CANDIDATE PROFILES: Ward 3

Three candidates are running for Commerce City Council in Ward 3, including the incumbent, Renee Chacon, during this November’s election. Here is a look at the three contenders, in the order they will appear on the ballot:

RENÉE M. CHACON

Chacon is the incumbent Ward 3 Council member, running for re-election. Chacon, who describes herself as Diné, Xicana, and Filipina, is co-founder of “Womxn From the Mountain,” an indigenous activist organization. 

According to her profile on the City’s elections page, Chacon is running because the “community needs equity, health, and safety protections.” She says the three biggest opportunities for the City are “sustainable job growth, bringing in higher education and hospitals, and local retail development,” while the three greatest challenges are “traffic congestion, health impacts from industries, and unsafe job growth.”

Throughout her first term on council, Chacon has been a frequent opponent of development, the energy industry, and traditional law enforcement, while advocating for more funding for social welfare and environmental programs.

JOANNA SANDOVAL

Sandoval, a business opportunity specialist who lives in the district with her husband and five children. Her campaign website states that she is running for City Council “to make sure we have a strong voice for our families.”  She has sat on the board of the Potomac Farms metro district for the past 9 years and volunteers for several organizations, including the Daniels Fund, Sam Sandos Gift Baskets Program, Volunteers of America and Food Bank of the Rockies.

Sandoval’s priorities include economic development, stating on her website that she will “work with our local businesses, city employees, and our neighborhoods to make sure we are creating a business friendly environment in Commerce City that allows for businesses to easily set up shop.”

Her other top priorities are public safety, saying that “currently our community ranks near the top of the state in crime.” She will “make sure our first responders are well prepared to respond in our most vulnerable moments,” adding that she also supports measures such as better neighborhood lighting and “traffic calming measures that reduce the street racing and reckless driving.”

JACOB WILSON

Wilson, a sales professional, says on his City elections page profile that he is running “to strengthen Commerce City’s position as one of the most attractive places in Colorado to live, work, and do business.” He adds that he wishes to “ensure we manage growth responsibly, support business development, and maintain a balanced budget,” and that his goal is to “bring a results-driven, business-minded approach that helps Commerce City achieve long-term prosperity.”

Wilson says the top three opportunities for the city are strategic economic development, infrastructure investment, and public-private partnerships to “deliver high-value projects such as mixed-use developments, workforce housing, and commercial centers.” He also says that he believes that Commerce City’s location is an asset, saying that “our proximity to Denver, DIA, and major highways positions us perfectly for long-term economic success.”

Wilson previously ran unsuccessfully for Ward 3 in 2017.