During the November 2023 elections, the city of Boulder once again voted in candidate Aaron Brockett as mayor. While it was initially thought that Bob Yates might come out on top, Brockett eked out a victory in the final count, coming in at a slim 51.9% to Bob Yate’s 48.1%.
The fact that the vote was so split has significant implications for the political prospects in Boulder, as Bob Yate’s more conservative and aggressive stance on the homelessness epidemic managed to attain more traction than would be traditionally expected in Boulder’s notoriously liberal political climate.
Aaron Brockett is not the only one taking home a win. The city of Boulder also elected four new members to its city council: Taisha Adams, Tara Winer, Tina Marquis, and by a slim margin of only 46 votes, Ryan Shucard. With the election completed, what can be expected from the newly elected officials in Boulder’s office?
On Brockett’s campaign website, he lists his priorities as: “bringing more affordable and attainable housing to Boulder, building homelessness solutions to get people off the streets and into housing, improve mental health and substance abuse treatment, fight climate change by reducing emissions, and prepare our community for the harms of climate inaction.”
These issues remain in line with Brockett’s priorities historically. During his previous term, he made efforts towards addressing housing concerns, such as reforming regulations on accessory dwelling units and aiding in the construction of new affordable housing. He also moved to improve public transit, securing initial grant funding for rapid transit buses on East Arapahoe.
Tara Winer was already a member of the City Council, and was successfully re-election, by far the most popular candidate, with a history working in parks and recreation, transportation, and securing funding for multiple projects around Boulder, such as the Scott Carpenter pool and the North Boulder library.
Tina Marquis is a former BVSD school board member, serving as it’s president for four years. She has also been a member of the board of the CU Council of World Affairs, and a volunteer for
Taisha Adams founded an environmental organization called the Muyuku Collective and was a Colorado Parks and Wildlife commissioner. She also serves on several boards related to marine science and advocates for diversity in the field.
Ryan Shuchard narrowly beat out Terri Brncic, an organizer for the Safe Zone 4 kids campaign. In the early 2000s, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kyrgyzstan, then went on to advocate for improvements to transit, creating the organization “More Mobility” and serving on Boulder’s transportation advisory board.
Notably, both Tara Winer and Tina Marquis have spoken explicitly in favor of Boulder’s encampment ban.
Many of these candidates have cited similar agendas for the future. More walkable infrastructure with a focus on improving bus routes, bike lanes, and mixed-use paths, focus on climate impact reduction efforts, and a continued concern for housing cost in the Boulder area. Particular emphasis has been placed on the homelessness issue, specifically concerning safety in public spaces and illegal camping.
With several re-elections and an agenda similar to years prior, it seems as though Boulder will continue to maintain the majority of its status quo as a liberal and progressive city through its new elected officials.
