Longtime Louisville councilmember announces candidacy for mayor

Andrea Grajeda, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo.
·2 min read

Aug. 29—Louisville City Councilmember Chris Leh announced his candidacy for mayor on Monday.

"As mayor, I will work tirelessly to build an even stronger, more welcoming and more vibrant Louisville that serves the needs and aspirations of all its residents," Leh said in his announcement.

Leh said it is hard to narrow down his proudest accomplishments during his nine-year council tenure, as he has been serving Louisville in a variety of ways. Leh also serves on the Economic Vitality Committee and Finance Committee, represents Louisville on the Revitalization Commission and was previously a commissioner on the Louisville Planning Commission.

For some of his big accomplishments, he points to passing the Transportation Master Plan in 2019, which focused on providing a balanced transportation system to the community and local area and the Sustainability Master Plan in 2016, which set city goals for emission reduction goals.

However, Leh said a standout achievement for him has been his support and work for the Marshall Fire recovery. He said that according to After the Fire, an organization focused on wildfire recovery, Louisville is six months ahead of the usual wildfire recovery timeline. Plus, he said, Louisville has been able to rebuild without massively gentrifying the community. He said Louisville will continue to support Marshall Fire survivors and provide them with a safe town to return home to.

He noted some of his other achievements in serving the city include his good relationship with the business community, aid with the acquisition of the Mayhoffer Open Space and helping to provide cost-effective city services.

In Leh's announcement, he said Louisville needs to continue preserving its small-town character and way of life, while also helping local businesses, protecting open space and promoting sustainability and multi-modal transportation options.

Leh will be hosting a series of meet-and-greets for residents to discuss the future of Louisville. Information about the meet-and-greets and more information about Leh is available at lehforlouisville.org.

Leh has been practicing law for over 30 years and co-founded and manages Leh Law Group in Broomfield. The Louisville election will be held on Nov. 7.