Aurora Residents Use Last Chance to Rip Into Outgoing Conservative Councilmembers

After progressives flipped the Aurora City Council majority in the November 4 election, residents ripped into outgoing conservative councilmembers on Monday, November 17, during the first in-person meeting in five months.

Not only was the meeting the first since the November 4 election, but it was the last appearance of councilmembers Steve Sundberg and Amsalu Kassaw on the dais. The most controversial councilmember, Danielle Jurinksy, who lost her at-large seat despite national Republican stardom, was absent but hasn’t said why.

“We did our thing at the poll, and we got Steve’s bitch-ass out,” said Aurora resident Kevin Detreville. “And we got Danielle Jurinsky’s ass the hell up out of here. I can’t even pronounce your goddamn name [pointing at Kassaw], but we got yo ass the hell up out of here too, sir. See ya! That’s what the fuck we do!”

The Aurora City Council voted to go virtual in June after repeated protests halted meetings. The protests were in response to the city’s handling of the death of Kilyn Lewis, who was shot and killed in May 2024 by an Aurora SWAT police officer during an attempt to serve him an arrest warrant.

The city did not fire the involved officer, Michael Dieck, and in October 2024, the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s office announced that prosecutors would not file charges against him. One year later, Lewis’s family filed a lawsuit against the city, which is still ongoing.

Remaining conservatives on the council include Stephanie Hancock, Angela Lawson, Francoise Bergan, Curtis Gardner and Mayor Mike Coffman, who has a council vote. Incoming councilmembers, all of whom lean left, include Rob Andrews, Alli Jackson, Amy Wiles and Gianina Horton (replacing progressive Crystal Murillo, who declined to run for reelection). They’ll all be sworn in on December 1, and will join fellow progressives Ruben Medina and Alison Coombs on the council.

So starting next month, Aurora will have a 6-5 progressive majority. Although the council is nonpartisan, Coffman is a former GOP congressman and other members are either former or currently registered Republicans. Gardner, who attended the meeting virtually, changed his registered party affiliation from Republican to Independent in June 2024, but still considers himself conservative-leaning.

MiDian Shofner and Auon’tai Anderson, who led the Justice for Kilyn protests, organized a rally outside Aurora City Hall before the listening session, where Shofner said conservative councilmembers needed to leave because “Colorado is in a crisis of injustice.” She told people planning to speak at the meeting to “remind new councilmembers that they were not elected to return Aurora to the past or maintain the current broken conditions.”

Several speakers referenced comments by Councilmember Hancock in which she called protesters “terrorists, anarchists and opportunists” because of their interruptions and comments at meetings.

“There are five members on this council that we will not forget,” Shofner said, counting the mayor in that number. “Stephanie, we will not forget that you called us terrorists and other names. Angela, we will not forget your silence and your continued complicity in the things that happened…Francoise, we will never forget the laughing and the snarking and the things you did when Jurinsky was talking and doing the things she did.”

Aurora resident Susie Martinez said “good riddance” to Jurinsky and Sundberg, and took a personal jab at Sundberg referencing an incident when the councilmember was recorded on video making racist jokes at his bar, Legends.

“What’s up, Steve? You lost your race,” Martinez said. “You lost because of your racism. You lost because of your misogyny. And you lost because of your hatred. Also, your beard sucks.”

Sundberg wasn’t the only member who absorbed insults about his appearance. Detreville made fun of Hancock, who has a shaved head, as he told the surviving conservative members that they’ll be voted out next election.

“Mike, you’re next,” Detreville said. “Stephanie, your bald-headed-ass is definitely next. Bye-bye. See you. I hope that’s enough terrorism for you.”

Douglas County resident Portia Terrell brought up rumors that Jurinsky plans to run for a Douglas County Commissioner seat, which the councilwoman has denied. “Douglas County is also going to be ready for you, and you will not win,” she said.

Monday’s meeting was originally scheduled to wrap up at 6:40 p.m., but the council, which had its conservative majority for one more night, unanimously voted to allow an additional seven speakers who signed up…and as a result, they endured more verbal flogging.

A couple of speakers used the phrase “new day in Aurora” when talking about the incoming council and congratulated the progressive slate.

Longtime critic Anderson offered a bit of sarcastic sympathy “To my grieving Republican friends and Independent on the council, I offer you my thoughts and prayers at this time,” he said. “I hope you’re ready for the new day that’s coming to Aurora.”