Why Engage Boulder is Recommending AGAINST incumbent candidates — Lauren Folkerts and Nicole Speer
Dear Boulder Neighbors,
In our last message, we shared Engage Boulder’s vision for pragmatic, balanced leadership. Today, I want to be clear about something equally important: which candidates we are not recommending — and why.
First, let me stress that I respect and would enjoy engaging conversations with all of the candidates. This isn’t about personal feelings. It is about which individuals would best serve the broad majority of Boulder voters.
I confess I am biased against both the extreme left and the extreme right. None of the current Boulder City Council candidates are anywhere close to the extreme right. I suspect all of them are Democrats, which is fine by me (I’m an Independent).
However, two of the incumbent candidates — Lauren Folkerts and Nicole Speer — represent the extreme left. That doesn’t make them bad people, but it does make them, in my opinion, bad choices for Boulder City Council.
Lauren and Nicole, I don’t think you’d take offense at this description — in fact, I believe you’d accept it with pride. If I’m mistaken, please let me know.
Examples of Their Positions
“Business ownership is itself a privilege.” (Oct 2024, Boulder Reporting Lab)
Opposed enforcement of the City’s camping ban (June 2025, Raucous Caucus)
Advocated reallocating city funds from police (Sept 2021, Boulder Beat)
“We subsidize a lot of companies because we have to take money from our city budget and put it into rental assistance, basic guaranteed income, and eviction prevention.” (Paraphrase, Oct 2023, Boulder Beat)
Self-described as “the socialist union member of Boulder’s City Council.”
“I’m here to redistribute power.” (Paraphrase, Boulder Weekly)
Support for rent control (June 2025 Candidate Forum)
“It is the city’s job to provide sufficient housing.” (Paraphrase, June 2025 Candidate Forum)
How the Policies Supported by Folkerts and Speer Hurt Boulder
Lauren and Nicole are far more tolerant of illegal encampments than most residents — and, by extension, more tolerant of the open illegal drug use, discarded waste and debris, and the safety and security concerns that typically accompany them. For them, support for encampments appears to outweigh making Boulder’s public spaces safe, clean, and accessible. Worse, they overlook the damage this tolerance causes to people trapped in the cycle of encampment living.
The lack of adequate services is often cited as a reason to tolerate illegal encampments. But in a city like Boulder, there should be sufficient resources to support individuals in need through well-managed programs. That we are not doing so highlights the opportunity available to us: electing a City Council focused on pragmatic, thoughtful policies that will enhance Boulder’s long-term viability. Meanwhile, business parks east of 28th Street remain half-empty, and many storefronts on Pearl Street sit vacant. Socialistic and altruistic policies drain tax revenues, while constraining the market’s ability to build new housing at price points affordable to working families. The result: fewer people can afford to live here, fewer businesses choose Boulder as their base, and Boulder loses the tax revenue that those families and businesses would otherwise contribute.
The recent and significant improvements in San Francisco under their new mayor show that a progressive city can prioritize safety, security, and accessibility and thereby bring vitality back to a city. Boulder should follow that example — not the failed approaches of places like my beloved hometown of Chicago or New York City.
So the message is simple: Vote, but do not vote for Lauren Folkerts and Nicole Speer.
Podcast Invitation to Lauren and Nicole
Lauren and Nicole, I invite you both to join me as guests on The Bear Roars podcast. I enjoy respectful conversations with those whose views differ from mine. Perhaps you’ll even convince me that I’m misguided for not supporting your candidacies.
What You Can Do
Boulder elections are often decided by only a few hundred votes. Here’s how you can help:
Share this message with neighbors, family, and friends.
Encourage others to sign up at www.EngageBoulder.com.
Make sure you’re registered and ready to vote this fall.
Together, we can ensure that Boulder’s future is guided by pragmatism, civic pride, and a commitment to the core responsibilities that matter most.
Next up: I’ll share which candidates are the best choices for Boulder.
Your neighbor,
Dan Caruso
Engage Boulder
Yes, time for new leaderships unless it’s Mark. Always Mark.