How much stock do voters place in endorsements? It s a good question with varied answers. While some endorsements bring lots of cash, others might bestow prestige, such as when one
Casey Bradley Gent
If youâre a one-issue voter and that issue is letting voters decide if Colorado Springs should allow recreational marijuana shops, youâre in luck.
That question gets a thumbs up from candidates in five of six Colorado Springs City Council races on the April 6 ballot. Neither of the candidates in eastern District 6 responded to the
Indyâs candidate questionnaire.
The 19 candidates in the other five districts split almost evenly, 10 to 9, on whether to give voters a whack at allowing retail pot stores.
The current Council turned away a ballot measure proposal last year citing confusion over details of how it would be implemented. The marijuana industry itself has never attempted to collect the thousands of signatures needed for a citizen-driven ballot initiative, which, if their petitions were found sufficient, would take the choice out of Councilâs hands.Â
Campaign news: Vote yes on Issue 1 launches, Jill Gaebler announces endorsement csindy.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from csindy.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The city election is taking place during the pandemic. Jon Lamson
This article was produced as part of a journalism class at Colorado College, taught by Corey Hutchins. The students are Amelia Allen, Esteban Candelaria, Jon Lamson, Arlo Metzger, Will Taylor, Frances Thyer and Peyton Wright.
As the race for six seats on the Colorado Springs City Council heats up, tens of thousands of dollars are already sloshing around the campaign coffers of the nearly two dozen candidates running in the April 6 elections.Â
The campaign donations show who has broad or limited support, illuminate potential coalitions among candidates who are giving to each other, and also show how much money some are willing to shell out of their own pockets to try and win a seat in city government.Â
Incumbent Colorado Springs City Council member David Geislinger has a battle on his hands, according to campaign finance reports due Feb. 15, which also suggest Republican politics will play a role.
Two of the three candidates trying to unseat Geislinger have raised more money by far than Geislinger. The other, Dave Noblitt, has raised $7,260 â $5,000 from the Colorado Springs Professional Firefighters Political Action Committee â and spent $6,363, leaving him with $897 on hand.Â
Geislinger has raised $3,254, compared to Randy Helms $11,361 and Jay Inman s $7,233.
Helms got a $5,000 boost from Gary Erickson, developer of Polaris Pointe, while Inman gave his campaign $10,000 and also received $100 from former Republican state representative Gordon Klingenschmitt.