Patrick O'Keefe

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Patrick O'Keefe

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Nonpartisan

Regional Transportation District Board of Directors District H

Tenure

2025 - Present

Term ends

2028

Years in position

0

Predecessor

Doug Tisdale

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Overland High School

Bachelor's

Colorado State University, 1992

Graduate

Johns Hopkins University, 1999

Personal

Birthplace

Fargo, N.D.

Profession

Management consultant

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Twitter

Patrick O'Keefe is a member of the Regional Transportation District Board of Directors in Colorado, representing District H. He assumed office on January 7, 2025. His current term ends on December 31, 2028.

O'Keefe ran for election to the Regional Transportation District Board of Directors to represent District H in Colorado. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

O'Keefe completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Patrick O'Keefe was born in Fargo, North Dakota. He earned a high school diploma from Overland High School, a bachelor's degree from Colorado State University in 1992, and a graduate degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1999. His career experience includes working as a management consultant. O'Keefe has been affiliated with the nonprofit organization GrowHaus.

Elections

2024

See also: City elections in Denver, Colorado (2024)

General election

General election for Regional Transportation District Board of Directors District H

Patrick O'Keefe won election in the general election for Regional Transportation District Board of Directors District H on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Patrick O'Keefe (Nonpartisan)	100.0	80,990

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 80,990
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for O'Keefe in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Patrick O'Keefe completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by O'Keefe'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.

My early career was spent in Washington, DC working on Capitol Hill. I was fortunate to work on public infrastructure in this role including the early funding for RTD's Southwest Corridor light rail. Since that time, I have served as an executive in the engineering and construction industry, most recently leading my own firm working on infrastructure in Colorado.

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?

• Increased safety for RTD employees and riders will be my top priority. We can address RTD staffing shortages and depressed ridership until people feel comfortable working on or riding in the system. Enhanced police or security presence is important, but not the only tool. We need to improve wayfinding and other user-friendly investments. Finally, restoring ridership numbers through better reliability and frequency will positively compound a secure feeling for employees and riders by providing density on the buses and trains.
• RTD must make sound financial decisions on future capital investments. I believe my experience managing multi-billion dollar investments and large infrastructure construction organizations will be a valuable voice in future discussions.
• RTD must address the backlog of deferred maintenance. I commend the current management for making tough decisions on confronting the maintenance challenges. We cannot take our eye of the importance of bringing the system up to an acceptable state of repair.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Transparency and sound capital investments. The public can be quite forgiving if you engage them as partners...and frankly owners of the public assets. They simply need early and understandable explanations of why decisions are made.

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

I have been fortunate to have many different leaders in my life. My grandmother was a nurse practitioner in a small North Dakota town. She ran a farm in her spare time. My first leader on Capitol Hill was an incredible chief of staff. She was tough and expected our best effort supporting the Congressman. On major projects, I worked for a strong leader who also expected high quality work. In each case, they blended hard work with good humor and respect. I hope to emulate them in my work each day.

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

Destiny and Power by Jon Meacham covering the life of George H.W. Bush and the trilogy of books by William Manchester and Paul Reid on Winston Churchill are inspiring books for me.

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

Transparency and humility. The public trusts public servants with tax dollars, solving problems and public investments. It is critical that we never lose site of those facts. While it is impossible to reach agreement with everyone on every issue, people need to feel heard and understand the points of difference.

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

I hope my diversity of roles in my life makes me a good representative for RTD district H. Working global roles and highly impactful local jobs has given me the perspective from a variety of cultures. I hope that broad experience helps me understand the diverse needs in district.

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

The RTD board covers a substantial area with 15 directors. I believe the best boards are comprised with a diversity of backgrounds. Given the size of the board, there is no one background that is best. Rather, the best composition should include transit users, former operators and professionals that have worked in law, eduction and, in my case, the engineering and construction industry.

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

Watergate and the subsequent re-election campaign for President Gerald Ford. I was right around five years old.

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

I worked in restaurants, mowing lawns, delivery papers, catering and painting from junior high through college graduation. My first job after graduating was on the staff of Congressman Dan Schaefer (R-CO). I worked over six years for Mr. Schaefer until he announced his retirement.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Former Governor Bill Owens is my most significant endorsement.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Clearly, there are issues that require confidentiality such as contract negotiation and employee issues. However, most issues should be open to the public. Transparency is the best method for accountability.

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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External links

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Candidate

Regional Transportation District Board of Directors District H

Website

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