Crystal Murillo

Crystal Murillo is a member of the Aurora City Council in Colorado, representing Ward I. She assumed office on December 4, 2017. Her current term ends in 2025.

Murillo ran for re-election to the Aurora City Council to represent Ward I in Colorado. She won in the general election on November 2, 2021.

Murillo completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Crystal Murillo was born in Phoenix. She graduated from the University of Denver in 2015. Murillo's professional experience includes working as assistant director for the University of Denver’s admissions office and as an advocacy fellow with Healthier Colorado. She has been associated with the Aurora Branch of the NAACP, Colorado Black Women for Political Action, the Aurora’s Advisory Committee for Housing and Community Development, the State Advisory Board of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the University of Denver’s Latino Alumni Association.^[1]

Elections

2021

General election

General election for Aurora City Council Ward I

Incumbent Crystal Murillo defeated Bill Gondrez and Scott Liva in the general election for Aurora City Council Ward I on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Crystal Murillo (Nonpartisan)	55.8	2,995
	Submit photo	Bill Gondrez (Nonpartisan)	36.1	1,936
	Submit photo	Scott Liva (Nonpartisan)	8.1	434

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,365
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Christopher Belila (Nonpartisan)

2017

See also: Municipal elections in Aurora, Colorado (2017)

The city of Aurora, Colorado, held elections for city council on November 7, 2017. Wards I, II, and III were up for election, as well as two at-large seats. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was August 29, 2017.^[2] Crystal Murillo defeated incumbent Sally Mounier in the Aurora City Council Ward I general election.^[3]

Aurora City Council, Ward I General Election, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Crystal Murillo	60.71%	1,922
Sally Mounier Incumbent	39.29%	1,244
Total Votes		3,166
Source: City of Aurora, "2017 Official Election Results," November 29, 2017

Campaign themes

2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

Crystal Murillo completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Murillo's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Having grown up here and now as a young professional, I have experienced first-hand the struggles and have the same hopes for Aurora as my fellow community members. I am the youngest Aurora Council Member ever elected, as well as the first and only Latina ever elected.

One of my biggest priorities is housing. Before I was on council, Aurora did not study displacement and gentrification. It does now since I’ve been Chair of the Housing Committee. With that, I commissioned a housing study that produced policy recommendations, which I got our city council to approve in December of 2020. I also sponsored and passed a resolution stating that housing is a human right, recognizing that everybody in our city deserves safe and affordable housing.

I get work done for my residents. I advocated for and obtained $400,000 that will be leveraged for a $2 million grant towards pedestrian safety in Ward 1. I also supported an overhaul to our oil & gas regulations and division manual to best management practices to keep our communities safe. I believe in holding our police accountable. After the killing of Elijah McClain, I supported a ketamine ban.

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?

I believe that housing is a human right and as a city, we can and must help all people have affordable, good quality and dignified housing.
We need an economy that works for all of us, doesn’t leave people behind, and provides a foundation for all people to prosper and thrive.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, which is why we must meet the challenge of eradicating systemic injustice. We must make the changes that the community has advocated for and confirmed by several independent investigations.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

My biggest passion is housing. I have strived to attain the American Dream. I “checked all the boxes” by going to college and working hard to accomplish that but despite all that work, I was still priced out from my childhood neighborhood, unable to buy a home in my community. I deeply understand how expensive Aurora has become. That is why I have led the charge to establish the foundation of our housing policy and will work to build on that foundation to center people without displacing residents who want to stay in our great community. We need new housing that is accessible to all income levels so that we are not priced out and can all enjoy the wonderful amenities coming to our city.

I am passionate about having a fair economy. I supported increasing the minimum wage here in the city, and I want to ensure every job in Aurora pays a liveable wage, that we are supporting workforce development and policies that enable students to finish school and adults to go back to school. We must support upward mobility for those who have too often been left behind.

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

I come from a matriarchal family and have always looked up to my mom and grandma. They’ve shown me what grit and perseverance look like and that the pursuit of a better life is possible. My grandparents migrated to the US from Mexico and as a single mother raising two kids, I’ve seen multiple generations of strong women fighting for a better life.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

In addition to my passion to serve my community through elected office, I also have a passion for education. That being said, I’d recommend an academic textbook that gives you a broad range of political philosophy. We didn’t talk about politics growing up so I think access to information and understanding to the full spectrum is helpful. Additionally, I’d recommend a book on rectifying historical inequities and expanding access for marginalized communities would give you a sense of how I make decisions.

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

One important characteristic is that they are connected to the community and understand the community needs. So much of our work involves working with stakeholders on issues that these folks have dealt with their entire lives. Many of our community members know what they need in their neighborhood and how meeting those needs will impact their lives. That is why I make sure to consult and work with our community leaders when deciding which policies I believe will best benefit Ward 1.

Additionally, elected officials must be dedicated to helping their constituents and stand by their principles. I am proud that I have kept my promise of fighting for affordable housing, fair wages, and an inclusive city. We must actually believe in the principles we advocate for in order to stick by them.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a strong communicator and understand how to connect with others, both professionally and personally. As a first-generation American and the first in my family to attend higher education, I have had to learn to navigate professionalized spaces on my own. This has given me the skills to engage in cross-cultural communication and understanding.

I am a proven collaborator. For example, I have been proactive in addressing systemic issues along our Colfax Corridor, such as improving pedestrian safety. With community input, I was able to leverage $400,000 to obtain a $2 million grant investment into the Colfax Corridor. Through similar city council work, I have been able to direct over $7.2 million in grants and financial support to local businesses.

I am also experienced in local issues because of my lived experience. I grew up in Aurora and have attended schools in both the Aurora Public and Cherry Creek School Districts. I am a young professional and recently was able to purchase my first ever home.

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

This job is constituent-centered. The residents of my Ward deal with a variety of issues related to housing, public safety, transit, road maintenance, etc. Therefore, it is critical that city council people are responsive to their constituent needs. This requires ongoing communication with our residents to ensure they are being heard and their requests are responded to.

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

Though I was still very young I do remember the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I was old enough to know something terrible had happened but not old enough to understand the magnitude of the events. I grew up not realizing that there was a “before” the extensive TSA airport security regulations.

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

My first job was in high school selling Cutco knives. I am the type of person that needs to be connected to the work I’m doing. Turns out selling knives is not my passion and it didn’t last more than a summer.

Tell us your favorite joke.

“Why did the magician invest in the crystal ball? He was told there was a future in it.”

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.

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Candidate

Aurora City Council Ward I

Officeholder

Aurora City Council Ward I

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Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 26, 2021
↑ City of Aurora, "Current & Upcoming Elections," accessed February 21, 2017
↑ Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Aurora City Clerk's Office," August 31, 2017

Political offices
Preceded by -	Aurora City Council Ward I 2017-Present	Succeeded by -

[bio-1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 26, 2021

[2] City of Aurora, "Current & Upcoming Elections," accessed February 21, 2017

[3] Ballotpedia staff, "Email communication with Aurora City Clerk's Office," August 31, 2017

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Crystal Murillo

Contents

Biography

Elections

2021

General election

General election for Aurora City Council Ward I

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2017

Campaign themes

2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

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