Affiliate members of the Colorado Forward Party were elected this month in city council races in Colorado Springs and Grand Junction. The party made several public endorsements in both areas ahead of the state’s municipal elections.
In a statement on X posted Thursday, the national Forward Party announced that four of the six city council candidates endorsed by the organization since the beginning of the month were successful in their elections. Endorsements included Laurel Cole, Cody Kennedy, and Randall Reitz in Grand Junction, as well as Rick Gillit, Nancy Henjum, and Kimberly Gold in Colorado Springs.
A representative for the Colorado Forward Party confirmed to Independent Political Report that the candidates were affiliate members, which are individuals who publicly support the Forward Party but are not officially registered members and may also be involved with other groups. They also completed values pledges with both the state and national parties as part of the process. All six candidates backed by the party were running in nonpartisan elections.
Unofficial election results from Grand Junction, where voting took place on Tuesday, show that Kennedy and Cole both won. Cole was unopposed for an open seat, while Kennedy defeated one challenger. In Colorado Springs, which held its election on April 1, Henjum and Gold were elected in competitive four-way races. Results for the races of the four winning candidates are as follows:
| Candidate | Vote total | Vote percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Alexis Hitzeroth | 6,579 votes | 40.6% |
| Cody Kennedy | 9,626 votes | 59.4% |
*Specific percentage not provided in results
| Candidate | Vote total | Vote percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Laurel Cole | 12,096 votes | 100%* |
*Specific percentage not provided in results
| Candidate | Vote total | Vote percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Kimberly Gold | 2,253 votes | 38.95% |
| Sherrea Elliott-Sterling | 1,737 votes | 30.03% |
| Chauncy Johnson | 1,517 votes | 26.22% |
| Jeannie Orozco Lira | 278 votes | 4.81% |
| Candidate | Vote total | Vote percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Nancy Henjum | 7,455 votes | 49.07% |
| Cass R Melin | 805 votes | 5.3% |
| Christopher Burns | 4,322 votes | 28.45% |
| Jim Miller | 2,612 votes | 17.19% |
The Forward Party seemingly is picking up speed, though the question is whether they will be able to capitalize on the low approval for both parties. However, with the midterms still a ways away and Yang not running for anything, it will be hard to see mainstream results.
Richard: Apologies for the delay! I reached out to the state party for clarification and wanted to follow up once I heard back from them. To your point, the candidates are not registered members; they’re affiliate members who signed pledges with both the state and national parties. I’ve updated the article to reflect that.
Are any of the winners registered members of the Forward Party?