6 candidates pull away in Boulder City Council race
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Two Boulder City Council incumbents appear headed for reelection, while the two other incumbents are trying to complete a late comeback and close the gap on their challengers.
Why it matters: The city's anti-growth coalition could be poised to steal two seats from Boulder progressives.
The latest: Incumbents Matt Benjamin and Mark Wallach were leading as of 12:30am Wednesday with about 18% and 16% of the vote, respectively.
- Challengers Rob Kaplan and Jennifer Robins rounded out the top four with just under 15% and 14% of the vote each, respectively.
- Incumbents Nicole Speer and Lauren Folkerts were just outside the top four, with 13% and 12% of the vote.
- Yes, but: Speer and Folkerts have been gaining ground with each new round of results, and Speer now sits just about 400 votes behind Robins.
- No other candidates collected more than 5% of the vote.
How it works: The top four candidates will receive seats on the City Council.
- As of Wednesday morning, votes from 89,866 ballots in the county had been counted. Preliminary data from the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder's Office indicated 112,035 ballots had been received so far.
Between the lines: Anti-growth groups, including PLAN Boulder, endorsed Wallach, Robins and Kaplan in an effort to take the seats held by Speer and Folkerts.
- Speer and Folkerts were endorsed by the Boulder Progressives, a group that promotes urban growth.
- Benjamin was the only candidate endorsed by both conservative and progressive groups.
- Minimum wage-tipping was a divisive issue, with Speer and Folkerts on the side of workers and Benjamin, Robins, Kaplan and Wallach backing business.
Both of Boulder County's ballot items and one city of Boulder tax item all appear poised to pass, with each getting at least 60% of the vote, per preliminary vote tallies.
- Boulder voters appear likely to make permanent the city's existing 0.3% Community, Culture, Resilience and Safety sales and use tax, which funds capital construction, renovation and maintenance projects across the city.
- Meanwhile, county voters are on track to approve a new 0.15% countywide sales and use tax to fund mental health and addiction services.
- Boulder County voters also appear in favor of a 0.15% countywide sales and use tax that funds the county's open space program.
What we're watching: This was the final odd-year election for Boulder, as the city will move to even-year races starting next year.
- That could help explain why this election had relatively few divisive ballot measures.
- With a midterm on the horizon, Boulder could put more items on the ballot next year, including a potential vacancy tax and a possible next step in the Boulder Municipal Airport drama.
Editor's note: This is a developing story. Check back for more details.