Five candidates running to become Boulder’s next mayor faced tough questions about housing, city spending, homelessness, public safety and their qualifications for office during a debate hosted by Boulder Reporting Lab and KGNU on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
The roughly 90-minute debate, held at KGNU’s Community Media & Cultural Center in downtown Boulder, gave candidates a chance to make their case to voters, challenge one another’s positions and explain how they would lead the city over the next two years.
Participating were incumbent Mayor Aaron Brockett, City Councilmember Taishya Adams, Aquiles La Grave, Jameson “Jamo” Goldstein and Lisa Jacobs. A sixth candidate, Fred Smith, did not participate.
BRL reporters John Herrick and Brooke Stephenson moderated.
The questions drew in part from a BRL reader survey about the 2026 election, which identified city governance, taxes and spending, homelessness, housing affordability, public safety and other issues as top concerns.
Unlike a traditional candidate forum, the debate gave candidates opportunities to respond directly to one another, defend their positions and address disagreements.
The Boulder County Film Commission recorded the event.
Watch the full debate below, or use the timestamps to jump directly to the issues that matter most to you.
Jump to the issues that matter to you
- [03:14] Opening statements: Candidates introduce themselves and make their case for becoming Boulder’s next mayor.
- [08:34] Experience and leadership: Does holding elected office make someone better equipped to lead Boulder, or could an outsider bring needed change?
- [17:53] Homelessness: Boulder has set a goal of ending unsheltered homelessness by 2028. Is that realistic, and what would candidates do to get there?
- [31:56] Housing and growth: Should Boulder expand into the roughly 500-acre Area III Planning Reserve, build more housing in existing neighborhoods or pursue both approaches?
- [45:03] Trust and city spending: With fewer than half of surveyed voters saying Boulder spends taxpayer money wisely, how would candidates restore public confidence in city government?
- [54:30] Wildfire resilience: Who should pay to make homes more resistant to wildfire, and how quickly should homeowners be required to make upgrades?
- [1:01:00] Questions for individual candidates: Moderators press candidates on their records, campaign claims, leadership styles and qualifications.
- [1:15:30] Public safety: Is Boulder safe? Candidates identify the city’s most pressing public safety challenges and explain how they would address them.
- [1:25:22] Closing statements: Each candidate makes a final pitch to Boulder voters.
Boulder voters will elect their mayor directly using ranked-choice voting for the second time this November. The winner will serve a two-year term.
For more on the candidates, their positions on major city issues and the measures on this year’s ballot, visit Boulder Reporting Lab’s 2026 voter guide.