September 30, 2025 12:24 PM UTC

Aurora City Council Campaign Rally Embraces Right-Wing Rhetoric

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• by: Owen Swallow

(Nonpartisan no more — Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Originally posted at the Colorado Times Recorder

Municipal elections in Aurora are supposed to be non-partisan, but while Aurora’s elections are many things, non-partisan is not one of them. Last week, Aurora City Councillor Danielle Jurinsky and her slate of Republican-backed candidates held a rally at the Stampede Bar and Grill in South Aurora. Speeches from city council members became increasingly steeped in right-wing talking points, ending with one implying that leftists murdered Charlie Kirk.

What started off as a rally touting Aurora’s municipal government ended with Jurinsky’s rant which meandered from Charlie Kirk to supposed gang violence.

Around 50 or so people attended the rally at the Aurora bar.

Emceed by fellow Council member Stephanie Hancock — herself staunch conservative who drew criticism last year for referring to protestors as “bullies, terrorists, and anarchists” — the slate came out to give their vision of Aurora. Last year Hancock deflected criticism over refusing to engage with police reform advocates or taking their requests for meetings because she didn’t believe it was her job was being involved in law enforcement operations. In her opening remarks Hancock made a point to say she was proud of the work that the city council was doing with the Aurora Police Department on safety.

Steve Sundberg, Aurora’s mayor pro tem who represents Ward II, touted the decline of car thefts, the creation of a police outreach team to look for outstanding warrants on those experiencing homelessness, and new slate proposed homeless services that include 900 new overnight beds and walk-in psychiatric care.

“Regarding our police, we lost 126 police officers in 2021, it decimated our department,” Sundberg said. “We had some temporary leadership, some poor leadership, but now we have an excellent permanent police chief, Todd Chamberlain who has been on the job for about a year. So we are rebuilding that department.”

After Sundberg, Councilmember Amsalu Kassaw, who was appointed to the council to fill a vacancy, took the stage. Hancock and Jurinsky hailed him as the “first legal immigrant” to sit on the council, although both former City Council members Ingrid Lindemann and Ginny Zinth were naturalized immigrants.

“I want to thank God for bringing us together this night as one,” Kassaw said. “I also want to thank my incredible team, especially my ‘sister from another mother’, Danielle. I really appreciate you for coordinating this tonight, it’s a beautiful thing.”

Kassaw is a lieutenant with GEO Group, the private prison contractor that operates the ICE facility in Aurora that’s been plagued with complaints over inadequate access to nutrition and healthcare.

After Kassaw, Hancock retook the stage and told the audience that she wants to see the U.S. be energy independent.

Hancock said: “And I agree with the President, we have got to drill baby, drill! We have the cleanest coal and energy regulations in the world and the fact you have people trying to hamstring us from taking advantage of our natural resources is a travesty.”

Hancock added that she would like to see the city adopt more nuclear energy and was looking at technology as a means to bring new jobs to the city, namely AI and data centers.

Hancock took verbal swipes at Councilmember Crystal Murillo, who represents Ward I, where her ally, Stephen Elkins is running.

“We have a council member who is leaving, which is fine because Crystal never did anything anyway,” Hancock joked. “Did I say that with my outside voice? Yes, I did!”

Elkins took the stage and to say he was galvanized to enter the race due to his feeling that Murillo was not appropriately addressing the situation at The Edge at Lowry, the apartment complex that conservatives claim was taken over by the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

“I am often asked, ‘Oh, why are you running with the conservatives, with Danielle, don’t you know she’s a bully?’ and I’m like, ‘One of my opponents literally bragged about pushing out two other candidates so, who’s really the bully?’” Elkins said.

Elkins confirmed after the rally that he was referring to Gianina Horton who said in an interview with Jeff Fard, also known as Brother Jeff, that she had been involved with talks with other Democrats in the race before they ended their bid for council.

When asked, Gianina Horton said that Elkins was misconstruing her interview with Brother Jeff.

“Since I have only spoken to Mr. Elkins very briefly during the course of this year, I can only determine that what he is referring to are answers I gave on the public platform the Brother Jeff podcast show either on September 3rd or September 18th. I anticipate the specific show he may be referencing is the September 3rd one where I gave an answer to a question about the number of Democratic candidates running, which by that time was myself and Lea Steed. That question and answer starts at one hour and 30 minutes into the show for those who would like to listen for themselves. I can be reached directly at gianinaforaurora@gmail.com or 720-477-0917 for any and all comments or questions.”

“Mr. Elkins’ claim is a misinterpretation of my words and dismisses the integrity, accountability, and passion that Democratic candidates like Lea, Javier, and myself bring to serving the people of Aurora.”

After the event, the Colorado Times Recorder asked Elkins what if he had any concerns about the impacts of SNAP and Medicaid cuts could have on low-income Aurorans.

“For the most part, when I’m knocking on doors the issue I hear people care about is crime and safety,” Elkins said.

After Elkins, former city council member Marsha Berzins said she was back to serve another term.

Danielle Jurinsky took the stage next, walking on to a Charlie Kirk memorial rap where she proceeded to point at pictures of herself with Kirk for roughly 3 minutes.

“This [Charlie Kirk’s murder] has been weighing heavy on mind obviously,” Jurinsky said. “I was with Charlie Kirk on several occasions, and had several conversations with him. It has hit me really hard what happened to him because this is where we’re at as a society is political violence. We now know, someone like me now knows, that I can be murdered, taken away from my five-year-old son, for what I believe in. But I can’t be quiet, so I have to be brave.”

This isn’t about political parties anymore, those days are gone. ‘Statesmen-like behavior’ it’s gone. When I found out on American soil that a trans-national gang invaded my hometown, I will get a gun, I will go in, and I will start getting Americans out and no one will tell me otherwise.”

As a city councillor, Jurinsky elevated the false claim that Tren de Aragua had completely “taken over” Aurora, appearing on FOX News and later speaking at Donald Trump’s rally in Aurora.

“One party talks the talk and the other party will walk the walk,” Jurinsky said. “There are so many people who feel so lost right now. They know they don’t fit in with the activists and the agitators and the ones who wish to do harm and wish death upon me, the ones who killed Charlie Kirk. We are their home. We are the party of inclusion.”

Jurinsky seemed to claim that liberals killed the prominent conservative activist. As of now, there is no solid evidence that Tyler Robinson, Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer, was driven by “leftist” ideology.

Jurinsky complained that she was “painted by the media” to be a bully for her beliefs and that she was actually the victim of bullying from activists and the governor. Last year the Aurora Sentinel published an extensive feature on the bar owner and at-large council member’s propensity for berating her colleagues.

In one text exchange Jurinsky sent to her colleagues, she wrote: “My friendship will literally (sic) every single one of you is dead! DEAD! oh, and my loyalty… also dead! I hope you all have miserable fu***** lives! I might make that happen for a few of you. FU** YOU!”

It is undeniable that Jurinsky has passion for her political beliefs. Jurinsky’s tone was the most partisan out of the speakers which is unsurprising considering that she has become a right-wing darling in Colorado. Jurinsky made it clear that, at least for her, that the city council elections were about appealing to Republicans.