Two incumbent councilmembers hold the lead for Aurora’s two at-large council seats, the unofficial returns showed.

Curtis Gardner and Alison Coombs were tied at 28% each, while Jono Scott and Thomas Mayes trailed in third and fourth places, respectively. 

Meanwhile, incumbent Francoise Bergan held a comfortable lead over challenger Brian Matise, 63.6% to 36.3%, for the Ward VI seat.

“I am proud to continue serving the City of Aurora and Southeast Aurora,” Bergan said. “We have a great city that we should be proud of. We just need to keep it safe and keep it pro-business, and we’re going to be pursuing economic development to make us the greatest city in the state of Colorado.”

While the city’s political races are nonpartisan, conservatives hold the majority of council seats. The 10 councilmembers are part-time elected officials, meaning they may hold outside jobs. The mayor’s position is full-time.

Coombs, Mayes, Gardner and Scott all ran for two at-large council seats, 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.

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.

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.

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.

In Ward VI, Bergan, the incumbent, retired from a management and sales career. Matise, 65, is a retired physicist, high school science and math teacher and commercial litigation attorney.

Bergan and Matise also diverge in their views on addressing Aurora’s challenges. Bergan believes housing people first “does not do any good without offering resources.” Matise advocates for a “housing first” model, saying it is cheaper to prioritize housing than enforcement.

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

Scott raised more than $108,000, and Gardner over $107,000. Coombs raised over $69,000 and Mayes just over $55,000.

In Ward VI, Bergan secured more than $85,000, while Matise had almost $101,000.