Plot twist in first Boulder ranked-choice mayoral vote: Brockett takes lead late

BOULDER — About 22 hours after polls closed in Boulder, there’s a new front-runner in the city’s race for mayor: current Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett.

After narrowly trailing Boulder City Councilman Bob Yates while the first few sets of ballots were counted through Tuesday night and into Wednesday, Brockett took a 497-vote lead just before 5 p.m. on Wednesday when the Boulder County Clerk’s office released its latest tabulation. 

The race could still tip in either direction, as election officials estimate there are about 3,600 votes left to count. 

This election marks the first time city residents will directly choose their top elected official via a ranked-choice vote. In the past, members of the Boulder City Council selected one of their own to serve a term as mayor. 

In addition to Brockett and Yates, Boulder City Councilwoman Nicole Speer and retired software engineer Paul Tweedlie were vying for the mayoral office. Speer and Tweedlie were eliminated in previous rounds of ranked-choice voting.

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