The 2023 Colorado Springs mayoral election was held on April 4, 2023, to elect the mayor of Colorado Springs, Colorado, with a runoff scheduled for May 16. Incumbent mayor John Suthers was term-limited and could not seek a third term in office. The election was officially nonpartisan.[1]
A wide field of candidates filed to run in the election, including several members of municipal government. Colorado Springs has long been a conservative bastion in the state of Colorado, and none of the candidates running to succeed Suthers identified as members of the Democratic Party. In the first round of voting, no candidate received a majority and the race was forced to a runoff election. Independent African immigrant and political newcomer Yemi Mobolade advanced to the runoff, along with Republican city councilor and former Colorado Secretary of StateWayne Williams.[2]
Mobolade defeated Williams in the runoff.[3] He became the first elected black mayor of Colorado Springs, as well as the first non-Republican elected[a] mayor in the city's history.[3][4]
Candidates
The following candidates qualified to appear on the ballot.[5] Glenn and Gonzalez were identified as the most conservative candidates in the race, with Strand and Williams being more moderate.[6]
^Although Mobolade is the first black and first non-Republican elected mayor of Colorado Springs, he is not the first black person or first non-Republican to serve as mayor; Leon Young, a black Democrat, briefly served as acting mayor in 1997 following the resignation of Bob Isaac.
(first round)
(runoff).png)
.JPG)
.jpg)
