THE ANDERSON FILES

second. This Williams is a well-known figure in Colorado. He was elected secretary of state in 2014, after being an El Paso County commissioner and county clerk. He’s currently an at-large city councilmember for Colorado Springs.

Of the mayoral runoff election, Chase Woodruff of Colorado Newsline reported:

“Mobolade pitched himself to voters as a moderate who would make Colorado Springs an ‘inclusive, culturally rich, economically prosperous, safe and vibrant’ city. He struck broad notes of agreement with Williams and other conservatives when it came to tough approaches to issues of crime, policing and homelessness, and he rejected Williams’ claims that he supported collective bargaining rights for city employees.”

Heidi Beedle, who covers the city’s politics for the Colorado Springs Independent (a paper similar to Boulder Weekly) and the Colorado Times Recorder (an online progressive political outlet), criticizes “pundits and politicos across the country” who portray Mobolade’s win as a progressive victory. She notes that “Mobolade is not a Democrat and has a history of union-busting and wage theft as a business owner.”

She writes: “Much of the opposition