As a former public servant committed to safeguarding the well-being of the people I served, I hold a solemn duty to honor that pledge. This is a moment to confront the issue rather than turning a blind eye, hoping it will disappear, or supporting policies that exacerbate it. My candidacy for Mayor aims to prevent the return of the old guard and the surrender of our city to external interest groups. I have been part of this process on several occasions before my first election victory. It's worth noting that the financial influence of outside interest groups has been substantial, as witnessed in the 2019 and 2021 races, but what sets this campaign apart is the transparency in reporting. In those previous races, our community only learned the extent of outside special interest group expenditures on their candidates after the election had concluded. This election appears more akin to a county, state, or congressional district race, which raises the question: why is there so much focus on Commerce City? The answer lies in the motivation of external interest groups seeking to invest in our city to influence contracts and policies in their favor.
In the realm of politics, especially in this 2023 race, "dark money" denotes spending aimed at shaping election outcomes, public policy, and political discourse. However, it's important to clarify that the source of this money must be disclosed to the public to combat the influence of undisclosed funds. What you might not be aware of is that this year, Commerce City has revamped its campaign finance reporting procedures. Instead of the traditional four reports, there are now six reporting periods spread across the election season. If you visit the Commerce City election website at https://www.c3gov.com/government/elections and scroll down to the Committees section, you'll find a diverse array of interest groups, ranging from environmental organizations to heavyweight players.
I'd like to address the smear campaign against me and others, which seems to be a part of the political landscape aimed at discrediting well-intentioned individuals running for the people of Commerce City, rather than catering to special interest groups. Notably, the smear postcard didn’t mentions the group responsible for the Candidate Forum which is Commerce City Chamber of Commerce (with no disrespect intended to the Adams 14 Education Foundation). I want to clarify that I couldn't attend the Commerce City Chamber of Commerce candidate forum due to a prior commitment that I couldn't cancel. I submitted my photo and responses to the questions, which are accessible on the Commerce City Chamber of Commerce website for your reference. However, I have actively participated in other opportunities to answer questions from our community.
I'm a candidate in this election, and while I haven't endorsed any specific candidates with financial contributions, I would personally like to see Ryan Keefer, At-Large, Craig Kim, At-Large, Jennifer Allen-Thomas, Ward 2 (for re-election), Renee M Chacon, Ward 3, and Susan Noble, Ward 4 (for re-election), alongside me.
