What does running for Arvada City Council even mean?

As a first-time candidate running for local office here in Arvada, Colorado, every day you learn how to run a campaign, what strategies work better than others, and interact with people outside of your normal social bubbles. Even a year into campaigning, I still am learning a ton about how to run for office. As I often say "I may know smart community policy, but politics is another beast!"

Let's dive a little into what running for local office really means...

• It’s nonpartisan. That means I cannot and will not run as a party. You can be registered with a party but that doesn’t mean you run as a D or R. Frankly, it's quite refreshing to not have to "pick a side" to serve in office. To ensure my campaign is true to the nonpartisan theme, I have worked hard to diversify our local volunteer campaign team which is comprised of small business owners, veterans, Arvada police, social workers, LBGTQ+, and both conservative and liberal residents. I am proud that we can bring different ideologies together to support a service-driven candidate like myself.
  
• You have to fundraise a lot! I literally had to fundraise more than my annual salary at my nonprofit for a local election! Candidates can receive a max donation of $750 from someone. You can also get donations from businesses, developers, or PACS. I’m proud to say I have only received donations from individuals to avoid any conflicts of interest.
  
• We make tough decisions. Council oversees funding for programs like our police department and reviews housing developments and how we move about in our community. My background in housing policy, social work, and military police will help bring a unique lens when making those tough calls.
  
• We “play nice”. When candidates file to run in Arvada, we agree to keep it clean. That means we don't talk trash on each other and we redirect our supporters to not slander or lie. We are all tired of mudslinging and negative messaging in politics and our neighbors don’t want it in our amazing city.
  

• It’s not a full-time job. In addition to running I will still work my job in disaster/emergency response with Team Rubicon and serve on my Arvada and Jeffco boards and commissions (such as the Arvada Chamber Resiliency Taskforce, City Charter Committee, and Jeffco Advisory Board that oversees federal community grant funding). That means candidates answer emails in the morning before work and make phone calls to voters in the evenings.
  

While it takes a lot of energy to run and is awkward to ask for donations, I am running because I believe we all have a role in helping each other and the community. I know my diverse background can elevate our city into the future and my social work background will help me continue to bring a compassionate lens to bring our neighbors together.

As we dive into campaign season, be sure to ask questions directly to candidates. Don’t believe everything on social media or rumors - that is not the community or dynamic we want in our community and I will help set that example in our political world.

Reach out anytime with questions or comments - I’m always here for you!
Email: Lisa@LisaForArvada.com
Cell: (720) 675-8854