Tara Winer has served five years on Boulder City Council and is seeking a third term. Her priorities include reducing red tape, maintaining core city services and keeping Boulder relevant by encouraging science, business and art.
Winer describes herself as moderate but says her positions depend on the policy under consideration. She has previously received endorsements from PLAN-Boulder County, Boulder Elevated and Better Boulder, groups associated with Boulder’s moderate political bloc and support for walkable development. She has also been endorsed by prominent local Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse and state Sen. Judy Amabile.
Winer has often supported positions favored by the business community. She voted with the council majority to adopt a smaller minimum-wage increase than state law allowed after restaurant owners raised concerns. She also supported placing the creation of a Downtown Development Authority on the ballot, though a council majority declined to advance it.
Winer has also shown a willingness to reconsider her positions. After initially opposing zoning changes allowing more housing types near bus corridors, she ultimately supported the proposal. She said a conversation with former Councilmember Rachel Friend about wanting her parents to live next door in a duplex helped change her mind.
Winer emphasizes remaining accessible to residents, including those who disagree with her. After voting to approve the $5.8 million sale of a downtown parking lot for a hotel, she offered her phone number to opponents and told them, “I will be here for you.”
A grandmother of three, Winer is particularly invested in issues involving children. She supported including a lap pool in the proposed tax measure funding city facilities after South Boulder families advocated for replacing their recreation center. Reimagine South Boulder Rec Center, the group leading that effort, has endorsed her.
In 2024, Winer confronted a man shouting anti-Chinese slurs near children at a University Hill event. The man punched her and threw her to the ground, leaving her with bruised ribs and other injuries.
Winer’s local government involvement began in 2016 with the Chautauqua Access Management Plan working group. She later served on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and other city working groups. She currently serves on the Downtown Boulder Community Initiatives Board.
Winer works as a senior brand manager at ePromos Promotional Products and has more than 40 years of experience in sales and marketing. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she raised three daughters in West Philadelphia before moving to Boulder with her husband more than 12 years ago. Her daughters also live in Boulder County.
Occupation: Senior Brand Manager
Neighborhood: Chautauqua
Rent or own?: Own
Age: 68