The Republican stronghold looks as though it’s likely to stay in the Board of El Paso County Commissioners for at least the next couple of years.

Unofficial voting results on Tuesday night show incumbent county Commissioners Holly Williams and Cami Bremer, both Republicans, were winning reelection to represent El Paso County Commission Districts 1 and 5, respectively.

In the race for District 1, Williams had garnered 67.1% of the vote and was soundly beating Democratic challenger Ryan Lucas, who had 32.9%, according to unofficial returns. District 1 includes portions of northern Colorado Springs, Monument and Black Forest, and the communities of Gleneagle and Woodmoor.

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Bremer had earned 50.4% of the vote for District 5, which includes much of Colorado Springs, while her Democratic challenger John Jarrell trailed closely behind with 46.3% of the vote, unofficial results show.

Libertarian candidate Janet Turner had about 3.4% of the votes.

If Williams and Bremer win their reelection bids then Republicans would effectively maintain their unanimous majority on the five-member administrative and policy-making board for at least another two years. A Democrat has not held an elected local office in El Paso County for nearly 50 years.

Jarrell said by phone Tuesday night that such a close race for the District 5 seat had local Democrats feeling hopeful.

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“It feels good. It shows that people are hopefully waking up to county politics and the effects it has on their lives,” he said.

Williams, who was first elected to the Board of El Paso County Commissioners in 2018, said Tuesday her focus during her second four-year term is to increase funding for transportation infrastructure and the county parks system. She said she will also support local law enforcement and public safety.

“It’s been a lot of hard work, so it’s really rewarding to see the support,” Williams said of her reelection win. 

The county’s roads, including improvements to major thoroughfares as well as neighborhood roads, need pressing improvements, Williams has previously said. While campaigning, Williams highlighted how, during her first term as commissioner, she voted to increase El Paso County’s road maintenance budget by $13.1 million in ongoing revenue. This year, she also supported dedicating $24 million in one-time revenues for roads. 

As chairwoman of the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority, she also supported the proposed renewal of the 1-cent sales tax that pays for regional and multi-modal transportation projects. Voters were overwhelmingly approving that question, which asked to extend the 1-cent sales tax for a second time, 79.8% to 20.2%, unofficial returns showed Tuesday night.

“We’ve had so much growth in northern El Paso County and a lot of the roads on that ballot initiative, when the tax renews in 2025, we’ll be able to get right on and get a nice infusion of money into them. I’m really excited for that,” Williams said.

She also said the Board of El Paso County Commissioners was hoping to allocate more money to parks and will look to the county’s master plan to manage future growth.

“It’s a tough economy, so we’ll keep running with what we have and focus all of our priorities on what the citizens want,” Williams said.

Bremer, also first elected to the board in 2018, has said her No. 1 focus upon reelection is demanding “efficiency and reduction of red tape” for the county’s current programs and services.

“I will continue the work I did my first term on reducing the hassle and headache of interacting with the government at all levels, thus allowing business and individuals to thrive where they live, work and play,” she previously said.

Bremer has also said county commissioners must have “tough conversations” about El Paso County’s sustainable growth, calling for local leaders to develop and stick to long-term roadway, water and land infrastructure plans. She also said the county needs to cut red tape to allow the private sector to “create opportunities for housing at different income levels.” That should be paired with emphasis on economic and workforce development so the county’s economy can grow sustainably, she said.

El Paso County’s funding priorities must be on water and roads, public safety and providing services efficiently, Bremer also previously said. Any state and federal funds the county receives need to be efficiently and transparently used, she has said.