2023 Colorado Springs mayoral election

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2023 Colorado Springs mayoral election
Flag of Colorado Springs, Colorado.svg
←  2019 April 4, 2023 (first round)
May 16, 2023 (runoff)		2027 →
Turnout35.15% Decrease2.svg (first round)
37.41% Increase2.svg (runoff)
  Yemi Mobolade Subscriber of the Month (cropped).png Wayne W. Williams (cropped).JPG Sallie Clark, Commissioner District 3, El Paso County, Colorado (cropped).jpg
Candidate Yemi Mobolade Wayne Williams Sallie Clark
First round32,429
29.8%		20,908
19.2%		19,384
17.8%
Runoff 67,442
57.5%		49,909
42.5%		Eliminated
 
CandidateDarryl GlennLonginos Gonzalez Jr.
First round9,470
8.7%		8,622
7.9%
Runoff EliminatedEliminated
Mayor before election

John Suthers
Republican

Elected mayor

Yemi Mobolade
Independent

The 2023 Colorado Springs mayoral election was held on April 4, 2023, to elect the mayor of Colorado Springs, Colorado, with a runoff scheduled for May 16. Incumbent mayor John Suthers was term-limited and could not seek a third term in office. The election was officially nonpartisan. [1]

Contents

A wide field of candidates filed to run in the election, including several members of municipal government. Colorado Springs has long been a conservative bastion in the state of Colorado, and none of the candidates running to succeed Suthers identified as members of the Democratic Party. In the first round of voting, no candidate received a majority and the race was forced to a runoff election. Independent Nigerian immigrant and political newcomer Yemi Mobolade advanced to the runoff, along with Republican city councilor and former Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams. [2]

Mobolade defeated Williams in the runoff. [3] He became the first elected black mayor of Colorado Springs, as well as the first non-Republican elected [a] mayor in the city's history. [3] [4]

Candidates

The following candidates qualified to appear on the ballot. [5] Glenn and Gonzalez were identified as the most conservative candidates in the race, with Strand and Williams being more moderate. [6]

Advanced to runoff

Eliminated in first round

First round

Endorsements

Sallie Clark (R)

Local officials

Wayne Williams (R)

Local officials

Labor unions

  • Colorado Springs Police Protective Association [19]
  • Colorado Springs Professional Firefighters (IAFF Local 5) [20]

Results

2023 Colorado Springs mayoral election [21]
CandidateVotes %
Yemi Mobolade 32,42929.81
Wayne Williams 20,90819.22
Sallie Clark19,38417.82
Darryl Glenn9,4708.70
Longinos Gonzalez Jr.8,6227.93
John Tig Tiegen5,4054.97
Andrew Dalby4,8254.44
Tom Strand2,5972.39
Lawrence Joseph Martinez1,8231.68
Christopher Mitchell1,2481.15
Kallan Reece Rodebaugh1,1291.04
Jim Miller9480.87
Total votes108,788 100.00

Runoff

Endorsements

Endorsements in bold were made after the primary election.

Yemi Mobolade (I)

Federal officials

County officials

City officials

  • Tom Strand, president of the Colorado Springs city council and former 2023 mayoral candidate [25]
Wayne Williams (R)

Local officials

  • Lynette Crow-Iverson, Colorado Springs city councilor [24]
  • Dave Donelson, Colorado Springs city councilor [24]
  • Randy Helms, Colorado Springs city councilor [24]
  • Dave Leinweber, Colorado Springs city councilor [24]
  • Mike O'Malley, Colorado Springs city councilor [24]
  • John Suthers, mayor of Colorado Springs (2015–2023) and former Colorado Attorney General (2005–2015) [18]

Labor unions

  • Colorado Springs Police Protective Association [19]
  • Colorado Springs Professional Firefighters (IAFF Local 5) [20]

Results

2023 Colorado Springs mayoral runoff election [26]
CandidateVotes %
Yemi Mobolade 67,44257.47
Wayne Williams 49,90942.53
Total votes117,351 100.00

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Although Mobolade is the first black and first non-Republican elected mayor of Colorado Springs, he is not the first black person or first non-Republican to serve as mayor; Leon Young, a black Democrat, briefly served as acting mayor in 1997 following the resignation of Bob Isaac.

References

  1. ↑ "Mayoral election in Colorado Springs, Colorado (2023)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  2. ↑ Jent, Breeanna (April 5, 2023). "Colorado Springs mayoral runoff election: What's next?". The Gazette . Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Jent, Breeanna (May 17, 2023). "Yemi Mobolade makes Colorado Springs history, becoming city's first elected Black mayor". Colorado Springs Gazette. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  4. ↑ "How tectonic political shifts could spell an upset in Colorado Springs mayor's race".
  5. ↑ "What's on the Ballot".
  6. 1 2 "Daily Kos Elections Live Digest: 1/25". January 25, 2023.
  7. ↑ Singh, Kate (April 4, 2022). "Yemi Mobolade announces bid to become the next mayor". KXRM-TV . Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  8. ↑ Shinn, Mary (February 2, 2022). "Colorado Springs Councilman Wayne Williams making bid for mayor's seat". The Gazette . Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Sallie Clark to announce COS mayoral run on Nov. 15".
  10. ↑ "Colorado Springs small-business owner, a political outsider, running for mayor".
  11. ↑ Zubeck, Pam (November 11, 2021). "Darryl Glenn will run for COS mayor in 2023". Colorado Springs Independent . Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  12. ↑ Wallace, Glenn (April 1, 2022). "County commissioner running for mayor in 2023". www.southeastexpress.org. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  13. 1 2 3 "More than 20 candidates in the April 4 running for Colorado Springs mayor, City Council".
  14. ↑ "Electrical engineer Christopher Mitchell in the race for Colorado Springs mayor".
  15. ↑ "Tom Strand announces campaign for Mayor". May 30, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Colorado Springs mayoral candidate 'Tig' Tiegen certified for ballot — despite reports of residency dispute".
  17. ↑ "Former Colorado Springs Mayor Bach endorses mayoral hopeful Sallie Clark".
  18. 1 2 "Developer says Colorado Springs mayoral race will cost $1 million, supports Wayne Williams".
  19. 1 2 "Colorado Springs Police Protective Association Endorses Wayne Williams for Mayor of Colorado Springs".
  20. 1 2 "Firefighters endorse Williams for mayor".
  21. ↑ "April 4, 2023 General Municipal Election Results". Colorado Springs City Clerk. April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Yemi Mobolade gets Sallie Clark's endorsement in Colorado Springs mayoral runoff race".
  23. ↑ "Former El Paso County Sheriff, Bill Elder, endorses Yemi Mobolade for Colorado Springs Mayor".
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Colorado Springs mayor's race: Endorsements added for Wayne Williams, Yemi Mobolade".
  25. ↑ "Wayne Williams ad paints Colorado Springs mayoral opponent Yemi Mobolade as liberal".
  26. ↑ "May 16, 2023 Mayoral Run-Off Election Results". Colorado Springs City Clerk. May 16, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.

Official campaign websites

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