Colorado Springs
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Springs,_Colorado
The most recent regular municipal election was April 2, 2019. Mayor and 3 At-Large seats were up for vote. A runoff only applies to Mayor should no candidate garner 50% plus 1 votes. A runoff was avoided with Mayor John Suthers' re-election, getting over 70% of the total vote.
The next regular municipal election is April 6th, 2021. 6 District seats will be up for vote, with councilors in District 1, 5, and 6 termed out. A runoff will not apply in this election as only Mayor is subject to runoff. Mayor will next be up in 2023, with current Mayor John Suthers termed out.
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Contents
Overview
Council: 6 Rep, 2 Unaffiliated, 1 Dem Mayor: Rep County: El Paso School Districts: Academy 20, Cheyenne Mountain 12, Colorado Springs 11, Ellicott 22, Falcon 49, Fountain 8, Harrison 2, Manitou Springs 14, Widefield 3 State House: HD 14, HD 15, HD 16, HD 17, HD 18, HD 20 State Senate: SD 9, SD 10, SD 11, SD 12 Congressional: CD 5 (R)
Demographics
City Council
- Official City Council Webpage
- Official Mayor Webpage
- Official City Clerk Webpage
- Historical Election Results, including by precinct.
- City Code and Charter
- Terms are 4 years; limited to 2 consecutive terms. (Both Council and Mayor)
- Elections are the first Tuesday in April in odd-numbered years.
- Mayor is subject to Instant Runoff Voting system. Should any single candidate not achieve the majority of votes (50% plus 1), then the two candidates with the highest votes received will go to the runoff, held on the 3rd Tuesday of May.
- City Council is not subject to runoff. All that is needed is a plurality of votes.
- Councilors receive an annual stipend of $6,250.
- Current Council President Richard Skorman stated that "It’s not an accident that all but two of us are retired. It’s a more-than-40-hours-a-week job."
- Assuming a 48-week year, that is $130.21 per week. Assuming 40-hour weeks, that means Councilors are effectively paid $3.25 per hour. This is only 45% of the federal minimum wage and just under 30% of Colorado's minimum wage.
Contact entire council:
- Phone: (719) 385-5986
- Fax: (719) 385-5495
- Email: allCouncil@springsgov.com
Title | Name | Party | Next Election April |
Contact | 2019 Margin | 2017 Margin | 2015 Margin | 2013 Margin | 2011 Margin | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mayor | John Suthers (Official Bio) |
Republican | 2023 | (719) 385-5900 jsuthers@springsgov.com |
61.21% (72.89%) 1 Juliette Parker 11.68% John Pitchford 10.31% Lawrence Martinez 5.17% 1 (Runoff avoided) |
X | X | |||
At-Large | Merv Bennett (Wayne Williams, incoming) |
Republican | 2023 | (719) 385-5469 MBennett@springsgov.com |
1 1 (See expanded results) |
X | (Merv Bennett) |
(Merv Bennett) |
||
At-Large | Bill Murray (Official Bio) |
Unaffiliated (Left Dem party after 2016 election) |
2023 Termed Out |
(719) 385-5485 bmurray@springsgov.com Facebook Page |
1 1 (See expanded results) |
X | ||||
At-Large | Tom Strand (Official Bio) |
Republican | 2023 Termed Out |
(719) 385-5486 tstrand@springsgov.com |
1 1 (See expanded results) |
X | ||||
District 1 | Don Knight (Official Bio) |
Republican | 2021 (Will be termed out) |
(719) 385-5487 Dknight@springsgov.com |
X | |||||
District 2 | David Geislinger (Official Bio) |
Republican | 2021 | (719) 385-5493 dgeislinger@springsgov.com |
X | |||||
District 3 | Richard Skorman Council President (Official Bio) |
Unaffiliated (Was Sen. Ken Salazar's regional director) |
2021 | (719) 385-5470 rskorman@springsgov.com |
X | |||||
District 4 | Yolanda Avila (Official Bio) |
Democrat | 2021 | (719) 385-5492 yavila@springsgov.com |
X | |||||
District 5 | Jill Gaebler President Pro-Tem (Official Bio) |
Republican | 2021 (Will be termed out) |
(719) 385-5483 Jgaebler@springsgov.com |
X | |||||
District 6 | Andy Pico (Official Bio) |
Republican | 2021 (Will be termed out) |
(719) 385-5491 Apico@springsgov.com |
X |
Expanded Historical Election Results
Seat | 2019 Results | 2017 Results | 2015 Results | 2013 Results |
---|---|---|---|---|
At-Large | Wayne Williams - 45,687 votes Bill Murray (i) - 30,137 votes Tom Strand (i) - 29,919 votes Gordon Klingenschmitt - 27,063 votes Terry Martinez - 25,974 votes Tony Gioia - 19,721 votes Regina English - 18,737 votes Athen Roe - 16,769 votes Val Snider - 14,118 votes Dennis Spiker - 9,334 votes Randy Tuck - 6,563 votes |
Local Media
2019 Election
April 2nd, 2019 will see Mayor and all 3 At-Large seats up for vote. Mayor is subject to Instant Runoff, should no single candidate receive 50% plus 1 votes.
Should a mayoral runoff take place, it will occur May 21st, 2019.
The runoff system does not apply to city council seats.
There will also be one ballot measure for the city. Should the ballot measure pass, it will grant uniformed firefighters within the city collective bargaining rights.
Official City Links
News Coverage
Candidates
Seat | Name | Party | Issues | Endorsements/Info | Contact | Questionaiires/Interviews |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mayor. Must be 50% plus one or more in the General, or goes to Runoff | ||||||
Mayor | John Suthers (i) | Republican | Official COS Mayor Twitter | Website |
||
Mayor | Lawrence Martinez | Unaffiliated (Former Republican) |
Potential rematch run Ran for 2018 GOP nom for El Paso County Commissioner; did not make primary ballot |
Website (Not up) |
||
Mayor | Juliette Parker | Unaffiliated | Website 253-792-0198 |
|||
Mayor | John Pitchford | (Cannot Confirm, but major donor of Republican candidates and causes) | Originally filed for At-Large Primarily self-funded Army vet and retired doctor Registered agent for conservative 527 political org Fair Play Colorado IEC was 100% self-funded and was expended primarily on postcards. No mention of specific candidates or issues supported. |
Website (Not up) Email (Another Email) 719-466-1066 719-368-7478 |
||
At-Large Councilors. Pick 3. | ||||||
At-Large | Bill Murray (i) | Republican | Facebook Blog from 2015 Archive of 2015 Website 719-357-0635 |
|||
At-Large | Tom Strand (i) | Republican | Official Policy Page "add more police officers, tackle the city’s stark affordable housing shortage and boost Utilities’ solar portfolio" |
LinkedIn Prevuously served on Colorado Springs 11 school board Voted for Hillary Clinton for President, with reservations Ran to primary Congressman Doug Lamborn, but dropped out months before the assembly process "Strand, who was a registered Democrat until last year before joining the Republican Party (only to become unaffiliated and then rejoin the GOP in the wake of President Donald Trump’s election), hopes to offer a moderate choice for voters. He supports the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade and believes abortion should be a woman’s choice and isn’t against same sex marriage." |
Website Online Contact Form 719-291-0021 |
|
At-Large | Regina English | Democrat | Facebook 719-388-3695 |
|||
At-Large | Tony Gioia | Republican | Official Issues Page | El Paso County Planning Commissioner (2012-2018) |
Website Online Contact Form |
Gazette Profile |
At-Large | Gordon Klingenschmitt | Republican | Issues Page | Faith Blog Klingenschmitt runs Announcement "My main concern is that our city has gone to the left, especially with regard to over-taxation. This is Colorado Springs. We are a conservative town. This is not Boulder." Conservatives Against Gordon Klingenschmitt Facebook, run by Laura Carno of the Independence Institute |
Website 719-247-1266 |
|
At-Large | Terry Martinez | Democrat | Full Platform | Official List of Endorsements Current COS councilors Yolanda Avila, Richard Skorman, Jill Gaebler State Sen. Pete Lee State Rep. Marc Snyder Fmr. COS Councilor Jan Martin |
Website 719-268-1885 |
|
At-Large | Athena Roe | Republican | 2018 Leadership Program of the Rockies alum LinkedIn (Another LinkedIn) Ran for GOP nom for HD 18 in 2016. Approved to circulate petition, but campaign terminated in April. Author, Robbed: Understanding the Game of Diversion During Health Care and Estate Administration Website |
Email 719-502-0798 |
||
At-Large | Val Snider | (Cannot confirm) | LinkedIn Fmr. At-Large Councilor (2011-2015) Chose not to run for reelection |
Website 719-338-7819 |
||
At-Large | Dennis Spiker | (Need more info) (Attended Women's March and boosting CASA) |
Website (Given in affidavit, but not up) |
|||
At-Large | Randy Tuck | Democrat | Owner of Kind Therapeutics, a pot dispensary Coverage of 420 in 2015 Spoke in opposition of 6 month pot moratorium in 2015 |
Website Online Contact Page 719-499-1106 |
||
At-Large | Wayne Williams | Republican | Announcement Campaign Registered Agent is Marge Klein of Leadership Program of the Rockies Colorado Secretary of State (2015-2019) El Paso County Clerk & Recorder (2011-2015) El Paso County Commissioner (2003-2011) Strong rumor he will run for Mayor in 2023. Holly Williams, his wife, became an El Paso County Commissioner in 2019 |
Website (Has SoS items, but was the website in the filing) 719-439-1870 |
(i) = incumbent
Ballot Initiatives
Collective Bargaining for All Uniformed Fire Department Employees
Text with the All-Caps removed and bullet points added for easier reading. Actual text remains.
Shall the charter of the City of Colorado Springs be amended by the addition of a new Article XVI thereto granting collective bargaining rights to all uniformed city fire employees except for the fire chief and his direct reports, and specifically:
- Providing that such employees shall have the right to select and remove an employee organization to serve as the sole and exclusive bargaining representative.
- To bargain on behalf of such employees for a collective bargaining agreement with the city as employer, concerning all matters related to such employees' wages, salaries, monetary payments, employer-paid health insurance, employer-paid accident, life and disability insurance, employer-paid pension programs including the amount of pension and contributions, employer-offered deferred compensation, health insurance for retired fire employees, paid time off, uniform and equipment allowances, employer-¬paid expense reimbursement, hours of work, safety, and all other terms and conditions of employment of such employees.
- Providing for the term of collective bargaining agreements of not less than one (1) year nor longer than three (3) years.
- Providing that in the event of impasse between the city and the exclusive bargaining agent regarding any issues, the issues are to be submitted to a fact-finder selected from a list provided by an arbitration organization unless the city and exclusive bargaining agent mutually agree to use someone not on the arbitration organization list, with the fact-finder to be selected by agreement between the exclusive bargaining representative and the city.
- Providing and limiting the factors that the fact-finder must consider in his or her decision.
- Providing that if either the city or the collective bargaining representative does not accept the decision of the fact-finder on any issue, that issue shall be presented to and decided by the voters only at a special municipal election, with the cost of the special election to be paid by the party not accepting the fact¬finder's decision, unless both parties reject the fact-finder's decision, in which case the cost of election is shared equally, and with each issue to be submitted as a separate ballot question.
- And providing that any adopted appropriations ordinance of the city shall be amended as necessary to comply with and pay for the cost to the city of the accepted recommendations from the fact-finder or the election results on each issue?
Campaign Finance
Official Search for Campaign Finance Info
Upcoming Reporting dates:
- May 2, 2019
Candidates
As of March 30th, 2019.
Seat | Name | Party | Total Contributions | Total Expenditures | Total Cash On Hand | Total IECs | Notable Individuals (Candidate Loans/Donations) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mayor | John Suthers (i) | Republican | $183,052.00 (As of Jan 2, 40% of donations come from Broadmoor zip code) |
$141,130.31 | $87,081.29 (Carried over $45,159.60 from previous campaign) |
$5,000 | The O'Neil Group Company, LLC - $10,000 Colorado Springs Auto Dealers Association - $5,000 The Broadmoor - $5,000 Kathy Loo - $4,000 The Housing and Building Association of Colo - $2,000 |
Mayor | Lawrence Martinez (Not even listed on data page) |
Unaffiliated (Former Republican) |
|||||
Mayor | Juliette Parker | Unaffiliated | $17,250 | $1,999.69 | $15,250.31 | $16,000 - Candidate Loan | |
Mayor | John Pitchford (Transferred from original At-Large run) |
(Cannot Confirm, but major donor of Republican candidates and causes) | $105,424.00 | $22,800.23 | $82,623.77 | $104,163 - Candidate Loan | |
At-Large | Bill Murray (i) | Republican | $1,100.00 | $578.24 | $521.76 | $500 - Candidate Loan IAAF Local 5 - $500 | |
At-Large | Tom Strand (i) | Republican | $37,656.12 | $37,207.99 | $448.13 (Despite incumbency, had $0 starting) |
$200 - Candidate Donation PAC of HBA (Housing and Building Assoc) - $5,000 Pat Hamill - $2,000 Classic Homes (residential home builders) - $1,000 Broadmoor Hotel - $1,000 Danny Mientka - $1,000 Katherine Loo (fmr. city councilor, philanthropist) - $500 Suggs, Michael & Lindsey (real estate broker) - $150 | |
At-Large | Regina English (Uncertain, as reports do not match up) (No 3/29 filing as of 3/30) |
Democrat | |||||
At-Large | Tony Gioia | Republican | $25,970.00 | $25,622.32 | $1,834.83 (Carried over $1,487.15 from previous campaign) |
$100 - Candidate Donation Political Action Committee of the Housing and Building Association of Colorado Springs - $5,000 | |
At-Large | Gordon Klingenschmitt | Republican | $12,387.00 | $8,417.62 | $3,969.38 | $5,000 - Candidate Loan Charlie Ehler (GOP primary candidate for US Senate 2016, and running for El Paso GOP Chair) - $100 | |
At-Large | Terry Martinez | Democrat | $33,947.36 | $28,174.07 | $5,773.29 | $605 - Candidate Contribution CSCEW Small Donor (Colorado State Conference of Electrical Workers) - $2,000 Plumbers & Pipefitters Small Donor - $1,500 Richard Skorman (COS councilor) - $250 Matt McGovern (House Majority Project) - $200 Robert Blancken (protested signatures for Helen Collins' recall in 2015) - $100 | |
At-Large | Athena Roe (Uncertain, as reports do not match up) |
Republican (Leadership Program of the Rockies) |
Andy Pico (COS councilor) - $25 | ||||
At-Large | Val Snider | (Cannot Confirm) | (Incorrect Filing Posted) | (Incorrect Filing Posted) | $3,951.25 | 2,612.15 - Candidate Loans PAC of HBA (Housing and Building Assoc) - $5,000 Chuck Murphy (Murphy Constructors) - $1,000 | |
At-Large | Dennis Spiker (No 3/29 filing as of 3/30) |
(Cannot Confirm) | $450 | $74.98 | $375.02 | $100 donated unaccounted for $250 - Candidate Donation | |
At-Large | Randy Tuck | Democrat | $11,570.00 | $10,178.44 | $1,391.56 | $200 - Candidate Donation Altitude Organics (medical marijuana dispensary) - $1,000 | |
At-Large | Wayne Williams | Republican | $55,652.65 | $48,683.04 | $6,969.61 | $1,000 | $4,907.65 - Candidate Donation The Housing and Building Association of Colo - $5,000 Wayne Williams for Colorado (S0S Campaign) - $4,407.65 Classic Homes (residential home builders) - $2,500 Norwood Limited Inc - $2,500 Pat Hamill - $2,000 |
Issues
Name | Stance | Registered Agent(s) | Total Contributions | Total Expenditures | Total Cash On Hand | Total Non-Monetary Contributions | Notable Individuals |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Firefighters for a Safer Colorado Springs (Website) |
FOR Firefighter Collective Bargaining | Jesse Weddle (Sec/Tres of Colorado Professional Fire Fighters) |
$639,198.00 | $595,163.38 | $44,034.62 | $36,694.43 | Colorado Springs Professional Firefighters (IAFF Local 5) - $290,000 Colorado Professional Firefighters - $200,000 International Association of Fire Fighters - $100,000 Colorado Springs Education Association - $1,000 |
Citizens Against Public Employee Unions | AGAINST Firefighter Collective Bargaining | Shannon Cordovano Rachel Beck Both of the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC |
$345,516.18 | $343,666.50 | $1,849.68 | $21,813.48 | Colorado Springs Forward - $81,000 Housing and Building Association - $30,500 Folium Biosciences - $25,000 Colorado Springs Auto Dealers Assoc. - $10,000 Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC - $10,000 Issues Mobilization Committee (shares an address with address with the Colorado Association of Realtors and was anti-Denver Green Roof Initiative) - $10,000 Classic Homes (residential home builders) - $10,000 Lynette Crow (Pres. and CEO of Conspire 2 Hire) - $1,000 Gary Loo - $5,000 John Medved - $1,000 William Johannsen (President, C&C Sand and Gravel - $500 Comito Building and Design LLC - $250 John Suthers (Mayor COS) - $200 |
Sierra Club Local IEC | Jim Alexee Director, Sierra Club, Colorado |
$66,000.00 | $60,957.95 | $5,042.05 | $0 | Green Advocacy Project - $66,000 | |
AFP Colorado Springs IC (Americans for Prosperity) |
Britton Giroux | $0 | $0 | $0 | $24,042.52 | Americans for Prosperity are covering all expenses as non-monetary expenditures. Includes mailers/door hangers, canvassing, and digital ads. | |
Community Leaders of America | For John Suthers ($5,000) and Wayne Williams ($1,000) | Staci Goede | $6,000.00 | $6,000.00 | $0 | $0 | Signify North America Corporation - $6,000 |
Together for Colorado Springs PAC | Beverly Ard-Smith | $4,140.00 | $4,140.00 | $0 | $ | John Weiss (publisher) - $4,140 |