council member, currently running for Ward II Aurora City Council.
Contributions reported so far come to$12,073.93, with $6,116 from a previous run for Aurora City Council. She also contributed $3,000 to her own campaign.
Top and most notable contributions include Vic, Sharon, Ryan and Rachel Evans for $450 each. VIc Evans is a principle for Advantage Security. Donations included James Spehalski, of Marathon Land Company for $450, and local housing developers Carla Ferreira for $450, Michael Sheldon $450 and Peter Mueller for $450.
Contributions include $6,676 from Aurora donors, $365 from Denver donors and she received the majority of her remaining contributions from cities that surround Aurora.
Total Expenditures reported so far have been $1,880, with the top five payees being 303 Creative for $600, DTC Print Brokers for $566, Tin Cup Cafe for $256, 303 Creative $163 and Anedot for $150.
She also received contributions from city council members: $100 from Bergan, $200 from Coffman, Gardener $100, Hancock $104, Jurinsky $200, Amsalu $52 and Stephen Elkins $100.
Nothing has changed. People with money paying for access: Westside owner and founder, his wife and three children, all contributed the capped $1,150 donation. The addresses they filed under were in Denver, Englewood, Centennial, Greenwood Village and Highlands Ranch.
Who out there can get us started to combine our resources AGAINST JURINSKY? If not, you’ll continue seeing “boebart” and MTG in your city council.
Maybe that’s what you want.
That’s exactly what we want. Thanks for making the point.
This is simply a comment meant to smear her. Works for her opponent.
Jurinski may have topped the donations, but we citizens need to dig down into what these donations tell us. The majority of the money came from a few people from the development and construction business. What will be the quid pro quo for these donations? Are we ready for more chaos from this idiot?
The lack of engagement among Aurora voters in city elections is so discouraging, but I’m not sure how to counter it in a meaningful way that encourages folks to participate. Apparently Jurinsky’s inflammatory, racist, and exaggerated rhetoric about the city she represents isn’t enough to light that fire.
And here we go. GOP MAGA dark money as promised by good old Homeless Mikey Coffers … Coffman.
Watching snowflakes melt in the comments is priceless
“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
I see very comments here about ideas. Is it that some commenters have none and can only trash the people they don’t like?
That’s one idea of Utopia I suppose. All chanting the same sound bites while calling elected officials names— all while you hide behind your aliases like immature cowards.
The good news is the great minds of Aurora can be counted on to both think and vote.