Three new faces will sit on Colorado Springs City Council later this month.
While two current council members, Don Knight and Jill Gaebler, could not run again due to term limits, incumbent David Geislinger in City Council District 2 was defeated, according to final unofficial results posted Wednesday.
Here's who won each district, as of the final unofficial ballot count posted on Wednesday, April 7:
- District 1: Dave Donelson - 48.01%
- District 2: Randy Helms - 37.5%
- District 3: Richard Skorman (Incumbent) - 59.53%
- District 4: Yolanda Avila (I) - 61.5%
- District 5: Nancy Henjum - 37.06%
- District 6: Mike O'Malley (I) - 61.49%
All candidates run without a political party affiliation in Colorado Springs’ nonpartisan city elections.
This is the first electoral victory for Mike O'Malley, who was appointed to his seat earlier in January when Andy Pico won his bid for the statehouse.
In the KRCC/CPR Voter Guide, Donelson, a former Green Beret, said he wanted to prioritize public safety, infrastructure and small businesses.
For Henjum, a long-time resident of Colorado Springs and a leadership consultant, the city is at a "critical juncture." She sees her priorities through the lens of growth. She identified supporting local and small businesses through post-pandemic recovery, strengthening neighborhoods, and investing in parks and open spaces as priorities.
Helms, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, said roads and infrastructure are his top priorities.
Council members will be sworn in during a special meeting set for April 20, at which time the council president and president pro tem will also be elected.
Voters across the city also decided to remove a word-count limit on titles for future tax measures. Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers praised the result, saying in a statement that it "will make it easier for local government to provide complete information on the ballot and help voters make a more informed choice."
All results are unofficial until they are certified. Official results are expected on April 19.
According to final results, 83,404 ballots had been cast in this latest municipal election; a voter turnout of just over 26.8 percent. That is a decline from previous years.
Colorado Springs’ last April municipal election took place in 2019, with a 37 percent turnout. That election was for mayor as well as at-large members of city council. The last April election for district seats was in 2017, with nearly 32 percent turnout.
Editor's Note: This story was updated from its original form to indicate final unofficial results.
