By Jen Schumann | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice
Transparency, safety and responsiveness emerge as top issues in grassroots-driven victories
All four City Council seats up for election in Grand Junction this April have been claimed by candidates promising a new direction for the city. While official results won’t be certified until later this month, the margins are clear—and the message from voters, even clearer.
Cody Kennedy, Robert Ballard and Ben Van Dyke each secured a win in their contested council races. Laurel Cole, who ran unopposed in District A, rounds out the incoming group. The results point to strong voter support for candidates focused on transparency, public safety and responsiveness to residents.
“Let’s take Grand Junction back,” Van Dyke told supporters during his victory speech at the election night watch party at Blue Moon Bar & Grill.
Cole followed with a smile. “I don’t think we need to take it back. We took it back.”
Election results favor change
The latest vote totals show decisive victories in all four City Council races. In District A, Laurel Cole was unopposed and received 12,096 votes. Cody Kennedy won District B with a 3,047-vote lead over Alexis Hitzeroth. In District D, Robert Ballard defeated Mayor Pro Tem Randall Reitz by 1,329 votes. Ben Van Dyke took District E, finishing 1,008 votes ahead of Kenneth Scissors, with Laura Houston in third – though she had formally withdrawn from the race prior to Election Day.
Ballard, who entered the race as a political outsider, credited the community for his win. “This election has always been about the people’s voice,” he said. “I came in as the underdog and you guys showed that we can upend an incumbent that is not doing what they’re supposed to do on behalf of the people of Grand Junction.”
A message that resonated
Each candidate brought their own style, but the themes were strikingly consistent. Each thanked supporters for their work knocking doors, making calls and sharing the message with neighbors. Each emphasized service and accountability.
“We knocked on about 7,000 doors. We made around 13,000 phone calls. We sent a lot of mail. We worked really hard to get here,” Kennedy said. “We will not take this for granted. We’ll continue to serve you.”
Van Dyke said he was honored by the level of community support. “One of the biggest honors was the amount of people that were willing to step up behind you in this process and truly support you in our community and believe in what you stand for.”
Cole echoed that message, saying she’s excited for what’s ahead. “We all want transparency. We all want that equal accountability. We all want the truth. And we all want to know what’s going on.”
Issues that defined the election
The Rocky Mountain Voice (RMV) has covered a number of city issues over the past year that also took center stage during the campaign. Among them were growing concerns about homelessness and public safety, frustrations over the 4th/5th Street Pilot Project and the city’s role in housing and development.
Business owners told the city council last fall that crime and loitering tied to the Resource Center had driven away customers. During a city meeting covered by RMV in October 2024, one business owner warned, “My revenue is down 30 percent because my customers tell me they feel unsafe.”
Meanwhile, residents packed meetings and left comments criticizing the city’s rollout of a downtown street redesign that eliminated parking and reduced car lanes. Residents turned to song—and satire—to voice their frustration, “They painted lines and took out spots. Now the cars are stuck, tied up in knots.”
On housing, candidates pointed to backlogs and red tape in the planning department that they said were slowing new construction. “Yes, impact fees have an impact on affordable housing. Actually, all housing. And I’m not completely opposed to doing a bit of a tiered structure so that we can build more at the lower end and encourage that type of building,” Kennedy said during a February forum.
During the same event, Van Dyke warned against overspending and fee increases without public input. “We can have grand dreams of the Taj Mahal that we want to build as our park, but in reality, the income level of Grand Junction doesn’t support that.” He added, “Instead of looking at our budget and wondering where we can cut to actually make it work for Grand Junction, instead of asking the voters for a tax increase, we’re going to impose fees on our voters without ever even asking them.”
The result? Voters sided with those calling for change.
Pictured, back row from left: Beau Flores, Steven Panchenko, Andrea and Greg Haitz, Jaylen Mosqueira. Front row from left: Nova Tucker, Ben Van Dyke, Cody Kennedy, Robert Ballard, Tiffany Coolage.
Grassroots energy powered the campaigns
In their victory speeches, each candidate offered thanks to Road to Red, a statewide project launched by Heidi Ganahl, to engage volunteers and leverage innovative activation techniques.
“We worked our butts off, but we really appreciate all the advice on how to manage our campaigns and messaging,” Ballard said.
“For me, it was completely life-changing,” Cole added. “Thank you so much for all the support.”
Van Dyke credited outreach help “from the background” and said the effort was “truly amazing.”
Ballard offered a reminder of why voters showed up. “This is the result that the people of Grand Junction have been wanting for quite a while now.”