DSA Fort Collins 2025 Voter Guide

Incumbent Fort Collins Mayor Jeni Arndt’s March announcement that she would not be seeking reelection in a third term rocked local politics and sparked the rapid entry of several political players into a very time-crunched election. Out of this crowded field, our members recommend current Fort Collins Mayor Pro Tempore Emily Francis as the best choice to lead our city and tackle its affordability crisis. Francis has developed a working relationship with us and many other community organizations and has shown a willingness to listen to public input. When our 2023 Voter Guide recommended her for a second term as District 6 Councilwoman, our members praised her vote to raise Fort Collins’ minimum wage, her community organizing and advocacy for mobile homeowners, and her fight for housing affordability and attainability in our city. In the intervening two years, Francis has remained focused on lowering the cost of living in Fort Collins, earning her the endorsement of the Colorado Working Families Party and New Era Colorado Action Fund, two progressive organizations that our chapter has collaborated with. In conversation with members of the Connexion Workers Coalition, she has expressed support for recognizing the CWC and creating a clearer path to union recognition for municipal workers, similar to last year’s Referred Question 2U in Denver. Francis’ experience on city council has shown her to be a detail-oriented policymaker with an eye for affordability (until she recently became a homeowner, she was the only renter on council). The campaign trail has suggested that this knack for detail does not necessarily translate into being a fundraising magnet, and though Francis is thought to be one of the two most viable candidates in this race, she is likely the underdog. Nonetheless, members of our chapter believe that she has the personal experience and professional expertise to address the cost of living crisis in Fort Collins.

Leading on the fundraising front is the other incumbent city council member running for mayor, Tricia Canonico, currently representing District 3 in the southeast. Though there are some ideological and policy differences between Francis and Canonico, the primary differentiators between the two front-runners are governance style and political coalition. Where Francis places emphasis on her policy expertise, the front page of Canonico’s website downplays policy (“Leadership is not just about policies”) in favor of “bringing people together.” Canonico is not policy-agnostic, but she places far more comparative emphasis on the social and cultural aspects of city leadership and on representing the city at the State Capitol and in Washington DC. This emphasis shows in her fundraising prowess, first demonstrated years prior to her entry into politics through benefit concerts for children with cancer and Feed the NoCo Front Line during the COVID-19 pandemic, and also showcased in her first election in 2021. Canonico’s reputation as a strong fundraiser and networker earned her an early endorsement from Congressman Joe Neguse, and she has succeeded in locking up much of the support of the local Democratic establishment. In terms of policy, we share common ground with Canonico on some of the issues facing our city, specifically around housing and transportation. Like Francis’ voting record, Canonico’s demonstrates a commitment to housing density and reducing car dependency, both of which are consistent with her campaign’s focus on the environment. In her interview with the Coloradoan, she strongly agreed that the city should recognize the Connexion Workers Coalition. However, Canonico’s 2023 vote against raising the minimum wage raises severe doubts about her commitment to address the affordability crisis in Fort Collins, and the Chamber of Commerce’s positive rating for her on the minimum wage suggests that she stands by that disappointing vote.

The remaining candidates are unlikely to be elected mayor either due to fundraising and name recognition shortfalls or due to ideological divergence from the majority of the city. Former councilwoman Shirley Peel represented District 4 in the southwest from 2019 to 2023 after defeating appointed councilwoman Melanie Potyondy by 43 votes with a 30.22% plurality; she’s running for mayor as the only semi-viable conservative candidate in the race. Despite trying to downplay her role as the only Republican on city council, Peel refused to distance herself from the support of the far-right Colorado Conservative Patriot Alliance and her mayoral launch was celebrated by the Larimer County Republican Party (whose Executive Board she used to sit on). During her tenure on council, she rejected a minimum wage increase, opposed declaring the city’s support for abortion access, and blocked efforts to build duplexes in low-density residential districts. She was defeated in a head-to-head rematch with Potyondy in 2023, and with the city’s new ranked voting process, she can’t rely on winning a mere plurality in November. Adam Eggleston is a victim witness specialist, former realtor, and the owner of Oaked Coffee CO, a local coffee roaster and distributor. A self-described “moderate independent,” Eggleston has volunteered and campaigned for candidates that were both Democrats and Republicans. He is known for his participation in the city’s boards and commissions and for his frequent public comment at council meetings, usually focusing on housing and environmental issues. In a Reddit AMA, he condemned the January 6th insurrection, admitted that excessive capitalism is a problem, and affirmed his support for reproductive and LGBTQ rights. He has said he’d like to study the impact of municipal unionization on the city before recognizing the Connexion Workers Coalition and his positive rating from the Chamber of Commerce on the minimum wage suggests he is not interested in raising it. Nevertheless, his housing platform remains broadly aligned with our chapter’s approach to affordability. Scotty VanTatenhove is a social studies teacher in the Poudre School District. A perennial candidate, VanTatenhove has launched two low-budget campaigns for mayor in 2005 and 2007 (he does not accept campaign contributions). Almost two decades later, and he seems to be running with the same strategy and a self-admitted emphasis on silliness. On policy, VanTatenhove focuses on improving civic consultation and community conversation as well as following through on the city’s existing plans. He did not take a position on municipal union recognition. Adam Hirschhorn is an eccentric character in local politics known for his public comment at city council which can be both bombastic and perplexing (for example, making prolonged Harry Potter metaphors, displaying a series of pictures to warn of impending nuclear war, or planning a hypothetical campus named after Fort Collins’ Chief Sustainability Officer). On policy, he supports recognition of the Connexion Workers Coalition, raising the minimum wage, and increasing density in Fort Collins. He has been heavily involved in protesting the US’s support of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. His other stated priorities include weather modification to “make it rain” and moving the city underground in anticipation of apocalyptic floods. Jeffrey Shumway is a far-right Republican and former officer for the Casselberry Police Department in Casselberry, Florida. He was suspended from the department after being involved in three car accidents in just over one month, including an incident where he tested positive for driving under the influence after crashing into a road sign. On policy, Shumway wants to cut the budget and emphasize “tough love” (meaning no support) as a solution to the homelessness crisis. He has promised sweeping city budget cuts that would slash “city climate initiatives, the Immigrant Legal Fund, water fluoridation, tax-funded public transportation, homelessness relief programs, [and] routine West Nile Virus prevention.”

Fort Collins City Council District 1 encompasses the northeastern portion of the city, including Old Town, Arrowhead, Long Pond Reservoir, and more. Chris Conway is a public charter school teacher and co-founder of YIMBY Fort Collins, a pro-housing advocacy group; consistent with that background, Conway’s platform emphasizes affordable housing. Acknowledging that workers are getting priced out of Fort Collins, Conway emphasizes several tactics for keeping people here, such as strengthening tenant protections and expanding housing options. Going hand-in-hand with affordability is Conway’s commitment to sustainability, envisioning a Fort Collins that is more walkable and bikeable and that invests more into green infrastructure and transit. Regarding workers’ rights, he has expressed broad support, from strongly agreeing that the City should recognize the Connexion Workers Coalition, to supporting the creation of a fair municipal collective bargaining process so that city workers can improve their wages, benefits, and working conditions. Our chapter testified alongside YIMBY to end the U+2 occupancy limit and to pass modernized land use code changes, because we reject the right-wing framing that Fort Collins is full, and we know that our city has a severe affordable housing shortage that allows landlords to artificially jack up the price of rent. Having developed a working relationship with Conway over the last few years, we believe that he will be an effective partner in addressing the housing affordability crisis. While he has expressed some concern that raising the minimum wage only at the city level may hurt small businesses, his mixed rating from the Chamber of Commerce on the subject suggests he is still open to considering this policy. With an extremely effective fundraising machine, a reasonable ground game, and a mostly aligned political platform, we believe that Conway will be the right choice for District 1.

Susan Gutowsky is the incumbent city council member for District 1 and a former schoolteacher. She is running for an unprecedented third term after the City Clerk decreed that her first term did not count as a term, redefining her potential third term as her second term. This unilateral reinterpretation of state term limit law allows Gutowsky the chance to continue her tenure in office, which has been notably disconnected from working class concerns in Fort Collins. Gutowsky has been one of the loudest voices on council against measures designed to promote affordable housing, being the lone no vote on even significantly pared-back versions of the Land Use Code updates and one of two holdouts who rejected changes to the city’s U+2 occupancy limit, even when those changes were mandated by state law. She has a similarly weak record on workers’ rights, casting a deciding vote to reject a local minimum wage increase and offering no opinion on whether to recognize the Connexion Workers Coalition. Beyond bad policy, Gutowsky has also been embroiled in her fair share of local controversy. Most notably, when it was revealed that Mayor Pro Tempore Emily Francis’s 2023 challenger for District 6, Alexander Adam’s, was a far-right white nationalist and co-founder of the neo-Nazi Groypers, Gutowsky not only did not disavow Adams, but she defended him, claimed she had already known of his background, and identified his candidacy as an “opportunity” to share his “lived experience.” In the same Facebook post, Gutowsky slammed Larimer County Commissioner Kristin Stephens for previously alleging that former mayoral candidate Gerry Horak had engaged in sexual misconduct. Gutowsky has also drawn the ire of local activists after a 2024 council meeting where she ignored almost one hundred public commenters demanding a resolution in support of a ceasefire in Gaza and instead only responded to public comments about pickleball. Having been on the wrong side of most local issues during her tenure in office, Gutowsky holds strong grudges against DSA, YIMBY, local Palestine solidarity groups, and a number of other leftist organizations. Despite launching her reelection campaign much later than Conway, she has significantly outpaced him in fundraising. The combination of her fundraising and the advantages of incumbency could be enough to buoy her candidacy in this election, but we certainly hope that District 1 residents will instead vote to turn the page.

Daisy Montgomery is a disability advocate, the business owner of Autistics Anonymous, and a lead for the Northern Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce. She is closely associated with the local small business community and, as indicated from her positive rating on the subject from the local Chamber of Commerce, opposed to raising the local minimum wage. Despite this, she is in favor of other workers’ rights approaches, as evidenced by her strong agreement that Fort Collins should recognize the Connexion Workers Coalition. Montgomery has fallen behind her two competitors in terms of fundraising and also is disadvantaged by the race’s polarization on the lines of housing policy. With YIMBY Fort Collins supporting Conway and local NIMBY groups supporting Gutowsky, Montgomery is left without a clear lane concerning one of the most contentious and politically engaging topics in the city.

Fort Collins City Council District 3 encompasses the southeast portion of the city, including Oakridge Village, Twin Silo Park, Provincetown, and Fossil Creek Reservoir. District 3 contains some of the newest neighborhoods in the city and is composed of sprawling suburban developments that house both young families and seniors. Far from CSU and Old Town, District 3 boasts the highest median income of any district in the city, and the southeast region it occupies is sometimes described as a city unto itself. Because incumbent council member Tricia Canonico cannot run for her second term and run to be mayor at the same time, she has vacated her seat, leading to an open race to replace her. Josh Fudge is Larimer County’s budget director and a trustee with the Poudre River Public Library District. Fudge has pulled in respectable fundraising numbers and is likely the frontrunner for this southeastern district. We can likely expect a mixed record on working class issues if Fudge were to win. The Chamber of Commerce gave him a mixed rating on the topic of the minimum wage, which is more encouraging than a positive rating from the Chamber but not as encouraging as a negative rating. While Fudge responded that he did not know whether the city should recognize the Connexion Workers Coalition, further discussion with the CWC revealed him to be at least conceptually supportive of developing an updated framework for municipal union recognition and extremely opposed to the City Manager’s proscription on municipal employee’s off-the-clock participation in local politics. On housing, Fudge would support further efforts to promote affordability and attainability through densification of commercial corridors, though his position on broader renter protections is not known. Fudge has received the support of a broad coalition of Democratic lawmakers ranging from moderates to DSAFC-endorsed member-elect Yara Zokaie. 

Fudge was able to consolidate a big tent of Democratic support because he was the first candidate in the race that was not Steve Yurash. A perennial candidate, Yurash is a retired design-for-testing engineer at Intel and the founder of the Colorado Center Party (whose name conceals its conservative foundations). If this isn’t the first DSAFC Voter Guide you’ve read, you might remember him from his unsuccessful attempt to defeat DSAFC-endorsed Yara Zokaie in the 2024 General Election for State House running on the Center Party ballot line. Here’s what we wrote about him in our 2024 Voter Guide:

Yurash would prefer it if you took the Center Party at the face value of its name and assumed that it represented what he calls the “moderate majority” of the electorate. However, a look at Yurash’s own policies and statements demonstrate the hypocrisy of his criticisms of so-called “political extremes.” He opposes efforts to fund the Poudre School District and argues that Yara is too critical of charter schools. He has argued that Yara is beholden to the so-called “homeless industrial complex of nonprofit organizations,” accusing these nonprofits of funding the influx of immigration at the southern border. He opposes further gun control, single-payer healthcare, the elimination of cash bail, any restructuring of TABOR, and the local updates to the Land Use Code. He supports crisis pregnancy centers and opposes rent control (he is a landlord). And at a recent forum–responding to a question asking “Where do our rights come from?”–Yurash argued that rights hail from a “Judeo-Christian” conception of individualism which he opposed (while gesturing to Yara) to an “Islamic worldview” which he argued was subservient “to the Ayatollah.” Yurash’s Islamophobia and western chauvinism is unacceptable and will be thoroughly rejected at the polls when Fort Collins elects Yara Zokaie to be the next State Representative for District 52.

After losing 36-63 to Yara in 2024, Yurash is making another desperate bid to insert his far-right ideology into local politics. In his run for District 3, he opposes the city’s climate goals, municipal worker unionization, and efforts to build more housing and address the affordable housing shortage. At the League of Women Voters candidate forum, he answered a question about whether the city’s DEI program was benefiting the local Latino community by referencing that he is a landlord to Latino tenants. Yurash was the first candidate in the race and has raised the most money of the three candidates. These facts prompted all left-of-center local elected officials to consolidate around Fudge in an attempt to block Yurash. Let’s remind Yurash why Fort Collins sent him packing the first time: leave him off your ballot.

Rounding out the District 3 candidates is Lance Smith, the former finance director for Fort Collins Utilities. On policy, Smith seems to emphasize addressing the plight of working-class people in our city. At the League of Women Voters candidate forum, he was the only candidate from District 3 to commit to implementing municipal rent stabilization should it be legalized at the state level. He also strongly agrees with the city’s need to recognize the Connexion Workers Coalition.  The only problem with Smith’s candidacy is that he has raised significantly less money than his two opponents by several magnitudes, and he was also the last candidate to enter the race, leaving him with an unclear path to victory. Fudge and Smith have similar platforms around housing, climate, and managing the budget. While Smith likely would promote policy that is more in line with the interests of Fort Collins’ working class, Fudge is still someone that our chapter could negotiate with, and both are vastly preferable to Yurash’s xenophobia, climate denial, and contempt for the working class. Rank Fudge and Smith as your #1 and #2 picks for District 3 in either order and do not rank Yurash.

Troy Daniels is a retired mediator, long-time advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, supports evidence-based housing first policies for our unhoused, and opposes continued tax breaks for large developers in Loveland. He would be a newcomer to city council as well, which could help to end the toxic gridlock that the council currently faces.

We do not recommend Patrick (Pat) McFall. His slogan, McFall for All, is deceiving, as he continuously votes to give Loveland’s tax dollars to developers and demonizes the unhoused population. Instead of working to resolve our budget issues in Loveland and find new funding sources, he complains about the citizen-led vote to repeal the regressive grocery tax. All while voting to give 25 years of diverted sales taxes to the McWhinney family through a URA designation of farmland for Centerra South.

Loveland Ward 1 encompasses the northwest portion of the city, including Lake Loveland, Lucile Erwin Middle School, and Laurene Edmondson Elementary. Craig Martinbeault believes in data-driven housing first with wrap-around services to truly help those unhoused here in Loveland. He also thinks Loveland has handed out far too much to large developers and would like to see us stop utilizing Metro tax districts or, at a minimum, require developers to contribute to a City housing fund to better support affordable housing. He, like Sarah in Ward 2, would like to look into a vacancy tax as one of the ways to help support our services and fix our budget issues. When asked about trans rights as a broad topic, he responded to say that while that is not for him, he believes that the government should not interfere with what people choose to do with their bodies. Craig agreed that we need to look past party affiliations to solve the issues at home, here in Loveland. His actions in helping the unhoused and conversations on the problems here in Loveland speak volumes and are factors as to why we are making a recommendation for him on the Loveland ballot.

Loveland Ward 2 encompasses the southwest portion of the city, including downtown, Mehaffey Park, and Boedecker Lake. While Sarah Rothberg chose to pull her request for endorsement, she still remains a member of DSA Fort Collins. Sarah’s main values align with DSA. Her primary focus is on housing affordability with a desire to have the city partner with non-profits and faith-based organizations to implement a data backed housing first model with wrap-around services for our unhoused neighbors, as well as starting an emergency fund to help keep people in their homes, intervening before someone loses their housing. Sarah is also interested in exploring a vacancy tax to help support our underfunded General budget. She opposes metro tax districts and thinks we need to focus on smart development, which would put the needs of the Loveland community first. Sarah works for the State of Colorado Statewide Equity Office to help build a more just and equitable state. She belongs to marginalized groups and believes that every person deserves to live as their authentic selves. She opposes the use of flock cameras and the company’s overreach into our data collection. Sarah also supports city staff unionizing if they choose to do so and is currently a member of COWINS through her employment with the state. Sarah would be a new member  to council and help stop the gridlock caused by members like her opponent.

Loveland Ward 3 encompasses the southeast portion of the city, including Cherry Hill, Sylmar Mobile Home Park, and South Centerra. Caitlin Wyrick is the founder of Heart and Sol, A local non-profit, that works on building community and sharing cultural celebrations in the BIPOC community. She has a financial background and supports housing first initiatives for our unhoused here in Loveland. She wants to update outdated zoning policies to allow for more diverse housing options like duplexes, ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units), patio/cluster homes, tiny homes, and mixed-use developments. 
Ward 3 will actually elect two council people. The top vote earner will get the full 4-year term and the second place voter will fill the vacant seat from Erin Black’s resignation. Even though this is the case, we are only recommending Caitlin as the remaining three candidates running are not good options. We especially discourage anyone from voting for John Fogle. He was one of the main proponents on council of the URA designation, and tax cuts to the billionaire developer family of Centerra South.

Loveland Ward 4 encompasses the northeast portion of the city, including North Centerra, Boyd Lake, and the Northern Colorado Regional Airport. Currently mayor pro tempore, Jon Mallo has been an understanding voice on Council. While he has continued to approve Metro tax districts, he is a big supporter of housing first policies for our unhoused neighbors. Supported the audit against Centerra North.

Tiffany Simmons is a former teacher and current trauma therapist running for Mayor of Greeley who has decided to run because “decisions are being made without truly applying community input.” Tiffany cites projects like Cascadia (the controversial plan for land annexation and commercial development that is unlikely to reimburse the community) moving forward even while other city improvements are delayed. DSA has endorsed the efforts to repeal the funding mechanism of Cascadia, which would involve massive loans taken out by the city to bankroll private development, and Tiffany has been a champion in the fight against Cascadia. Aside from her efforts to keep public money in projects that will actually benefit the people of Greeley, Tiffany’s platform includes a focus on support for homeless populations and affordable housing, robust public transportation, and alternatives to policing in public safety.

Tiffany’s opponent is Dale Hall who is a former law enforcement officer and property manager. Dale is a supporter of the Cascadia project and has the backing of extremely wealthy developers like Martin Lind, which is why it is no surprise that whenever he talks about building affordable housing, he feels the need to say that we should also build “high-quality executive homes for those seeking more luxurious spaces.” Dale’s perspective on public safety is that “ensuring our police… have the resources, training, and support they need” is a top priority.

Antonio Molina-Haro is a student at Aims pursuing a degree in political science. Antonio opposes the Cascadia project and seeks to breathe new life into East Greeley. Antonio wants to improve public transit in Greeley with additional stops, although part of his plan to improve public transit includes increasing police patrols. His candidacy may be a long shot both because of his young age and because of an unnecessary altercation he got into with a local police officer during a tense moment at a protest.

Rachelle Tabor is a business owner who owns three locations of Natural Wellness CBD and is continuing her education in Naturopathic and Holistic Health. She has stated she would have voted no on the Cascadia project, though not because she actually opposes it but rather because she believes voters should have had a direct say.  Rachelle supports higher density zoning and building affordable housing, but also promotes offering tax breaks to businesses.

Ryan Roth is a public relations specialist with Allo Fiber and is the least appealing candidate for city council at-large. Ryan’s “vision” for Greeley is to turn it into a “vibrant destination,” with the Cascadia project serving as a part of that.

Greeley Ward 2 encompasses the southwest portion of the city. Deb Deboutez was an employee of the City of Greeley for thirteen years and is the incumbent candidate, before that she was a lobbyist for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless for nine years. Deb has also been a volunteer for the Immigrant and Refugee Center of Northern Colorado, the Greeley Family (Transitional) House, Weld Food Bank, Greeley Urban Renewal Authority, Greeley/Weld League of Women Voters, and Greeley/Evans School District 6. She was one of only two members of city council who opposed the Cascadia Project, opposition to which is a major priority of our chapter.

Deb’s opponent is right-wing blogger Brandon Wark. Brandon operates the website Free State Colorado which rails against the Working Families Party, “far-left” members of Congress like Ilhan Omar, and Antifa. Brandon has also questioned the legitimacy of Colorado’s elections with absolutely no evidence.

Greeley Ward 3 encompasses the southeast portion of the city. Valerie Leal-Whitehead is a member of the school board in School District 6 and nurse. She was inspired to run as she does not want to let her opponent Johnny Olson run for office again unopposed. Valerie opposes the Cascadia project and says that if elected she would focus on helping the residents of East Greeley and mitigate the frequent flooding that has plagued Greeley in recent years. Valerie supports affordable housing and wants all Greeley residents to have access to grocery stores, parks, and reliable transportation.

Johnny Olson is the incumbent in Greeley Ward 3 and strongly supports the Cascadia project. Somehow massive public loans that line the pockets of wealthy developers is what he considers “smart growth.” He continues to push an unpopular “public safety tax” even while stating that funding a year-round homeless shelter in Greeley is not his responsibility. This comes in the midst of a recent car-camping ban that will criminalize one of Greeley’s most vulnerable populations.

Greeley Ward 4 encompasses the northwest portion of the city. Amberleigh Gregor is a contractor for an emergency freight company. She has made a large part of her campaign about opposition to the Cascadia project and her work to collect signatures to bring the funding mechanism to the ballot. She recognizes Cascadia as fiscally irresponsible and believes that voters should have a say in taking on a $1.1 billion risk. Amberleigh also believes Greeley infrastructure needs full attention by “maintaining roads and sidewalks and improving our floodwater system to keep homes and businesses safe.”

There are 3 candidates in the race for Ward 4, one of which is Bill Gillard. Bill has a professional background in construction and project management and believes that Cascadia will “benefit Greeley and Northern Colorado.”

The other candidate is former mayor and member of city council in Evans Brian Rudy. Briann seeks to improve public safety and shift the city’s focus to downtown. Though he supports the Cascadia project, he has expressed concern with the funding mechanism and supports the efforts to bring a repeal to the ballot. He emphasizes fiscal responsibility and accountability as a priority of his.

Karla Baise works as the community outreach coordinator at Odell Brewing Co. Karla is the Poudre Education Association’s endorsed candidate for District C and has worked closely with the teachers’ union during the course of her campaign. Her website lists some of her priorities as LGBTQ+ Rights, Protect Undocumented Students, and Public Funds for Public Schools. She states that one of the reasons she felt called to this space is to defend our democracy and that “Collective Bargaining is democracy in action.” Karla’s stated position on charter schools is that “if they are funded publicly, they should be held to the same standards and oversight as [public] schools.”

District C has 2 candidates, with Karla’s opponent being Sabrina Herrick. Sabrina has been open about her inspiration to run after her child was abused by a staff member and has focused much of her campaign on transparency and preventing abuse. While much of Sabrina’s values also align with DSA, like Karla’s, she has seemed less eager to work with the teachers’ union and was denied their endorsement.

Coronda Ziegler is a Senior Student Success Manager at Colorado State University and has her PhD in education and has worked for over two decades on student success in education systems. As one of the PEA endorsed candidates she has committed to “public dollars staying in public schools,” “dignified livable wages and benefits,” and “increased mental health support for families and staff.” Coronda has stated that she supports “investing in evidence-based literacy and math interventions, reduced class sizes and access to standards-aligned instructional materials.”

District D has 2 candidates, with Coronda’s opponent being Tom Griggs. Tom is a retired professor in teacher education and has been a substitute teacher in Poudre and Thompson school districts since. While Tom has been critical of charter schools and their framing of “choice,” he has also stated that when teaching “controversial topics,” he urges teachers to notify parents and allow them to opt out for their children. Overall Tom’s positions are for the most part aligned with our chapter, however we believe it is important that we elect someone to the school board who will be a strong ally to the teacher’s union.

Andrew Spain is the only candidate in District E and is an associate executive director of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. While he has been endorsed by PEA, his platform on his website does not include any references to improving teachers’ pay or working conditions. We hope that he will prove to be a strong ally of our teachers in collective bargaining.

Mike Scholl is running unopposed, however we are still recommending because of his focus on diversity in education and subject matter, as well as his desire to raise teacher pay. He has also been endorsed by the Thompson Education Association.

Alexandra Lessem is endorsed by the Thompson Education Association and also Rocky Mountain Equality. She is focused on improving teacher pay, improving Thompson’s ADA accessibility, and supports the recognition of the TESPA Union to support paraprofessional employees and other non-teaching staff.

Dimitri Atrash is a user experience engineer, but still believes in responsible technology implementations especially in regards to AI. He mentioned that AI should never be used in HR applications. He has been endorsed by Thompson Education Association as well as Rocky Mountain Equality. Strong believer in supporting our teachers and finding ways to increase their pay. Will recognize the TESPA union to allow paraprofessionals and other non-teaching staff to negotiate a contract.

Kyle L Bentley is re-running to serve on the Greeley-Evans School District 6 Board. With 4 years of experience already under his belt, Kyle is committed to equity and inclusion in Weld county schools as well as adding more career pathways, enhancing existing ones and creating stronger partnerships that connect students directly to college programs, internships and local industries.

Weston Edmunds has spent the past 11 years working for the Weld Food Bank and knows the importance of providing resources to students. Weston wants to ensure all students have access to transportation, healthy meals, language services, gifted and talented programs, special education, and mental health support. He also wants to continue investing in the Career and Technical Education Center to ensure every student graduates confident and ready for life post-high school.

Deana Lemos-Garcia has over 30 years of active involvement in education and community boards. She is currently a board director for the Greeley Dream Team, a trustee on the board for the High Plains Library District, a board member on the Workforce Development Board, and a founder for the nonprofit BMS Foundation. Deana believes that every child deserves a high-quality, equitable education and a supportive environment where they can reach their full potential.

Robyn Roggy has years of experience in women’s and community ministries,  and is currently a member of PEO, a women’s organization that supports women in education. Robyn has stated she believes diversity is our strength, and that she will vote for any measure that supports educating every child in School District 6. Robyn also believes in continuing the county’s career preparation initiatives for middle and high schoolers. 

We do not recommend voting for Jeremy L Waters in this race. Besides being the only outspoken conservative in this race, Jeremy said he would have to do more research into the district’s diversity efforts to make sure everything was fair.

Christopher Kiraly and Raymond Ruth are both running for this position, but as of our chapter voting on this guide we were unable to find enough information to speak for or against either candidate. We recommend doing your own research into these candidates to see if there were local candidate forums that we were unable to unearth.

Lance Nichols is the only person running for this position, and we were also unable to find enough information to recommend in this case.

Hadley Soloman is endorsed by the St. Vrain Valley Education Association (SVVEA) and supports making existing Gifted and Talented programs less restrictive, strengthening dual-language programs, and ensuring all students have access to mental health resources.
The other candidate in the race, Peggy A. Kelly, is a conservative who believes in preventing trans students from using restrooms that match their identity and leaving “sensitive topics” out of the classroom for parents to handle themselves.

The two candidates in this race are Meosha Babbs and John Ahrens. Both candidates seem to have similar views on subjects such as school funding, continuing to have police officers in schools, and policies regarding cell phones. As we could not find much more information on either candidate, and we disagree with them both on School Resource Officers, we cannot recommend either over the other.

While Jocelyn Gilligan is the only candidate in this race, we still recommend voting for her as she is a vocal advocate for public education, as well as trans students, immigrant students, and students of color.

Sarah Hurianek is also the candidate in this race. We still recommend voting for her as both her and her husband are teachers, and she has expressed that she intends to be an advocate both for her fellow educators and for all of the district’s students no matter their background.

This county ballot measure will create a sales tax of 0.15% (15 cents on 100 dollars)—which will not apply to essential items like groceries, gas, diapers, and prescription drugs— for fifteen years to fund safer and more reliable transportation infrastructure for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists. We support this measure, as the CDOT reports that much of Colorado’s transportation infrastructure is decades old and weathering more quickly due to the state’s significant population increase. We at DSA generally support public infrastructure funding, like this measure.

We strongly believe child care is a public good, not a private luxury. Coloradans are facing a crisis in affording child care; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sets the maximum benchmark for affordable child care as 7% of household income, and Larimer County households spend about 20.3%, or over one-fifth, of household income on child care, nearly tripling the HHS recommendation. As federal and state funding fails to keep pace with rising childcare costs, thousands of children from low-income families face being shut out of child care programs, including those in Larimer County.

This ballot measure will help remedy the issue by establishing a 0.25% sales tax (25 cents on 100 dollars)—not applying to essential items like groceries, gas, diapers, and prescription drugs—to lower the cost of preschool and childcare, increase the wages of preschool and childcare teachers and staff, and improve the quality and capacity of preschool and childcare learning environments. 

We support this measure, as it aims to lower the financial burden of child care on local families, help our children access quality care, and provide better wages to their care workers.

This ordinance would require that any request to rezone a property, such as allowing mixed-use development or increasing housing density, receive written approval from the property’s recorded owner and from two-thirds of property owners within 500 feet of the site. We oppose this measure because it would make building affordable housing in Estes Park even more burdensome and because the Supreme Court has already ruled this type of ordinance unconstitutional in Washington ex rel. Seattle Title Trust Co. v. Roberge, 278 U.S. 116 (1928).

We oppose this measure because it would repeal sections of the Estes Park Development Code that incentivize affordable housing for people who live and work in the community. Like Estes Park Ballot Question 300, this initiative is being driven by a small group of wealthy residents who want to block new housing, making Estes Park unlivable for working people.

This measure extends an existing 0.25% sales tax ($0.25 per $100) until 2035, which funds public infrastructure improvements in transportation, recreation, recycling and composting, and affordable housing. To maintain and improve Fort Collins’ public resources, we recommend voting ‘yes’ on this issue.

This measure makes technical updates to the City Charter to fit with amendments adopted last November by clarifying procedures for challenging a council member’s qualifications, aligning vote-counting rules with the new ranked-choice voting system, and extending the time to collect signatures for citizen ballot measures. We believe democracy is strongest when all members participate, and making the language around important democratic processes clearer helps increase engagement.

This measure makes minor updates to the City Charter, tweaking language and adding subsection headings to improve clarity, modernizing outdated provisions, and altering certain language to increase inclusivity. As with the previous ballot question, we view having a clearer, updated city charter as a means to improve civic engagement, so we recommend a ‘yes’ vote.

This amendment updates and simplifies how the City adopts and publishes ordinances. It modernizes notice requirements by allowing publication on the City’s website instead of in a newspaper, clarifies adoption procedures, and ensures ordinances take effect only after proper public notice is completed. We approve of this measure for the same reasons as Questions 2B and 2C.

This ballot measure would make the Fort Collins City Charter more consistent with state and federal laws, notably PROPWA (Protections for Public Workers Act). Currently, the City Charter prohibits City employees, political parties, or other specified entities from contributing or expending “any money or other valuable thing, directly or indirectly, to assist in the election or defeat of any [City Council] candidate” (Charter, Article VIII, Section 8). However, PROPWA explicitly protects employees who wish to engage in expressive activity, including by contributing or expending money or other valuable things to political candidates, while off the clock and not using municipal resources. As it stands, Fort Collins employees who wish to engage in the aforementioned activities are protected by state law, yet prohibited by the City Charter. Therefore, we recommend a YES vote on 2E, so that our City Charter can be amended to be consistent with PROPWA and thus protect City employees who wish to participate in City Council elections. This ballot measure would also amend the Charter to make it consistent with other state laws, including the Colorado Open Records Act.

This ballot measure would amend the City Charter to allow for the Mayor and City Councilmembers to sell real property (e.g., land, buildings) to the City for public use. It would also allow the City to rent property to City employees with City Manager’s approval, if the rental is for the City’s benefit and necessary for the employee’s job duties.

We offer no recommendation as we struggle to see this measure’s exigency. A potential pro of allowing the City to purchase real property is that eminent domain could enable it to complete otherwise impossible projects. Further, the measure requires full public disclosure and abstention of any interested parties from the purchasing process, preserving a semblance of fairness. Still, it would be impossible to completely erase the potential for City leaders to abuse this power or pressure City staff who make the purchasing decisions.

Regarding the City renting property to employees, we imagine this would be beneficial for scenarios like a Natural Areas ranger wanting to stay near a designated area when on-call. However, the City has not indicated what they actually seek this provision for. For these reasons, we offer no recommendation regarding ballot question 2F.

This amendment updates how Fort Collins fills vacancies for City Council and Mayor, adding transparency and timelines for appointments while clarifying how partial terms count toward term limits. We support this measure as it increases public accountability and promotes open, timely democratic methods for selecting local government leaders.

This measure approves the City’s plan for the multi-use redevelopment of the Hughes Stadium site, a 165-acre public property. The plan includes creating a city natural area, spaces for wildlife conservation and environmental education, a community park and bike park, and trail connections to nearby natural areas. It also requires consultation with Indigenous communities and a sustainable design using native plants and natural materials.

We recommend voting ‘yes’ because this measure keeps the Hughes land in public hands, ensuring it’s used for community benefit rather than private profit while prioritizing environmental stewardship and Indigenous input—all socialist values. It allows for a more flexible, community-centric approach to land use compared to the proposal of Fort Collins Ballot Question 303.

Without raising taxes, this measure would make permanent an existing 0.25% sales and use tax used to fund natural areas and open spaces. It would slightly adjust how funds can be spent, allowing more flexibility for maintenance and ecological restoration of protected lands. The money would continue to support land conservation, wildlife habitat, and public access to natural areas. We support this measure because it promotes long-term community control over natural resources and invests in the collective well-being and environmental health of the city without increasing the tax burden on residents.

Though related to 2H, this ballot measure was proposed without consultation from Indigenous communities, and is in direct opposition to City Council’s prior decision on a multi-use model for the Hughes Stadium site. 303 would require the entirety of the Hughes Stadium site to be maintained by the city as a natural area, which the Natural Areas Department cannot afford. It would prevent any other use of the Hughes land. For these reasons, we recommend that you vote No on Ballot Question 303.

TImnath, which currently has no community recreation center, wishes to raise its sales and use tax by 1.25%, not applying to certain essential items, to help fund the construction, operation, and maintenance of a public recreation center. We recommend voting ‘yes,’ so citizens of TImnath and nearby areas can have a public space to exercise, learn, socialize, and relax.

This measure will extend the current level of Evans’ sales tax (4.5%) indefinitely to improve and maintain the city’s streets. We recommend a ‘yes’ vote.

This measure lets the Thompson School District borrow up to $99 million through bonds to repair and modernize its schools, improve safety, and expand facilities to meet growing student needs. Property tax rates will not increase because the new bonds would replace expiring debt. A citizens’ oversight committee would monitor how the money is spent to ensure transparency and accountability. We recommend voting yes so the district’s staff and students can enjoy safe, adequate learning environments.

These ballot measures propose creating three new special tax districts—the Larimer County Thunder Mountain Public Improvement District No. 76, the Larimer County Nedrah Acres Public Improvement District No. 77, and the Larimer County Rolling Hills Public Improvement District No. 78–to pay an additional property tax to raise around $140,000 in each district in the first year as possibly more in later years as property values increase. This revenue will be used to maintain and improve local roads and will be exempt from TABOR and state revenue caps.

While we prefer other methods of funding public infrastructure over the district method, we still recommend ‘Yes’ votes on these measures so that people around Larimer County may receive essential road services.

The Wellington Fire Protection District (WFPD) and Evans Fire Protection District (EFPD) provide emergency services, like fire suppression, emergency medical services, and fire prevention to the areas around Wellington, Colorado, and Evans, Colorado, respectively. The WFPD and EFPD ballot measures propose a 0.5% and 1% sales tax, respectively, on non-essential items. Both districts are struggling with rising costs due to an upswing in population and significant price hikes in equipment. The collected revenue will enable these Districts to staff fire stations adequately and replace outdated equipment. 

We recommend voting ‘Yes’ on these measures. These measures will help ensure that residents in the Wellington and Evans areas continue to receive reliable fire protection. They will also likely improve working conditions for firefighters.