CANDIDATE PROFILES: At Large
Seven candidates are running for two At-Large seats, including incumbent Kristi Douglas. Like the wards 1 and 3 seats, the winners will serve four-years terms on the City Council; however, unlike wards, voters are asked to vote for TWO candidates. Here is a look at all seven contenders, in the order they will appear on the ballot:
STEFANIE TRUJILLO
Trujillo is a mother of three children, and a legal professional. According to her campaign website, she has served as president of the Rocky Mountain Paralegal Association, teaches as an adjunct professor at the Community College of Denver, and helped lead the rollout of Colorado’s Licensed Legal Professional (LLP) initiative. She was appointed by Governor Polis to the Commission on Judicial Discipline. Also on her website, Trujillo says she “is focused on strengthening public safety, improving infrastructure, and making the city more family-friendly for longtime residents and new families alike.” According to her profile on the city’s elections page, she views the city’s location as its greatest opportunity, saying that Commerce City has “the opportunity to evolve into a thriving economic hub – with a priority of keeping our money within our community.” She says the greatest challenges facing the city are the need to grow responsibly, explore “opportunities to diversify our taxes, especially in the Northern range,” and work toward environmental responsibility.
ALEJANDRO DE LEON
The 30-year-old De Leon has not disclosed his occupation on his city profile, but according to his campaign website says he is running because he has a deep commitment to the community and is “focused on solving the real issues that matter most, housing, job opportunities and public safety.”
De Leon says the City’s greatest opportunities include: strategic economic development, saying the city’s location provides unique opportunities to encourage industries like technology, logistics, and professional services; thoughtful community growth and housing, saying that “Commerce City is at a pivotal moment where we can guide development in ways that benefit current and future residents,” adding that the city has opportunities to “expand housing options that are both affordable and attainable, while also adding amenities such as grocery stores, restaurants, parks, and recreational spaces.” He also includes “Investing in People and Quality of Life,” which he says “includes expanding youth programs and recreation, improving public safety through modern policing and fire services, and enhancing infrastructure like roads, sidewalks, and public transit.”
He says the three greatest challenges to the city are affordable and attainable housing, public infrastructure and transportation, and public safety and “Community Wellbeing ,“ which he defines as not only ensuring police, fire and EMS have sufficient training and equipment, but also means “prevention, investing in youth programs, mental health co-responders, and community engagement efforts that reduce the root causes of crime.”
JENNIFER ALLEN-THOMAS
Allen-Thomas is a former council member for Ward 2 and Mayor pro tem, who lost her re-election to current council member Rocky Teter in 2023. The registered nurse and former Department of Regulatory Agencies employee is now running for an at-large seat.
According to her campaign website, Allen-Thomas, who has lived in the same house in Commerce City her entire life, is running to “empower, enhance, and enrich” the residents of Commerce City, ensure seniors have a healthy environment, improve transportation systems, and bring more retail to the city.
In her profile on the city elections page, Allen-Thomas says the three greatest opportunities for the city are: development around Dick’s Soccer Stadium; economic development for grocery stores, retail stores, and hospitals; and expansion for more public transportation and infrastructure. The three biggest challenges she sees are: fighting for seniors, economic growth and development, and the unhoused population.
KRISTI DOUGLAS
The incumbent council member, and wife of Mayor Steve Douglas, is running for re-election to the at-large seat she currently holds. The grandmother and political activist stated on her 2021 campaign website that she “saw the need to become an activist to protect all our families and our environment from any further damage due to the Fossil Fuel Industry and systematic racial injustice,” and that her “moment of ‘wokeness’ to the corrupt and destructive actions of the Oil and Gas Industry” came to her after her son convinced her to watch the anti-fossil fuel film ‘Gasland.’”
Douglas says the top three opportunities for the City are: 1) the “very close proximity to the Denver International Airport and tremendous open space for commercial growth while educating our youth through public education as a way of developing ready workforce talent for attracting Primary Employers” and 2) Dicks Sporting Goods Park and the Colorado Rapids professional soccer team; and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.
Among the top challenges she lists are 1) attainable homeownership and affordable rental housing; 2) “providing a safe environment for our southern residents by addressing the homelessness crisis due to bordering Denver, addressing traffic hazards, and confronting unintended letdowns associated with (Urban Renewal Authority) possibilities;” and 3) “facing the reality for commercial and retail non-development throughout our city, but particularly in the north.” She also adds holding polluters accountable, lost tax revenue from the lack of retail, and fighting gentrification and privatization.
LORI YOUNG
Young, a mother of two and Executive Director of the Adams 14 Education Foundation, received a degree in social work from Colorado State University before embarking on a diverse career that spanned helping survivors of domestic violence, hospice care, the mortgage industry, and founding non-profit organizations. She was previously Development Director of Community Uplift Partnership (CUP), which opened the nonprofit Reunion Coffee House in 2018. In addition, she is Vice President of the Commerce City Chamber of Commerce and President-Elect of the Commerce City Rotary Club.
According to her campaign website, Young’s priorities are public safety, infrastructure, and affordable housing. She says on her City election profile that “If we have a city council with the focus, vision and willingness to create a business-friendly environment, I believe we can bring the amenities, restaurants, grocery stores and other necessities desired by the residents of Commerce City.” In terms of economic development, Young says that the City should leverage its “partnership with the urban renewal authority to enhance development of vacant properties at Victory Crossing, Mile High Greyhound Park and Derby downtown,” and attract new businesses by measures including streamlining the permit process. She also says she sees opportunity for responsible, managed growth, and “partnering with the state and county to improve transit, major highways, and airport connectivity.”
In terms of challenges, Young says that public safety is a key issue, citing Commerce City’s high rates of violent crime, property crime, and car theft, adding that the city needs to “ensure our first responders are well equipped to protect our neighborhoods while we address quality of life issues such as poor lighting and inadequate sidewalks.” She also lists high city taxes and attainable housing as challenges to overcome.
MICHELLE DEON LEE
The Houston native, who moved to Colorado in 1992, is an entrepreneur and public service advocate. According to her campaign website, her experience includes developing and implementing police policies and procedures at both the state and federal levels, and owning franchises, including The Lash Lounge. In addition, she says she has “served the senior community, supported People Living With AIDS (PLWA), fostered children, empowered individuals with developmental disabilities, addressed mental health needs, and collaborated with the incarcerated population.” On her website she says she is “committed to promoting inclusive, equitable, and effective governance by listening to all voices and working collaboratively.” She notes on her City profile that her goal is “to increase community participation so that residents have a stronger voice in decision-making.”
She identifies the city’s greatest opportunities as being economic growth, which she says “entails fostering a business-friendly environment, providing targeted resources and incentives for startups, and equipping our workforce with the skills needed to succeed in an evolving job market; community development, including infrastructure, parks, and public amenities; and Diversity and Inclusion.
She says the city “must balance growth with the efficient use of resources, infrastructure, and public services to prevent overburdening our community,” and develop “comprehensive strategies to increase affordable housing options, prevent displacement, and ensure that residents across all income levels can access safe, quality homes.” She also says public safety is a top priority, which she says includes “supporting residents facing evictions and foreclosures, which can lead to homelessness,” and citing her work with police and fire departments as enabling her to “approach these issues holistically.”
RYAN KEEFER
The 43-year-old Keefer is President of the North Range Metropolitan District #1 Board of Directors and moved to Commerce City with his family in 2021, according to his campaign website. He has also been appointed to the Commerce City Planning & Zoning Commission. He says his priorities are “to guide responsible, planned growth that benefits current and future families, and to hold our city accountable as good stewards of taxpayer dollars.”
Keefer says that the city has opportunities for what he sees as responsible growth & development and “stronger community engagement,” noting that “growth brings opportunity, but it also brings pressure on schools, parks, and public safety.” He cites other challenges as being traffic and infrastructure and “developer-driven decisions.”