More Boulder election coverage: Read about Aaron Brockett’s reelection as mayor and the results of city and county ballot measures, including the $400 million bond proposal. Follow the latest vote counts in our election results tracker.
Boulder City Council’s three incumbents running for reelection appeared headed for victory Tuesday, according to unofficial election night results. The early results also suggested that councilmembers endorsed by Boulder Progressives would retain their majority on the nine-member council.
Councilmembers Tina Marquis and Ryan Schuchard and Mayor Pro Tem Tara Winer were among 13 candidates competing for five seats. All three were poised to win reelection, according to results posted by the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder.
“I’m feeling optimistic and very excited to start working with this team,” Marquis, who led the field in votes, said during an election night watch party hosted by Boulder Progressives at Rosetta Hall.
This was Boulder’s first even-year council election since voters approved moving city elections to even-numbered years in 2022. Boulder Progressives backed the change, and supporters said it would boost turnout in local elections.
Jill Grano, a real estate agent and former councilmember who helped lead that effort, had about 13% of the vote Tuesday night and was poised to return to council.
“I feel so grateful to the Boulder voters for putting trust in me and also just in a positive vision,” Grano said.
The race for the fifth seat was too close to call Tuesday night. Sam Fuqua, a radio journalist, held a narrow lead over Ryan Jamieson, a cybersecurity consultant, with Jamillah Richmond, a diversity and education consultant, also in contention.
“This is important. But nobody is shooting mortars at me,” Jamieson, who served in the Army for four and a half years, said during a watch party at the Velvet Elk Lounge. “It could go one way, it could go the other way. I’m OK with that. I’m not stressed about it.”
Winer, who received the most votes of any candidate in her 2023 race, said one of her favorite parts of the campaign was getting to know her fellow candidates and watching them grow.
“I hope to see you on the other side,” she said.
In the mayoral race, Mayor Aaron Brockett won reelection. It was the city’s second direct mayoral election, decided by ranked-choice voting.
Candidates endorsed by Boulder Progressives have held a narrow majority for years, though those endorsements have not translated into a consistent voting bloc. Councilmembers backed by Boulder Progressives have split on recent issues, including the minimum wage and the creation of a downtown development authority.
Boulder Progressives endorsed Marquis, Schuchard, Grano and Fuqua, who were all leading or competing for a seat Tuesday night. The group also endorsed Richmond and Rachel Rose Isaacson. Winer, meanwhile, was endorsed by moderate groups Open Boulder and PLAN-Boulder County.
