ELECTION 2025: City to host ‘Candidate 101’ meeting
Deadline to file is Aug. 25
Greeley residents will have the opportunity on Monday to learn about the city’s election process and how they can run for office. With a quickly approaching election on Tuesday, Nov. 4 and an even faster approaching deadline for potential candidates, the Greeley City Clerk will host “Candidate 101” at 6 p.m. Monday at the City Council Chambers in City CenterSouth, 1001 11th Ave. The event is free and open to anyone who wishes to learn more about the process.
“Anybody who would like to be running, or just wants general information or just wants to come. They can come and listen to all of the steps and procedures that they need to satisfy and answer questions,” City Clerk Heidi Leatherwood said. “It’ll be a very open forum.”
The event will cover all the different procedures that candidates need to complete through a short presentation and will also include time for questions. Residents who are then inspired by the presentation, or interested in running for office already, will be able to receive all the necessary forms at the event as well.
Five city council seats will be up for election this November, including the mayor’s seat. So far, 10 people have filed with the clerk to run for the council. For Ward 2, which encompasses the area southeast of 23rd Avenue and 16th Street, including the University of Northern Colorado and Greeley Central High School, current Councilwoman Deb DeBoutez faces Brandon Wark as a challenger for the seat. For Ward 3, which encompasses the area southwest of the intersection of 35th Avenue and 10th Street, extending to the western border of Greeley, current Councilman Johnny Olson faces Valerie Leal-Whitehead, who has filed to run but has yet to announce. For Ward 4, which encompasses the area northwest of the intersection of 35th Avenue and 10th Street, Bill Gillard and Amberleigh Gregor have filed to run. Neither candidate has announced their campaign publicly.
For the at-large seat, which represents Greeley as a whole, Antonio Molina and Ryan Roth have filed to run, as current Councilman Brett Payton is term-limited. Former Ward 4 Councilman Dale Hall will seek the mayor’s seat this November, facing a challenger in Tiffany Simmons .
Starting Wednesday, Aug. 6, candidates will begin circulating nomination petitions that require candidates to collect 25 signatures from registered voters in Greeley. These signatures will be due by Aug. 25, but residents can still file to run until that date and any candidates who are approved and decide to proceed after Sept. 2 will be locked into the race.