Omar Montgomery, a former executive director of the Aurora NAACP chapter, has filed his campaign commitment with the city clerk and is officially running for Aurora mayor, becoming the first candidate to enter the 2027 race. It's his second attempt at the office after a razor-thin loss to Mike Coffman in 2019, and he says the city is on the right track but still has real problems to solve.
A Rematch Seven Years in the Making
Montgomery previously announced a mayoral candidacy and planned to kick off his campaign the next month. He has lived in Aurora since 2002 and was the Aurora NAACP chapter president. In 2019, Montgomery came up just short against Coffman in a crowded five-way race — Colorado Politics reported he trailed by 215 votes out of nearly 75,000 cast, while Denver7's unofficial tally put Coffman's margin at 273 votes, with Coffman finishing at 26,201 votes to Montgomery's 25,928. Montgomery did not run again in 2023.
Coffman, now serving his second term as mayor, praised Montgomery after that 2019 race, saying, “Omar ran a civil and issue-oriented campaign and he has my utmost respect,” and adding that the two could work together for the city's benefit, per Colorado Politics. It's not established whether Coffman intends to seek another term; Mike Coffman was not immediately available for comment on Montgomery's new campaign.
Public Safety and Police Accountability at the Center
Montgomery has built much of his public profile around police reform. In 2018, he served on Aurora's citizens' budget advisory committee, the golf course advisory committee, and the Community Police Advisory Team, according to the same Sentinel Colorado report. Montgomery has said Aurora's police department has moved forward over the past four years while still facing issues that need addressing.
Activists Push Back Against the Police Chief
Not everyone shares that optimism about the department's direction. A group of Aurora activists announced plans for a sit-in during Monday's city council meeting, demanding that city officials dismiss Chamberlain, whom they've criticized for doing too little to promote police reform, according to Sentinel Colorado's separate reporting. It isn't known how that planned sit-in played out.
Elijah McClain was killed in 2019. The Colorado Attorney General determined that Aurora police had used excessive force in numerous incidents, especially against people of color. That finding led to a state-mandated consent decree in 2021 requiring reforms across the police and fire departments, with oversight from an independent monitor, according to the Colorado Attorney General's office. A 2026 report cited by The Denver Gazette found 63 of the decree's 78 mandates in substantial compliance, while accountability policies, bias training and transparency still needed additional work.
Aurora is also building a city-run oversight structure as the state consent decree approaches its scheduled end. City Council unanimously created the Office of Public Safety Accountability in June 2026, with authority spanning police, fire, 911 and detention. The new office is to operate independently. The city says the office is intended to continue accountability work as the decree concludes, with its manager still to be recruited.
The state investigation that led to the consent decree documented stark disparities in Aurora policing. In its 2021 findings, the Colorado Attorney General’s office said the rate of force against people of color was almost 2.5 times the rate against whites, based on their relative population percentages; nearly half of people subjected to force were Black, while Black residents made up about 15% of Aurora’s population. The investigation also found disproportionate arrests of nonwhite residents, making police accountability a documented civil-rights issue as well as a campaign debate. The attorney general’s findings formed the backdrop for the reform agreement.
Montgomery's Broader Platform
Montgomery has said greater investment in education and community programs could reduce the need to invest in police protection, and that young people are making wiser decisions, with public safety as everyone's responsibility. He's framed his candidacy around restoring public trust and police transparency and accountability, while also hoping to make what he sees as a fragmented city council more cohesive if elected.
Montgomery has said he wants Aurora to be a destination for shopping, eating and entertainment and has emphasized supporting small businesses. He wants Aurora to focus on making daily life more affordable, including easing financial burdens on elderly residents and families who struggle to afford rent, healthcare, food and other necessities. He has also said some Aurora teachers cannot afford to live in the city where they work.
A Career Rooted in Education and Advocacy
Montgomery's background spans education and civil rights leadership. He worked as a middle and high school teacher in the Long Beach Unified School District before becoming director of Upward Bound Math and Science at Compton Community College. He now serves as director of equity, culture and community engagement for Cherry Creek School District, leading districtwide efforts to build partnerships among schools, families and community organizations. He has also served as executive director of the Aurora NAACP chapter and has held roles as a regional president and national director within the NAACP.
Montgomery has said the Aurora NAACP started swim lessons and a summer reading camp two years earlier with support from the city and community partners, and the organization has a grant to develop a public safety initiative it plans to share in November. He has said he wants to see smart growth in Aurora and opportunities for everybody.
Aurora voters will elect a mayor, two at-large council seats and council members in Wards IV, V and VI in 2027. The city also solicited applications this year to lead its inaugural Office of Public Safety Accountability, a step tied to the ongoing reform effort under the consent decree.
Aurora’s 2027 municipal election will include contests for three ward seats and two at-large council seats. The 2019 mayoral race was nonpartisan. The city’s current election schedule lists the 2027 offices.
