One second-place-finishing Wheat Ridge City Council candidate in the Nov. 4 general election found the experience personally satisfying and surprising.
Another hopes his experiences might help lead to more contested elections.
Justin Slocum and Alex Gouldsmith have focused on the positives of running campaigns that came up short, and both may run again sometime in the future.
Connecting on another level
In an interview with the Gazette, Slocum said running for the District 3 seat was “nothing like I expected.” Slocum lost to Pat QuinBy a 1,788-1,308 (58%-42%) count.
“I had no idea what I was going to receive emotionally,” he added. “Everyone is so wrapped up with digital communication nowadays so when I went door-to-door campaigning, we connected on a whole other level.”
Slocum said people would introduce him to their families and pets, “Tell me what they enjoy and just trusted me as a complete stranger.”
Slocum decided to run for office “to do something.”
“I don’t have any ties to local government or an agenda to build something except for a better community,” he stated.
The process was “extremely overwhelming” and Slocum said he “didn’t know what I didn’t know.”
Since the election, Slocum said he’s talked to some people in the political community about “putting something together based on my experiences to help other candidates keep on the right path.”
He’s also thinking of running for office again at some point.
“You need a thick skin, even at the local level,” Slocum said. “I knew people would come after me and they did.”
Slocum added he and fellow candidate Gouldsmith —who lost the District 4 race to incumbent Scott Ohm by a 1,376-974 (59%-41%) tally—kept in touch during the campaign and helped each other deal with what came up.
“He looked at some things differently than I did, so it was good to get another view,” Slocum said. “We kind of helped each other navigate through the campaign and I enjoyed it.”
Gouldsmith encourages contested races
Gouldsmith, in a separate interview with the Gazette, said he thought about running for office for a while after serving on some volunteer city committees.
“My wife strongly urged me to run, even though we just had a newborn,” he told the Gazette in an interview.
Gouldsmith was surprised at how much work had to take place before he knocked on his first door. Developing a campaign platform and setting up the various social media outlets now common to political campaigning were some tasks he mentioned.
“That took a good month and a half,” he stated. “Then when I did my first canvassing, I thought I could knock on 50 doors in under an hour. But after an hour and a half I wasn’t even close” to 50 doors.
Gouldsmith noted he and Ohm had similar platforms and his initial goals—beyond winning—were to garner at least 800 votes and knock on 700 doors.
“I did both, so I’m proud of that,” he said. “As the election drew closer, I grew more optimistic. People I didn’t know would approach me and say they voted for me.”
Gouldsmith may run again, “But it will be at least two to four years down the line, mostly because of the time commitment” and to help care for his baby daughter.
If the city wants to improve its elections process, Gouldsmith said, getting more people to run should be a focus.
“Right now we’re not pulling enough people in to offer competition in every race,” he said. “I think they should approach former council alumni and have them serve on a volunteer committee that would work toward getting people to run.”
Gouldsmith said offering a perspective from those who served on the council would help answer questions from interested-but-unsure potential candidates.
Current council members would also show leadership by participating in the effort, he added.
“I know there are many Wheat Ridge residents who are highly motivated to make sure the city remains a safe and inclusive community,” Gouldsmith said. “That’s how I feel and why I ran. I want my daughter to grow up here and feel the same way.”
“I hope my experience might motivate someone to run,” he stated. “It was an amazing time and I was grateful for the opportunity. People were incredibly warm and inviting. We all want the best community we can for ourselves and others, so I hope some people see this article and realize they have the power to run, too.”
Slocum applied for vacant post-election seat
The eight-member city council consists of two council members elected from each of four districts. District 3 Councilmember Korey Stites was elected mayor in the Nov. 4 election and resigned from his council seat on Nov. 10, according to a memo to the council.
Five applicants were considered to fill the vacancy: Maki DeLaet, Rebecca Groth, Simon McGowan, Slocum and Susan Wood.
Slocum told council members at Dec. 1 applicant interviews he applied to fill the vacancy because he garnered more than 1,300 votes in the election.
“These people invited me into their homes and expressed their concerns and praise for the city,” Slocum said. “They confided their wants and wishes and a lot of them contributed financially—some by substantial amounts—to see me on this council.”
Slocum also noted he was the only one of the five applicants “to put myself out there” as an election candidate.
A few of Slocum’s supporters addressed the council at it’s Dec. 8 meeting, where the vacancy was filled. Slocum again tried to sway council members to appoint him.
”I’m not claiming an entitlement to this position,” he said. “I just think the most democratic, stabilizing and transparent choice is to honor the intent of those voters who supported me. I think my appointment would provide some continuity and preparedness.”
However, Quinn made a motion to appoint Wood to fill the vacancy in his district.
“This isn’t an election like last month,” he said. “It’s an appointment that requires someone with judgment, accountability and a vision for leadership that serves the public. I think Susan has walked that path to strong leadership.”
Councilmember Rachel Hultein noted all current council members are “empty nesters” with grown children, and made a substitute motion to appoint McGowan. He told the council in his Dec. 1 interview of his involvement in local schools his children attend.
“And he brings a few other perspectives around fiscal policy and networking with the business community that I feel would also be a benefit,” Hultein said.
The vote on Hultein’s substitute motion failed and the original motion to appoint Wood passed. She was immediately sworn in to office and will serve until the Nov. 8, 2027, election.
