Thornton Decides 2025 – Commentary for April

Yesterday’s post reviewed information about city council candidates.

Today’s post provides some commentary.

Having multiple Democratic Party-aligned candidates within one ward race could split the vote so that a Republican-aligned candidate wins.

Municipal races are non-partisan, so there will be no primaries. Candidates will not be identified by party on the ballot, but a review of campaign finance records helps clarify their affiliations.

With the special election of Cherish Salazar in Ward 1 last month, Mayor Kulmann’s conservative alliance lost its majority, so there may be pushback from that quarter in the election.

As the election gets closer, we can expect independent expenditure committees (IECs) to flood the city with ads.

Candidates with the most financial backing from IECs may not be the best candidates for their ward as a whole.

In recent years, the Thornton city government has favored business interests that have not produced quality employment or affordable housing for city residents. That may be changing.

The council’s strategic planning session at the start of the year indicated a commitment to more mixed-use development, which would include more affordable housing and more jobs.

However, that commitment resulted from voter pressure that has shrunk the conservative majority on the council in recent elections. The council’s support in this area will gain strength as the city elects candidates who are strongly aligned with that strategic goal.

Salazar faced a flood of IEC mailers, yet she managed to win due in no small part to her engagement with the community.

In those ward races with multiple candidates whose policies overlap, candidates should consider consolidating behind one candidate ahead of the onslaught of propaganda from wealthy interests.