Unofficial results from Tuesday's Colorado Springs municipal election show two city councilors have been re-elected to their seats, while four new city councilors are set to join them.
The six district seats were the only races on the ballot, which means voters had one decision to make. An effort to ask voters to weigh in on recreational marijuana again ultimately failed to make the ballot.
Council has nine members. Tuesday’s election asked voters to select members in the city’s six council districts. Three additional at-large seats will be decided in two years.
If the results hold, District 1 representative Dave Donelson will retain his seat, as will District 5's Nancy Henjum. They were the only two incumbents in the election due to three members deciding not to seek reelection and one facing term limits.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the newcomers appear to be Brandy Williams in District 3, Kimberly Gold in District 4, and Roland Rainey, Jr. in District 6. Tom Bailey in District 2 ran unopposed.
Voter turnout for April municipal elections, typically held by mail-in and drop-box only, is consistently low. Tuesday's election was no exception. As of midday Wednesday, less than a quarter of all registered voters cast a ballot. That's lower than in 2021, the last time the six district seats were on the ballot. That year, about 27 percent of ballots were returned.
This, despite some difficult and often contentious decisions the city council faced last term, including debates about annexations, downtown building heights, and additional dwelling units.
In District 5, incumbent Nancy Henjum faced three challengers but still received the widest margin of victory. "I am grateful that the voters of District 5 were not fooled by a dark money campaign that attempted to twist my voting record and smear my reputation," she said. "I am humbled to have their trust."
Henjum said she wants to help Colorado Springs "level up as an outdoor recreation destination" in her upcoming term. That means digging into the city's lodging and recreation tax (LART) and "tourism industry strategy."
"We need to address the profound deficits in our Parks system, and there is a way to do that without taxing the residents of Colorado Springs," she said.
She also said she wants to revisit a proposal to fold the city's emergency medical services like ambulances into the fire department.
Of the incoming representatives that will grace the dais, Brandy Williams is actually returning to council. Williams was born in Colorado Springs and was elected to serve in an at-large capacity in 2011.
One issue that bubbled up this election cycle was council pay. Candidate Jeannie Orozco Lira in District 4 withdrew because she said it was unreasonable to live on the $6,250 per year stipend.
In an emailed letter to KRCC prior to the election, Orozco Lira said despite her passion for her community, "my family and I are unable to survive on what city council is stipend per year."
City councilors also serve on the board for Colorado Springs Utilities.
The City Clerk's office will certify the results by Friday, April 11.
