Conservative candidates hold the fundraising edge for all of the council races in Aurora – except in one contest.

Ten candidates are running for five seats on the City Council this November. Up for election are two at-large positions and the seats in wards IV, V and VI. 

At-large candidates

Aurora residents will chose two at-large councilmembers on Nov. 7 for seats currently held by Curtis Gardner and Angela Lawson.

The pool of four candidates includes Gardner, current Ward V Councilmember Alison Coombs, Jono Scott, a pastor, and Thomas Mayes, also a pastor.

Coombs raised a total of $62,087. The majority of the money – at almost $60,000 – came from individual contributions. 

Out of 346 contributions to Coombs, 88 came from individuals who listed themselves as “unemployed.” And, of the total, 337 came from Colorado residents. Also, 200 came from Aurora residents and another 68 from Denverites. 

Coombs’ top contributors included the chair of Arapahoe County Democratic Party, three realtors and a professional photographer, each of whom contributed $1,150 to her campaign. 

Twenty-eight of Coombs’ contributions were over $1,000. 

Gardner raised a total of $124,370, with almost $92,000 in individual contributions and nearly $6,000 from committees.

Of his 242 contributions, 56 were over $1,000. His top contributors included AirBNB Inc. PAC, and four members of Haselden Construction, including the company’s CEO. Each contributed $1,150.

Gardner’s contributions came mostly from Colorado residents, with a few from out of state: three from Florida, two each from Arizona, Nevada, Texas and California, and one each from Tennessee, Washington, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York and South Dakota.

Aurora residents made up 65 of Gardner’s contributions; another 79 came from Denver.

Scott secured $102,012, with almost $97,000 from individual contributions and nearly $3,000 from committees. Scott also gave his campaign $2,150.

His top contributors included two leaders for Haselden Construction, who were also Gardner’s top contributors, businessman and philanthropist Edward Roski Jr., and the Consumer Fireworks Safety Association PAC, each of whom contributed $1,105.

Most of Scott’s 354 contributions came from Colorado residents, and several came from out of state: four from Wisconsin, three from Kansas, two each from Florida, Washington, Indiana, Nevada and California, and one each from Tennessee, Nebraska, Texas Georgia, Ohio, Maryland and Michigan.

Of his 354 contributions, 165 came from Aurora residents and 49 came from Denver.

Of the candidates, Mayes hauled in the lowest amount, with contributions totaling $50,293 – more than $44,000 in individual contributions, almost $2,000 in committee contributions and almost $2,000 listed as “other.” Mayes also gave his own campaign $7,500.

His other top contributors included a Denver resident listed as “unemployed,” who contributed $1,166, a Communications Workers of America committee, a Littleton resident and an Aurora resident. Each contributed $1,150.

Of Mayes’ 254 contributions, 247 came from Colorado residents, three from California, two from New York, and one each from D.C. and Louisiana.

Mayes’ Colorado contributions came largely from Aurora residents (142) and Denver residents (61).

Ward IV

Jonathan Gray and Stephanie Hancock are vying for the Ward IV council seat currently held by Juan Marcano.

Gray raised $8,476 as of Oct. 24. His top contributors were two Aurora residents, a Colorado Springs resident, a Communications Workers of America committee, and Aurora Ward VI candidate Brian Matise. Each contributed $450.

Gray received a total of 80 contributions, all but three of which came from Colorado residents. The others came from D.C., California and Illinois.

Of the Colorado contributions, 57 came from Aurora and eight came from Denver.

Hancock raised significantly more than her rival – $47,364 total from 282 contributions.

Her top contributors included a Denver doctor and four leaders in Haselden Construction, who also gave to Gardner and Scott.

Of her 282 contributions, 270 came from Colorado residents. Two each came from Wisconsin, California and Maryland, and one each came from Montana, Texas, Washington, Georgia, Arkansas and Louisiana. 

Within Colorado, her contributions came from 103 Aurora residents and 49 Denver residents.

Ward V

Chris Rhodes and Angela Lawson are running for the open Ward V council seat, currently held by Coombs.

As of the latest reporting deadline, Rhodes received 138 contributions, adding up to $10,191.

His top contributors included a self-employed Aurora resident, Matise, Arapahoe County Treasurer Michael Westerberg, a Florida resident, and a Jefferson County Public Library associate.

All but five of Rhodes’ contributions came from Colorado residents. The five out-of-state contributions came from Texas, Indiana, Florida, Virginia and Illinois. 

Of the Colorado contributions, 133 came from Aurora residents and 17 came from Denver residents.

Lawson, meanwhile, secured $33,250 from 108 contributions. 

Her top contributors included four Haselden Construction leaders – who also gave to Gardner, Scott and Hancock – and the social media manager for the Aurora Highlands. 

Lawson’s contributions came mostly from Colorado residents, but a few c were from out-of-state residents: two each from Nevada and California, and one each from Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Washington, Texas, Montana and Tennessee.

Thirty of Lawson’s Colorado contributions came from Denver and 19 came from Aurora. 

Ward VI

Incumbent Francoise Bergan and Brian Matise are competing for the Ward VI council seat.

Bergan raised $84,609 from 242 contributions. Her top funders were leaders from Haselden Construction, who also contributed to Gardner, Scott, Hancock and Lawson, and two business leaders.

Most of Bergan’s contributions came from Colorado, but she also got three from California, two from Arizona and one each from Pennsylvania, Texas, Nevada, New York, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Washington, Illinois and Montana. 

Her Colorado contributions included 75 from Aurora and 57 from Denver.

Matise secured significantly more than Bergan – $93,723 from 168 total contributions, the  bulk of which, $66,000, came from his own pocket. 

His top contributors included Marcano, the Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder, Rep. Eliza Hamrick, who represents southeast Aurora and Centennial, and a Greenwood Village resident.

Matise’s contributions came mostly from Colorado, and he got two each from D.C. and Alabama, and one each from Arizona and Kansas.

Aurora residents accounted for 105 of his contributions, while 10 came from Denver.