A conservative candidate and a progressive colleague are poised to secure two open of Aurora’s at-large council seats, the unofficial tally of Tuesday’s election results indicate. 

Alison Coombs and Curtis Gardner hold a strong lead over their competitors. 

With votes split between four candidates rather than two, the chances of the candidates in third and fourth places catching are quickly closing.

Coombs, the current councilmember for ward V, and incumbent Gardner are neck-in-neck for first place, with Coombs leading over Gardner 28.2% to 27.7%, a gap of just under 500 votes, according to Wednesday’s vote tally.

In third and fourth places, respectively, are conservative candidate Jono Scott, with 22.3%, and progressive candidate Thomas Mayes, with 21.9%.

More than 5,000 votes separated Gardner and Scott. 

Gardner said he is happy voters gave him a second term and he is confident in the lead he held, despite votes still coming in. 

“I’m happy with how the election is going,” Gardner said. “I have a lot of faith in our election and hope most people do, as well. People who take the time to vote deserve to have their votes counted, and I wish more people voted, but I’m glad so many do.”

Coombs said she is grateful for the support from the public and that she expects the later votes to favor her and her progressive allies.

“I hope that, in the end, we see a stronger push for the progressive leadership our city needs across the board,” Coombs said. “Given trends from both 2019 and 2021, I do expect a significant gain for Democrats in the ballots that were returned later and are still being counted.”

Coombs, Mayes, Gardner and Scott all ran for two at-large council seats, previously held by Angela Lawson and Gardner, positions that, like the mayor, represent the entire city.

Coombs, 39, currently holds the Ward V council seat. She is a case manager for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She has been serving on the council since 2019 and was the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to the council in Aurora’s history.

Gardner, 38, currently holds an at-large council seat, a position he has occupied since 2019. Outside of the council, Gardner is a public sector solutions manager for WM. He has lived in Aurora most of his life.

A resident of Aurora for more than 30 years, Mayes, 70, is a pastor of Living Water Christian Center Church and a Vietnam veteran. He serves on the Police Incident Review Board and Consent Decree.

Scott, 41, has been a pastor in Aurora since 2004. He has been a member of the city’s Budget Advisory Committee for the last six years.

The four candidates’ approaches to dealing with Aurora’s top concerns, which include homeless and public safety, vary.

For example, while Scott wants to enhance punishments for crimes. Coombs believes the only way to reduce crime is by addressing its root causes. Gardner believes in both restorative justice and penalties for crime, he said during a candidate forum. Mayes said the city needs to increase law enforcement visibility.