Beka Venturella enters Longmont City Council race for at-large seat
Aug. 3—Political newcomer Beka Venturella has announced her candidacy for the Longmont City Council's at-large seat that will be up for election this November.
Venturella, 35, got involved in politics — namely advocacy work at the state level — after losing her cousin to gun violence in February.
"I just ... felt like something inside of me ignited," Venturella said Thursday. "It was like the catalyst, losing my cousin, and I'm someone who just can't sit by."
A professional hairdresser and mother of two young children, Venturella and her husband of 14 years understand the challenge of trying to raise a family in an area where the cost of living, particularly housing, can be daunting.
With respect to the various housing development proposals that will undoubtedly make their way before the council over the next few years, Venturella said that she would have to assess them on a case-by-case basis.
"I love data. ... I love looking at the pros and the cons. I like looking at both sides," Venturella said. "I'm not someone who's just going to go ... diehard on some agenda. ...There's so many more nuances to it."
Venturella has lived in Colorado since 2009 and has called Longmont home since 2016. She previously lived in Okinawa, Japan, as a military brat.
Like cities across the country, Longmont has an unhoused population that, at times, can be difficult to help for many different reasons. For Venturella, ensuring that people in crisis have access to mental health resources and addiction services is key.
"When you're in that crisis situation, you don't really want to call the police because it's alarming," Venturella said.
In addition to providing more access to mental health resources and addiction services, Venturella wants residents to have plenty of ways to reach reliable public transportation, too.
"If we're going to grow, if we're going to have people be able to come in and out of our city ... we need the public transit available," Venturella said.
In the wake of Roe v. Wade's reversal, Venturella wants to ensure that women have access to safe and affordable reproductive health care locally, too.
This year's city council election is scheduled for Nov. 7. Incumbent at-large City Councilman Sean McCoy has announced that he will seek re-election.
Councilmembers serve four-year terms and earn $1,000 a month.
"The passion that I have for community ... for supporting people is so electric," Venturella said. "Being at the city level, I just can't wait to really be involved."
