Amsalu Kassaw

Amsalu Kassaw is an at-large member of the Aurora City Council in Colorado. He assumed office on January 14, 2025. His current term ends on December 1, 2025.

Kassaw ran for re-election for an at-large seat of the Aurora City Council in Colorado. He lost in the general election on November 4, 2025.

Kassaw completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Amsalu Kassaw was born in Ethiopia. He earned a high school diploma from Tana Heik High School and an associate degree from Addis Ababa University in 2004. His career experience includes working as a city council member and as a lieutenant at the Aurora Immigration and Customs Enforcement GEO Center. ^[1]

Elections

2025

General election

General election for Aurora City Council At-large (2 seats)

Rob Andrews and Alli Jackson defeated incumbent Danielle Jurinsky, incumbent Amsalu Kassaw, and Watson Gomes in the general election for Aurora City Council At-large on November 4, 2025.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Rob Andrews (Nonpartisan)	26.6	36,802
✔	Alli Jackson (Nonpartisan)	26.6	36,767
	Danielle Jurinsky (Nonpartisan)	21.2	29,273
	Amsalu Kassaw (Nonpartisan)	17.3	23,916
	Watson Gomes (Nonpartisan)	8.4	11,577

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4	Total votes: 138,335
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Kassaw in this election.

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

Amsalu Kassaw completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kassaw's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Amsalu Kassaw, and I am honored to serve as an At-Large Council Member for the City of Aurora.

Nearly two decades ago, I came to this country as a political refugee. Aurora became my home, embraced me, and gave me the opportunity to rebuild my life. From those early days, I made it my mission to give back to stand for community, opportunity.

Over the years, I have:

Brought people together across neighborhoods, cultures, and generations.

Advocated for small businesses and worked to make Aurora more business-friendly.

Championed public safety, because every family deserves safe streets and secure neighborhoods.

Led on housing and infrastructure issues, ensuring our city grows responsibly and with opportunity for all.

Celebrated diversity, helping establish Aurora’s sister city partnerships and organizing cultural events that connect our community to the world.

Today, I am proud to represent all of Aurora, working with my colleagues to make our city a place where families can thrive, businesses can grow, and young people can dream bigger.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

✅ Connecting our diverse communities; Building bridges across cultures, neighborhoods, and generations so that every voice is heard and valued.
✅ Protecting families and businesses: Ensuring safe streets, strong public safety, and a business-friendly environment there families and entrepreneurs can thrive.
✅ Creating opportunities – Expanding access to housing, and jobs so Aurora remains a city of growth, hope, and possibility for all.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public Safety

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

Our Local City of Aurora office is ensures that residents’ voices are heard, their concerns addressed, and their values reflected in public policy.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to Abraham Lincoln. His leadership through one of America’s most divided times showed courage, integrity, and a deep commitment to unity. He stood for freedom, equality, and the idea that a nation should be guided by principles larger than personal interest. I would like to follow his example of servant leadership bringing people together despite differences, making tough decisions with fairness, and working tirelessly to create a better future for all.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Family Values! Always being honest, transparent, and accountable to the community.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Standing strong through challenges and never giving up on the people you serve.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like my legacy to be one of service, unity, and opportunity. I want to be remembered as someone who brought people together across differences, who stood firmly for public safety, fairness. My hope is that future generations in Aurora will say I helped build a city where everyone felt connected, protected, and empowered to achieve their dreams.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event I remember was in 2006, when I was 25. While in college and work in 2004 and 2005 , I was involved in grassroots efforts to raise community and government awareness, which led to pressure from government security and ultimately forced me to leave my country. That experience shaped my path and commitment to human rights and civic engagement

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was as a human rights advocate Officer with ActionAid International, where I worked with international organizations dedicated to promoting democracy and good governance

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Starting over in a new country as a political refugee was not easy. There were language barriers, cultural adjustments, and the challenge of proving myself all over again in a society where I was unknown. but it taught me resilience and gave me the drive to serve my community and create opportunities for others.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

City Council works with county, state, and federal leaders to bring resources, funding, and policies that benefit local residents

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

No

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

As an At-Large Council Member, I represent the entire city not just one district which means I must balance diverse perspectives from across Aurora’s neighborhoods.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the local government?

City Council is where community meets government. It is where policies are transformed into real action that touches people’s daily lives, and where trust between citizens and their government is built

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Aurora Fraternal Order of Police

What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

Brought people together across neighborhoods, cultures, and generations.

Advocated for small businesses and worked to make Aurora more business-friendly.

Championed public safety, because every family deserves safe streets and secure neighborhoods.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Aurora City Council At-large

Officeholder

Aurora City Council At-large

Website

Personal

YouTube

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 17, 2025

Political offices
Preceded by Dustin Zvonek	Aurora City Council At-large 2025-Present	Succeeded by -

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 17, 2025

[1]

	v • e State of Colorado Denver (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? \| Elections in 2025 \| How to vote \| How to run for office \| Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? \| U.S. President \| U.S. Congress \| Federal courts \| State executives \| State legislature \| State and local courts \| Counties \| Cities \| School districts \| Public policy

Amsalu Kassaw

Contents

Biography

Elections

2025

General election

General election for Aurora City Council At-large (2 seats)

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

Additional analysis

SITE NAVIGATION