This story was updated at 10 a.m. Nov. 10.
Laura Weinberg has been re-elected to a second term as Golden’s mayor, beating out four challengers for the seat.
Additionally, Lisa Vitry and Patty Evans won their respective City Council district races. The two new councilors and Weinberg will be sworn in Jan. 9.
“I want to thank the voters of Golden for a great turnout this election,” Weinberg said in a Nov. 8 email. “I am excited for another term to keep working for everyone in Golden to build a brighter future for all.”
As of Nov. 8, Weinberg received 3,402 votes, accounting for 47% of the vote overall. Election results will be certified in the coming days.
Outgoing Golden Civic Foundation executive director Heather Schneider had the next-most votes with 2,652, or 37% of the overall vote.
Each of the other candidates had 10% or less: Golden City Brewery founder Charles Sturdavant had 734 votes; U.S. Army veteran and 35-year resident Country Joe MacDonald had 261 votes; six-year resident and restaurateur Waquim Filsaime had 100 votes.
Weinberg was elected mayor in 2019, and previously served as a city councilor and parks and recreation board member. She studied public policy at Brown University, and moved to Golden with her husband and two children in 2007.
During an Oct. 18 candidate forum, Weinberg said she wanted to continue finding collaborative solutions for the Clear Creek corridor, and that she supported transit options for residents and employees.
Golden’s new councilors
Meanwhile, in District 1, Vitry had 1,413 votes, accounting for 47% of the vote. Matt Duncan had 827 votes; Jacob Luria had 555 votes; and Mary Weaver had 229.
Vitry will take over JJ Trout’s District 1 Councilor seat, which represents the southern half of Golden. Trout chose to not seek re-election this November.
Vitry, who’s a board-certified medical technologist, said she intends to bring her leadership experience to City Council. In the Transcript’s candidate questionnaire, she described how Golden’s had a lot of turnover among department heads, including the police and fire chiefs, and the city manager. She believed the city now has “the right people in the right jobs at the right time,” and wanted to support the revitalized sense of community she said Golden’s currently experiencing.
Meanwhile, in the District 2 race, Evans had 1,975 votes — or 55% — over Benjamin Moline’s 1,619.
Evans will take over Casey Brown’s District 2 Councilor seat, which represents the northern half of Golden. Brown is term-limited.
Evans, who’s previously served on Golden’s planning commission, said in her Transcript questionnaire how she’s “never been afraid to be a dissenting vote or voice when it was needed.” As a councilor, Evans said she intends to hear everyone out and carefully consider all points of view.
Community elections are dynamic, so this story may be updated as new information becomes available.
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