City of Boulder Council Candidates (2023)

Want to read how the mayor election affects council outcomes? Click and read below.

I am recommending voting for Ryan Schuchard, Taishya Adams, and Silas Atkins – and I have a few suggestions for how you might use your fourth vote.

Taishya Adams and Ryan Schuchard have among the highest number and most important endorsements for all city council candidates in 2023. Both have been endorsed by Boulder Progressives, Better Boulder, Sierra Club, Bedrooms Are For People, The Boulder Daily Camera, and Boulder Weekly, among others.

Ryan Schuchard’s motivation to run for council comes from a desire to make Boulder an even friendlier, more welcoming place that builds on its housing, transportation and climate goals. He really understands the inter-connectivity of all of these issues that combine to inform his vision for a more progressive and inclusive Boulder. Ryan’s current role on the city’s Transportation Advisory Board will ensure that he can quickly transition to being an effective city council person.

Taishya Adams blends a passion for the environment and social justice with a depth of experience that makes her a top candidate. Her public service on Colorado’s Parks and Wildlife Commission, as well as on Boulder’s Police Oversight Panel, and her deep work in schools and education, give Taishya a background to work at all levels of government. I look forward to Taishya’s holistic approach to addressing Boulder’s critical needs for the climate, housing, and social equity.

Silas Atkins will bring a solidly progressive viewpoint to council on a range of issues along housing, livable wages, and social justice, among other topics. He works as a paraeducator for BVSD, he’s a single dad with two kids, and he rents his housing — all great perspectives that have little or no representation on council currently. Silas has several strong endorsements from the Boulder Area Labor Council, Bedrooms Are For People, and the Boulder Weekly.

Most people reading my voter guide will want to use all of their votes, and I believe it’s incredibly important in this cycle to make sure to vote for four candidates for city council. While I don’t have a definitive fourth pick this year, I do think there are some possibilities for a solid choice.

First, I want to address who I am recommending you not support. Several candidates endorsed by Boulder Elevated, PLAN Boulder, and Safer Boulder have viewpoints and agendas that are deeply contrary to the work being done and proposed by progressives across our city. Those candidates are Terri Brncic, Tina Marquis, and Jenny Robins. I find the positions of the organizations endorsing these candidates to be anti-housing, anti-homeless, and opposed to many kinds of important and equity-focused changes in Boulder. I do not believe these candidates’ positions will differ significantly from these groups’ platforms.

Three candidates I think are worth considering for your fourth vote are: Tara Winer, Waylon Lewis, and Aaron Neyer.

Tara Winer is a two-year incumbent who has a record that is strong on transportation issues, mixed on housing issues, and poor on issues around policing and social justice. Tara is very accessible and consistently reaches out to community members across the city to learn more about differing points of view and to engage in meaningful conversation about hot-button topics. Tara is very open to criticism and to learning more about issues that matter to the people of Boulder. Tara has endorsements from a broad array of constituencies in 2023 and will absolutely win re-election. I hope to see her become more pro-housing in her second term.

Waylon Lewis grew up in Boulder and is a candidate that has perhaps the broadest array of personal endorsements across the political spectrum, but fewer organizational endorsements (notably Better Boulder, Bedrooms Are For People, and Sierra Club). Waylon has prided himself on being an “independent” candidate, caught between two strong slates of candidates. While Waylon is strong on housing, transportation and climate, his positions on homelessness, policing, and social justice issues have regressed during this race and on many of these topics he is more in line with the PLAN/Safer slate than with the more progressive candidates.

Aaron Neyer would bring a fresher perspective to city council. Aaron has a great vision for community and bringing people together, and is someone who rents housing and has a passion for addressing our housing and climate challenges. Aaron has fewer personal and group endorsements which will reduce the likelihood that he may be elected.

Here is a visual representation of the City Council candidate endorsements:

How do possible mayor election outcomes play into possible council majorities?

If Aaron Brockett or Bob Yates are elected mayor, four council candidates will win seats.

If Nicole Speer is elected mayor, five council candidates will win seats. However, voters will only get to select four of those members directly on the ballot, and the fifth will be the fifth-highest of vote totals.

So, who will get the top four (or five) city council spots by vote totals? Speaking in general terms, we can see that:

• Tara Winer will get re-elected, as she is the only incumbent running, and has the broadest support and most financial backing when including outside group spending.
• Ryan Schuchard and Taishya Adams are by far the strongest progressive candidates
• Terri Brncic, Tina Marquis, and Jenny Robins are (besides Tara) by far the the conservative candidates who have the best chance at winning
• Silas Atkins and Waylon Lewis have areas of strong but varied support
• Aaron Neyer and Jacques Decalo have more limited levels of support

While not an election prediction, I see the most likely outcome to be that 1-2 progressive candidates get elected, and 2-3 conservative candidates get elected.

Currently council has had a 6-3 majority on some housing and progressive issues (more or less). Going back to the mayor election, my expected value for progressive council members, including the mayor, is as follows (remember — you need five votes for a majority on any issue):

• If Bob Yates wins mayor – I expect council to have 4-5 progressives
• If Nicole Speer wins mayor – I expect council to have 4-5 progressives
• If Aaron Brocket wins mayor – I expect council to have 5-6 progressives

Again, this is not an election prediction — but given the available data, I believe these are highly likely outcomes.

Additional Reporting, Commentary, and Sources

A 10-minute guide to candidates for Boulder City Council, mayor and school board – Boulder Beat

Boulder Reporting Lab Voter Guide – City Council

Ryan Schuchard wants to save lives, money and the planet through better transportation – Boulder Beat

Taishya Adams has a vision for Boulder’s ‘just and joyous’ future – Boulder Beat

Ryan Schuchard — 2023 Boulder City Council Candidate Questionnaire – Boulder Weekly

Taishya Adams — 2023 Boulder City Council Candidate Questionnaire – Boulder Weekly