Aurora’s municipal elections are underway. The last update CTR had on the election was back in April.
Although municipal elections in Aurora are non-partisan, political ideology has played an increased role in city elections and politics. There is a conservative majority on Aurora’s city council, but with five seats in total up for grabs, city policy could shift dramatically depending on the outcome of this election.
Here is an overview of who is running in the various wards.
Ward I
Ward I in Aurora sits at the Northwest corner of the city and is currently represented by City Councilwoman Crystal Murillo. Murillo has not filed for re-election and did not respond to CTR’s inquiry into whether or not she was running.
Javier Chavez
Chavez is an army veteran and city planner who is running to represent Aurora’s northwest neighborhoods.
Chavez currently serves as the vice chair of the Board of Adjustments and Appeals in Aurora, which handles residential development and zoning requests. Previously, Chavez served on Aurora’s Housing and Development Committee.
Chavez has worked in urban planning and community development for over a decade and currently works for the State of Colorado in the Office of the State Architect.
“I want to be a voice for my community,” Chavez told CTR. “I want to see change and progress happen, and I didn’t see people [running] who I felt had the right expertise to take on the role. I think we need someone who understands local government, understands government in general, and I’ve been a community planner for well over a decade.”
Chavez said he believes that the way the current city council is addressing the issue of public safety is not working.
“Safety is a huge concern for Aurora, and what I’m seeing happen is the creation of a police state,” Chavez said. “They’re really investing in creating a large police force and being ‘hard on crime’, but sometimes that’s not the right approach to the issue. There are other specific programs we can use to tackle these issues.”
Chavez advocates for co-responder teams, similar to Denver’s Support Team Assisted Response program, where police officers are paired with behavioral health clinicians, civilian oversight boards, and provide mental health support for police officers.
More than that, Chavez said the issue of crime is connected to other areas where the city is currently underperforming. According to Chavez, the city budget needs to be reassessed to invest in sustainable economic development, community revitalization, and emergency services.
Chavez said his main campaign priorities are housing, economic development, and public safety.
Chavez is a registered Democrat, but says he believes that it is important that the role is nonpartisan.
“We’re all neighbors, we all want safe streets, clean areas. We all want the same things,” Chavez said. “We just have different approaches to get there. You really have to work with the people who are your neighbors, even if you don’t like their approach… it’s a piece that’s missing right now in the city council.”
Stephen Elkins
Elkins is running unaffiliated and is a former community planner for the City of Denver who resides in the Jewell Heights neighborhood. Elkins is an active participant in Aurora city governance, regularly attending city council meetings and making public comments.
“I was motivated to run for City Council after attending the current Ward I council member’s town hall meeting last fall,” Elkins told CTR. “There was a clear disconnect between what residents were sharing and the responses to their issues.”
Elkins said that, in his work with the Mabry Safety Collective, he advocated for Aurora to close the Edge of Lowry and rehouse existing residents. The Edge of Lowry is an apartment complex run by CBZ management that was thrust into the national spotlight over gang activity and slum-like conditions.
Elkins says that his top priorities include public safety and economic development. In terms of policing, he says that Aurora “needs to focus on rebuilding the police department, where Chief Chamberlain had been off to a great start. We need to look at what it means to be a police officer in Aurora — particularly administrative tasks that may be able to be completed by others or technology to ensure our police officers focus on fighting crimes.”
Elkins says that his experience with the Mabry Safety Collective as a community advocate and as someone who has worked with local governments has prepared him to serve on the City Council.
Although Elkins is running unaffiliated, he has ostensibly tied his campaign to the GOP-backed candidate slate of incumbents: Sundberg, Jurinsky, Berzins, and Kassaw.
Rev. Reid Hettich
Hettich, an unaffiliated voter, is a pastor at Mosaic Church and a community leader who has been in Aurora for nearly 40 years. Hettich’s experience stems from decades of community and church service in Aurora, focusing on community equity, safety, and revitalization.
“I’ve been working on a grass level with people, their needs, their problems… been with them during the best of times and the worst times,” Hettich told CTR. “After the theater shooting in 2012, I was on the executive committee to monitor and had some role in divvying up the money that came in for some of the victims. Then we opened up the Aurora Strong Resilience Center, and I served as chair of that steering committee. Again, it was a heartbreaking thing to see some of this strong trauma and struggles from people who went through that tragedy, as well as seeing folks come through strong and resilient and ready to serve and help others.
Hettich is the founder and executive director of Mosaic Unlimited, a church-based organization aimed at preventing youth violence, the chairperson of Aurora’s Key Community Response Team, a member of the Community Advisory Council for Aurora’s Consent Decree, and sits on a variety of other community boards/programs.
According to Hettich, his top priorities include public safety and economic revitalization.
Gianina Horton
Horton, a Democrat and fifth-generation Coloradan, currently serves as Colorado’s coordinator for reducing racial and ethnic disparities and was the co-executive director of the Denver Justice Project, a non-profit that works on criminal justice reform. Additionally, Horton was a project manager for the Denver Office of the Independent Monitor.
Horton says that her work as a public advocate allowed her to reflect on the traumatic experiences both from the perspectives of those who are victims of police violence and from the traumatic experiences police officers have.
Horton says that there is a massive disconnect between the Aurora Police Department and communities within Aurora, especially communities of color. APD has had a string of highly publicized incidents of police violence that include the killings of Elijah McClain, Jor’Dell Richardson, and Kilyn Lewis which has made community members distrustful of law enforcement as a whole.
“We need oversight that is independent of city managers, to council members, to police, to the community, and can work along the lines of policy that understands the practice of policing,” Horton said. “Practice of policing that can really be S.T.A.R. cases [the Support Team Assistant Response Program that can send out behavioral health clinicians and paramedics to assist people experiencing mental health crises], as well as facilitate robust community engagement.”
Horton says her experience working with municipal, county, and state governments gives her a unique insight that makes her suited for public service.
Similarly to Hettich, Horton served as a member of the Community Advisory Council for Aurora’s consent decree.
Horton’s platform includes advocating for a safety program that includes accountable policing, prioritizing affordable housing and support for renters, and working to embrace newcomers in Aurora.
Christopher Belila
Belila is a small business owner who has lived in Ward I for nine years.
Belila told CTR that he was motivated to run for City Council because he says his ward “has been overlooked”, specifically the Colfax Corridor.
“Crime has statistically increased, meaningful improvements are lacking, and we haven’t seen the kind of new business development that brings real value to the community,” Belila said.
Belila, an unaffiliated voter, is the founder of Beer Bodega in Denver, which is a partnership business model that offers small Denver metro-based breweries the opportunity to expand their business into new markets.
Belila says that Ward I faces a variety of challenges, but at the top of the list is “lack of hope”.
“We’ve heard promises before—lots of talk about making things better—but too often, those promises haven’t led to real results,” Belila said. “The lack of visible progress has created a sense of frustration and fatigue, leaving many of us feeling numb and unsure if change is even possible. Hope is something that has to be earned through action… My campaign will focus on confronting the neglect along the Colfax Corridor and supporting stronger code enforcement to ensure property owners meet city maintenance standards.”
In a LinkedIn post, Belila said: “Excited to share that I am running for Aurora City Council, representing Ward I, known for its rich cultural diversity, making it a vibrant community in Colorado. Despite its current reputation, Ward I is home to kind-hearted individuals deserving of a positive image.”
“By utilizing governmental tools and taking essential steps, we can strengthen the Ward’s foundation and pave the way for Ward I and the Colfax corridor,” Belila added. “As a candidate, my priority is to lay the groundwork for a thriving future. I am committed to empowering city professionals with the expertise to drive meaningful change and supporting initiatives led by experienced leaders to restore and strengthen Ward I. Together, we can create a brighter, more vibrant community.”
Belila says his top priorities are enforcing property maintenance and cleanup, zoning reforms to limit new pawn shops, liquor stores, and check-cashing outlets, economic revitalization, and building community trust through action.
Belila does not currently have a campaign website.
Lea Steed
Steed, a registered Democrat, is the director of Equity Matters at Great Education Colorado.
“I’ve lived in Aurora for over 30 years,” Steed told CTR. “I graduated from Hinkley High School. I started my family here, I bought my first home here, I have been educated here, and I feel now it is time to serve.”
Steed said she could no longer ignore the direction her community was heading. Steed says that the housing crisis is not being properly managed by the city.
For Steed, housing is a deeply personal issue.
“Ten years ago, I was going through a divorce, and I lost my job. It came down to me paying my mortgage or buying food,” Steed told CTR. “Because of the safety net programs our state and city did have, I was able to buy food for my family and still pay my mortgage and keep my family together. But that was 10 years ago, so many people are living that right now. What happens now if you lose your job, you lose your ability to function, to house yourself? I look at this because I see so many people in our neighborhood who are homeless… We’re the richest nation, and Colorado is a very rich state. Why are you experiencing this?”
Steed said addressing Aurora’s rising housing crisis was what motivated her to run for office.
To address housing, Steed argues that more funding needs to be directed to services for people experiencing homelessness to find permanent housing, convert abandoned buildings into temporary housing, and invest in mental health services in the city.
Steed has served on several community organizations, namely as the chairperson for the NAACP Aurora Education Committee, and sits on the Northern Aurora Quality of Life Committee.
Ward II
Gayla Charrier
Charrier, who is running unaffiliated, is running against incumbent Aurora city councilman Steve Sundberg, who is finishing his first term.
Charrier, a veteran, previously worked in the field of government security for United Launch Alliance, the Department of Corrections, and RTD. Charrier is currently a Certified Nurse Assistant and serves as a caregiver for her non-verbal autistic son.
Charrier told CTR she was motivated to run for city council following a troubling trend she saw in city politics.
“I’ve witnessed a lot of city council meetings where our community is not really being heard. They speak, but they’re not heard,” Charrier said in an interview. “ A few city council members currently go through the motions of listening, but they are not really being attentive or perceiving any of the issues that occur within the community as they’re not experiencing it themselves.”
Charrier says she has seen the time allotted to community members for public comment has been reduced over the years, and has been frustrated by members of the current city council tabling issues rather than addressing them in a public forum.
Charrier criticized Sundberg for what she describes as a lack of presence in the community. “I don’t see him anywhere [in the community],” said Charrier. In particular, Charrier was frustrated over the lack of response from some city councilors, Sundberg included, who she feels dismissed concerns from families who have lost someone to police violence.
Charrier said that she fears that her son, who is on the autism spectrum, may one day be the victim of police violence, especially given high-profile cases of police killings of young black men in Aurora, like Elijah McClain.
“I’m used to advocating for individuals who don’t have a voice or who feel like they don’t have a place,” she said. “I know what it’s like to not be heard or looked over and dismissed. My son, who is non-verbal autistic, I’ve had to go to bat for him a lot because he literally doesn’t have a voice.”
Charrier says she is committed to “improving services for senior citizens, children, and adults with special needs or developmental disabilities”.
Update: Charrier has withdrawn from the City Council race to run for a seat on the Adams-Arapahoe School Board.
Steve Sundberg
Sundberg is the incumbent for this seat, as well as the Mayor Pro Tem and the proprietor of Legends of Aurora Sports Grill. In 2022, Sundberg came under scrutiny for a series of videos playing various roles of ethnic minorities. The videos, made before he took office on the council in 2021, were made to promote Sundberg’s business.
A registered Republican, Sundberg is finishing up his first term. Sundberg did not respond to CTR’s request for an interview, but his campaign website says his priorities are: keeping Aurora safe, keeping APD fully staffed, reducing homelessness, and finding “attainable solutions” for affordable housing.
Amy Wiles
Wiles has lived in Aurora for 25 years, owns a small photography business, and works in strategy and product development for a healthcare company.
A single mother of two, Wiles is a member of Aurora’s Human Relations Commission, which she has chaired for the past three years.
As councilwoman, Wiles says her top priorities would be improving infrastructure, dealing with what she describes as a “lack of police presence”, addressing the lack of accessible grocery stores in east Aurora, and the absence of other community facilities like recreation centers and libraries.
“The rapid construction of homes, townhomes, and apartments in the eastern portion of the ward has outpaced critical investments in the infrastructure and amenities necessary for a thriving community,” Wiles told CTR. “Many areas rely on two-lane roads without proper traffic signals–a design flaw that has contributed to numerous accidents and fatalities in recent years. Additionally, emergency response times in the eastern part of the ward can exceed 25 minutes, creating an unacceptable safety risk for residents.”
Wiles says she has been prepared for leadership through her commitment to community advocacy.
“I’ve dedicated years to hands-on service. As a seven-year member of the City of Aurora’s Human Relations Commission (and Chair for the past three years), I’ve helped organize initiatives like Community Reading Hours, supply drives for low-income and unhoused neighbors, and Know Your Rights workshops to empower residents.”
Ward III
Ruben Medina
Medina, a Democrat, is finishing out his first term on Aurora’s city council. While Medina did not respond to CTR’s request for an interview, Medina’s website says that he will continue to fight for “livable wages”, ‘compassionate’ community policing, and new infrastructure projects that he says will boost jobs and local businesses in Aurora.
Medina, a former EMT, will be facing off against former City Councilwoman Marsha Berzins, who opted not to run for re-election in 2021.
Marsha Berzins
Berzins did not respond to CTR’s request for an interview, but she previously represented Ward III from 2009 until 2021, when she stepped down to unsuccessfully run for Arapahoe County Treasurer.
Berzins ran for county treasurer as a Republican.
According to Berzins’ campaign website, her priorities include public safety through collaborating with local police and fire departments, supporting local businesses, and broadly speaking, “community support”.
At-Large
Incumbents:
Danielle Jurinsky
Jurinsky has not responded to CTR’s request for an interview or her plans for a second term, but she has made a name for herself amongst MAGA Republicans for elevating exaggerated claims of Venezuelan gang activity that thrust Aurora into a national spotlight during the 2024 election.
Aurora’s police chief debunked the claims Jurinsky pushed of gangs taking over apartment complexes, and Jurinsky herself later walked back her claims, but now President Trump ran with a story to push anti-immigration talking points.
Jurisnky has gained a reputation for going on public and private tirades against her colleagues, with the Aurora Sentinel publishing profane threats she made against her fellow city council members.
According to Jurinsky’s website, her top priorities are jobs and the economy, public safety, and lowering taxes.
Amsalu Kassaw
Kassaw was appointed to fill the vacant council seat left after former At-Large Council Member Dustin Zvonek resigned last December. The council selected Kassaw in a 6-4 vote, becoming the first Ethiopian immigrant to sit on the Aurora City Council.
Kassaw came to the U.S. as a refugee from Ethiopia 17 years ago, fearing arrest by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, a paramilitary group that was part of the African country’s ruling coalition at the time.
The 42-year-old worked for the GEO Group, a private contractor that runs the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Aurora. Kassaw is a registered Republican.
Kassaw told CTR that his top priority is public safety.
“The challenge we have [in Aurora] is still crime, and I strongly believe we need to be tough on crime otherwise criminals will be feeling that it is okay to be doing criminal activities here in Aurora. So, I will address this issue as a priority.” Kassaw told CTR. “Right now, many in our community feel fear and uncertainty. As an elected official, one of my top priorities will be making sure our neighborhoods are safe, secure, and supported because everyone deserves to live without fear.”
Kassaw says he is also running so he can be a voice to bring together and represent one of the most diverse communities in the United States.
“Aurora is home to one of the largest immigration populations in the country,” Kassaw says. “We come from many different places, but we share one home. I want to be a voice that brings us together and represents us all.”
Rob Andrews
Andrews, a Colorado Native, announced his campaign for an at-large seat back in February, focusing primarily on housing affordability, economic advancement, and public safety.
Andrews’ has a long history of nonprofit leadership and public service, serving on the Colorado Workforce Development Board, Denver County Workforce Development Board, and the Colorado Judicial Performance Commission. Andrews is currently the president of CommunityWorks, a nonprofit that offers job prep and support services for people entering the workforce.
“I am uniquely qualified for this position [city council]. I’ve worked in the nonprofit and private sectors, I’ve worked for the county, and I’ve worked for the state. … I’ve worked in the political arena prior to that, in the state house,” Andrews told CTR. “Those four sectors all intertwine, and you’ve got to understand how to deal with each of them differently. You have to make sure that you’re able to get along and work with each other.”
In terms of public safety, Andrews says Aurora needs to look at consider expanding restorative justice programs, ensuring trauma-informed training for first responders, and following the tenets of community policing.
Andrews also wants the city council to support more small businesses with access to microloans and other resources.
Andrews ran for mayor back in 2023 but dropped out of the race two months before the election so as not to split the vote with fellow Democrat, Juan Marcano. This time, Andrews says he’s committed to seeing the election all the way through.
Andrews is hosting a campaign kickoff on April 13 at the Stanley Marketplace.
Aaron Futrell
Futrell is a 47-year-old clerk at the U.S. Postal Service and the grandson of former Aurora City Councilwoman Edna Mosley.
Futrell says that his grandmother’s legacy inspired him to pursue public service and go back to college in 2012. Over his time at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, he was elected to student government and organized events to raise awareness of interpersonal violence.
Futrell served on Aurora’s Human Relations Committee and, most recently, served on the RTD Citizens Advisory Board.
Futrell, a registered Democrat, says his top priorities are balancing the city budget, public safety, and supporting small businesses in the city.
“I’m running for City Council because it has become chaotic and we need a calm voice representing everybody, not just one part of the Aurora community,” Futrell told CTR.
“My priorities would be to focus on government transparency and allowing my constituents’ voices to be heard, not just listened to, police reforms working to make sure the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) exam accurately reflects our changing society, and economic sustainability supporting small businesses in a fiscally responsible way.”
Alli Jackson
Jackson, a Democrat, is a social worker who was born and raised in Aurora and announced her bid for an at-large seat in March on what she calls a “community first” platform.
In a press release announcing her candidacy, Jackson said that she is the daughter of a Black veteran and a Russian immigrant who grew up attending Aurora Public Schools. A social worker, Jackson says she has “dedicated her career to fighting for families and youth”.
Jackson has served on Aurora’s Charter Review Board and participated in civic leadership training.
“Aurora changed my family’s life, and I’m running to protect that legacy and build a brighter future for our city,” said Jackson. “I’ve seen new development bring opportunity, but I’ve also watched too many neighbors struggle to afford living here. We need leadership that puts people first, listens to our community, and ensures that Aurora remains a place where families, workers, and small businesses can thrive.”
According to Jackson, her top priorities are economic growth for all, family support, community wellness, and uplifting youth.
Jackson advocates for expanding small business grants, creating job pipelines from school to high-paying careers, and “fighting price gouging that drives up the cost of living”.
In terms of supporting families, Jackson says she wants to ensure families have access to mental health and social services, expand after-school and recreational programs, and advocate for affordable healthcare.
Jackson wants relationships between social services and the city to be strengthened and an increase in funding for affordable housing.
Jackson also says that engaging young people in politics is of particular importance to her and that she wants every person to know that their voice matters.
“Above all, I believe politics doesn’t have to be rigid and exclusive,” Jackson told CTR. “Let’s build a city where civic engagement is energizing, accessible, and even fun. Because when people feel like they belong, they are empowered to dream big and shape their future.”
Jorge Hernandez
Hernandez recently filed to run for an at-large seat but has not responded to CTR’s inquiry or put up a website yet. This will be updated when more information becomes available.
Watson Gomes
Gomes is an educator and community advocate who has worked as high school teacher and a college instructor.
“What motivates me to run for City Council is the belief that our city is heading in the wrong direction on several critical issues, including housing, education, budget, and crime,” Gomes told CTR. “I have a different vision to solve these problems. For example, regarding housing, my vision is to build more affordable homes, city-led and community-backed.”
Gomes said he is championing a program where the City of Aurora would directly build housing through contractors, going beyond being a regulatory force. Gomes says this would result in lower costs for homes overall and ensure affordability.
Watson said his priorities would include expanding early childhood education, fully funding public K-12 schools, and transforming the Community College of Aurora into the City University of Aurora.
Gomes is a registered independent and is currently building out his campaign website, but it can be found here.
Aurora’s city politics could shift dramatically depending on the results of this years municipal elections.
