Former Aurora Mental Health Center executive director Randy Stith is endorsing Mike Coffman in his race for mayor.

The former congressman from Aurora is facing five other candidates in November in the race to lead the city.

Coffman and Stith have a long relationship stemming from Coffman’s decades of politics and Stith’s decades in community mental health.

“I first met Mike Coffman when he just got elected to the state House of Representatives in 1988,” Stith said in a statement released by the Coffman campaign. “He was always willing to listen to my concerns during his tenure in the state House and state Senate, and he continued to be a great advocate for the Aurora Mental Health Center in Congress.” 

Before leaving Congress, Coffman read a statement into the congressional record honoring Stith’s years of service.

Stith said Coffman has helped with Medicaid funding for mental health care in Colorado, as well as nationally.

“As an American, I will always be grateful for his work in Congress to mandate mental health care for all of our returning combat veterans,” Stith stated.

Coffman’s campaign noted that the Vietnam Veterans of America had honored the then-congressman for his working passing a bill to require the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide mental health care for combat veterans who have other than honorable discharges.