How Colorado Springs' first independent mayor is voting this election
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Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade at his office at the City Administration Building on March 7. Photo: Rachel Woolf for The Washington Post via Getty Images
Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade — the city's first Black leader and first non-Republican leader in at least 45 years — has one political sign in his yard this election, and it's not for either presidential candidate.
Why it matters: The Nigerian immigrant and political newcomer has emerged as a prominent voice for a growing independent movement in a state where nearly half of voters reject both major parties.
State of play: Mobolade's only yard sign is for re-electing local Republican District Attorney Michael Allen, whom he praised for his partnership and "swift" prosecution of the Club Q shooter, who killed five people at an LGBTQ nightclub in 2022.
The big picture: The mayor is strategically avoiding other candidate endorsements, despite maintaining a "good relationship" with the Biden administration, he told us.
- Mobolade stressed that keeping the U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs remains a priority — referring to former President Donald Trump's now-overturned decision to relocate it to Alabama — and said he's already talking to Trump's team to help ensure it stays if he wins.
Behind the scenes: Mobolade's political advisers have suggested he "sit this [election] out" and instead focus on establishing his identity as a new, independent mayor, he told us.
Yes, but: He is taking a stand on local ballot issues, including endorsing Colorado Springs' Ballot Question 2D, which would change the city charter to ban recreational cannabis sales.
- He said the city is growing, racking up accolades and generally thriving without legalizing marijuana. "I don't want to mess with what we've got going on."
- Mobolade is also backing Colorado's Proposition 131, which would allow ranked choice voting, because he says it "empowers the voters of Colorado, not political parties."
The other side: His decision to focus on local issues over national politics isn't pleasing everyone in his party, including Paul Rieckhoff, founder of Independent Veterans of America.
- "He wasn't happy that I wasn't even endorsing an independent candidate," Mobolade said with a laugh.
What we're watching: Whether Mobolade will ultimately step into national political endorsements in another election. "I'm not saying that I won't do it in the future," he told us.
- For now, he remains firmly independent. "I despise politics. I really do — even now, having a front-row seat into it," he said.