David Geislinger

This page was current at the end of the official's last term in office covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

David Geislinger

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Nonpartisan

Prior offices

Colorado Springs City Council District 2

Successor: Randy Helms

Predecessor: Larry Bagley

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last election

April 6, 2021

Education

Bachelor's

University of Northern Colorado, 1978

Law

University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, 1985

Personal

Profession

Mediator, Catholic deacon

Contact

Campaign Facebook

David Geislinger was a member of the Colorado Springs City Council, representing District 2. He assumed office on April 18, 2017. He left office on April 20, 2021.

Geislinger ran for re-election to the Colorado Springs City Council to represent District 2. He lost in the general election on April 6, 2021.

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

Biography

David Geislinger earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Colorado in 1978 and a J.D. from the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, in 1985. Geislinger's career experience includes working as a mediator, a Catholic deacon, a deputy attorney and deputy district attorney, a business owner, and an attorney in private practice focusing on insurance defense, business litigation, and personal injury work.

Elections

2021

See also: City elections in Colorado Springs, Colorado (2021)

General election

General election for Colorado Springs City Council District 2

Randy Helms defeated incumbent David Geislinger, Jay Inman, and David Noblitt in the general election for Colorado Springs City Council District 2 on April 6, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Randy Helms (Nonpartisan)	37.5	5,699
	Submit photo	David Geislinger (Nonpartisan)	31.7	4,809
	Submit photo	Jay Inman (Nonpartisan)	16.9	2,565
	Submit photo	David Noblitt (Nonpartisan)	14.0	2,121

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,194
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2017

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

The city of Colorado Springs, Colorado, held elections for city council on April 4, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 23, 2017. David Geislinger ran unopposed in the Colorado Springs City Council, District 2 general election.

Ballotpedia will publish vote totals here after they become available.

Colorado Springs City Council, District 2 General Election, 2017
Candidate
David Geislinger
Source: Colorado Springs, Colorado, "April 4, 2017 Municipal Election Results," accessed April 18, 2017

Campaign themes

2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

David Geislinger completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Geislinger'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.

Dave Geislinger has lived in Colorado since 1960 and Colorado Springs since 1985. He has been married to Suzanne for 32 years, and has two adult children. He was ordained a Catholic Deacon in 2006 and has been engaged in active ministry since. Geislinger has been a Colorado licensed attorney since 1985, becoming voluntarily inactive in 2014, as he began begin serving as Family Faith Formation Director in 2014 until 2016. Beginning in early 2017 through today, Geislinger continues serving his community, both as a member of City Council and as a Hospital Chaplain, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dave Geislinger began his history of service when he moved to Colorado Springs in 1986, working for the People as a Deputy District Attorney until 1996. He owned a local small business, Jones, Waters & Geislinger, between 2006 and 2014. He is compassionate, caring and pragmatic, and a proven leader with a track record of accomplishments for District 2. Dave Geislinger welcomes diverse input and brings a much-needed perspective to City Council.

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?

• Fair, Equitable, Transparent and Predictable Governance: Four years ago Geislinger promised he would challenge the long-practiced "whack-a-mole" model of governance, waiting for crises to occur and opportunities to pop up, which may have worked for a town of 100,000 in the 1960's and 70's but is impractical for the now large city of Colorado Springs that had grown five-fold since. Over the last four years Colorado Springs has received great recognition, including being honored as the best place to move to, in a very large part because of improvement in our local government. Geislinger is committed to carrying on this legacy, ensuring that fair, equitable, transparent and predictable governance becomes the norm.

• Affordable Housing & Smart Growth: Geislinger says, "As we move forward we need to ensure our city continues to be the best place to live in America. Affordable housing is a major concern for young and old alike. More than a moral and ethical issue, it is an economic one as well. Our Chamber and Economic Development Council have identified housing attainability as the greatest impediment for new businesses seeking to relocate. It is also a barrier to our children living here. While I am proud of all that we have accomplished over the last four years, Colorado Springs must continue to develop programs to encourage affordable housing. I look forward to continuing my success in this area during my second term."
• Public Safety & Health: Geislinger says, "Honoring my promise that City general funds saved by the voters' approval of the Stormwater fee, I am proud that we have hired 48 additional firefighters, and are well on the way to training and hiring the promised 120 police officers. In addition, I have supported our fire department re-establishing a hazardous materials team, purchasing a new fire engine, and replacing vehicles for all our public safety personnel."

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

-Continuing to Improve the Fairness, Equity and Predictability of our Governing Process

-Ensuring All Residents Who Want to Live in Colorado Springs Can Afford Housing

-Navigating the City Through the COVID-19 Pandemic

-Supporting Our Small Business Community

-Establishing a Strong and Sustainable Parks & Open Space Funding and Maintenance Plan

-Ensuring Utilities Decisions Benefit City Residents

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

Geislinger says, "I remember what Tip O'Neill said, 'all politics is local.' It is on the local level that good qualities of citizenship, engagement, acceptance, and compromise have been lost. It is on the local level that they can be found. Throughout my first time as your District 2 City Council representative, I have emphasized these principles of good governance. I will continue to do so in my second."

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

Geislinger says, "In Colorado Springs, we are a city of nearly a half-million people, with tremendous needs and opportunities -- and with limited resources. It is essential for me as an elected official to understand breadth of the needs of our community and show integrity, honesty, and a personal conviction in the dignity, worth, and value of every person." That awareness and understanding can only arise out of experience, which Geislinger has.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Geislinger says, "I have made it my focus to improve the processes by which our city is governed. I'd like to see our commitment to the best governing processes become part of the City culture for generations to come."

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

Geislinger says, "My first job was as a seasonal employee at the original Elitch Gardens Amusement Park. It was my first experience working with people whose backgrounds differed from my own. I held that job through high school and some of college as I became a manager of the rides department."

What is your favorite book? Why?

Geislinger says, "Other than The Bible (which is really a collection of Books), it is 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Charles Dickens because Sydney Carton, the main character, chooses to act selflessly, sacrificing himself for others. In literature, he is the character that embodies Jesus Christ, Dr. Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Abraham Lincoln, and the all the women and men I admire who not only talk of the future we all want, but dare to live as if it is possible."

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Geislinger says, "I haven't thought about this in a really long time, because over the last several years, I have grown in acceptance and contentment and really like being me!"

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

Geislinger says, "There is often the assumption that we have the power and authority to make decisions without considering of the interests, desires, and expectations of all of our community. Our responsibility is to listen to all of the competing interests and make the best decision for all of the people of Colorado Springs, not only in the present but for the future as well. Of course, we always want to make decisions that make everyone happy. Rarely is there conflict when the decision is between something that is good and something that is not. It is harder to make the decision when the choice is between two or more things that are both good. "

He continues, "It is hardest to make the decision when we have to choose between a course of action that will be costly and difficult to carry out, and one that will be even worse. As a hospital chaplain, I am aware of people's pain, grief, and suffering, and am acutely aware when the decisions we must make in the best interests of Colorado Springs will be painful. On City Council, our responsibility is not to please everyone all the time, but to listen to everyone and make the best possible decisions for our community as a whole."

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

Geislinger says, "It is essential to say no in the face of political opposition, and make a reasoned and moral decision despite the personal political cost."

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

Colorado Springs City Council District 2

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Larry Bagley	Colorado Springs City Council, District 2 2017-2021	Succeeded by Randy Helms