Meet Korey

Why I’m Running for Mayor of Wheat Ridge and What Comes Next

By someone who believes policy is personal, and place still matters

I’m running for Mayor of Wheat Ridge. That’s the headline. But the real story, the deeper narrative, is about something more fundamental: how we govern in a time when local politics is increasingly nationalized, when trust in institutions is fraying, and when cities like ours face the question...can we still solve problems together?

First, let me acknowledge Mayor Bud Starker. For eight years, he led this city with focus and steadiness. In a time of volatility, that matters. And to the voters of District 3, thank you for trusting me these last six years. Local politics is intimate. It’s one of the few arenas where decisions are made not just with data, but with proximity. You’ve let me earn your trust up close, and that means everything.

I grew up in Wheat Ridge. This city shaped how I see the world, not in abstract policy terms, but in the granular details that become identity: public schools, trail systems, small businesses that were more than economic engines; they were community anchors. I learned to drive at stick shift at 32nd and Kipling, which still gives me the chills.

I’ve owned and operated Personal Achievement Martial Arts since 2009. Running a business here taught me about our economic friction points where well-intentioned rules can calcify into barriers, and how local economies flourish when leadership is responsive rather than reactive.

I’m also a parent. My wife Sara and I have two kids (Riley and Brandon) and we’ve had to navigate pandemic-era schooling, shifting childcare realities, school closures and the broader challenges facing families today. We want Wheat Ridge to be a place not just where families live, but where they thrive. Where the public realm works for real people trying to do right by their kids.

Since joining the City Council in 2019 and serving as Mayor Pro Tem for the last three years. I’ve seen the structural constraints and possibilities of city governance. I’ve learned that it’s not enough to want change; you have to build the architecture that enables it. Policy isn’t just about passing legislation. It’s about aligning systems, incentives, and narratives.

My pitch isn’t about charisma. It’s about competence. I know how this city works and I know where it doesn’t. I’m running because Wheat Ridge needs leadership that’s grounded, accessible, and future-focused. We need a governance agenda that reflects both realism and ambition: safer streets, a more resilient business climate, housing policy that doesn’t just chase units but strengthens community.

The future of cities will be decided by those willing to do the slow, sometimes invisible work of systems design. If I can contribute to that if I can help steer Wheat Ridge toward a more responsive, inclusive, and functional future then that’s work worth doing.

I’m asking for your support, your engagement, and your vote. Let’s build the kind of city where democracy doesn’t feel distant, but daily. Where the public sector earns trust not through slogans, but through delivery.

It’s not a campaign. It’s a living and breathing mission. Let’s get to work!