Colorado Springs’ new mayor appears in unity ad with candidate he beat

The newly sworn in mayor of Colorado Springs, Yemi Mobolade, has spent some of his remaining campaign funds on an advertisement that features his former runoff rival Wayne Williams.

The ad encourages unity and civic participation. Both men are seen wearing t-shirts emblazoned with “LOVE THIS CITY.”

“You know that elections can be hard on a city – win or lose. But that doesn’t mean we can’t work together for our community,” Williams, a former Colorado Secretary of State, says in the roughly minute-long video. “We are united in our love for Colorado Springs,” Mobolade adds.

The spot ends with Mobolade, who was sworn in June 6, announcing a series of neighborhood listening sessions. Once set, the schedule will be posted on the city’s website.

According to Mobolade’s campaign, the ad will run on digital platforms over the next week. A press release was explicit that campaign funds indeed paid for it.

Williams, a Republican, took heat over a video last year – paid for with taxpayer dollars – in which he and Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold tried to counter false claims about election integrity. Griswold's opponents accused her of using the ad to boost her own reelection chances.

On Twitter, reaction to the spot was glowing.

“My 21yo son just said, ‘I’m flabbergasted! This is exactly what should be happening after elections!’” wrote @Kat_inColorado.