Ruben Medina

Ruben Medina

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Aurora City Council Ward III

Aurora City Council Ward III

Tenure

2021 - Present

Term ends

2025

Years in position

3

Predecessor

Marsha Berzins

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 2, 2021

Next election

November 4, 2025

Personal

Birthplace

Walsenburg, Colo.

Profession

Project manager

Contact

Official website

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Ruben Medina is a member of the Aurora City Council in Colorado, representing Ward III. He assumed office on December 6, 2021. His current term ends in 2025.

Medina is running for re-election to the Aurora City Council to represent Ward III in Colorado. He declared candidacy for the general election scheduled on November 4, 2025.^[source]

Biography

Ruben Medina was born in Walsenburg, Colorado. His professional experience includes working as a project manager. Medina has also served on the boards of You be you (YbeY), Colorado Change Agents (COCA), The Welcome Center, the Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center (RMEOC), Asset Based Community Development (ABCD Institute), and the NGAO Foundation. He has also helped with the PATH affordable housing at Elevation Church in Ward 3, the Moorhead Recreation Center, the Dayton Street Day Labor Center, the Aurora Economic Opportunity Center, and Block Captain Trainings.

Elections

2025

See also: City elections in Aurora, Colorado (2025)

General election

The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.

General election for Aurora City Council Ward III

Incumbent Ruben Medina and Marsha Berzins are running in the general election for Aurora City Council Ward III on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
		Ruben Medina (Nonpartisan)
		Marsha Berzins (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Endorsements

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2021

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

General election

General election for Aurora City Council Ward III

Ruben Medina defeated Jono Scott in the general election for Aurora City Council Ward III on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ruben Medina (Nonpartisan)	50.8	4,180
	Submit photo	Jono Scott (Nonpartisan)	49.2	4,052

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,232
= 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.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Martha Lugo (Nonpartisan)

Endorsements

To view Medina's endorsements in the 2021 election, please click here.

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. Nicole Johnston defeated Bob Hagedorn, Robert O'Riley, Ruben Medina, and Jeff Wilson in the Aurora City Council Ward II general election.

Aurora City Council, Ward II General Election, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Nicole Johnston	49.66%	3,219
Bob Hagedorn	23.65%	1,533
Robert O'Riley	11.60%	752
Ruben Medina	9.30%	603
Jeff Wilson	5.79%	375
Total Votes		6,482
Source: City of Aurora, "2017 Official Election Results," November 29, 2017

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Ruben Medina has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey. If you are Ruben Medina, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey.

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2021

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

I'm a community organizer and wrestling coach who's also a father of three, grandfather of four, and proud husband (30 years and counting) of a public school teacher. I solve problems and empower communities for a living, and I'm ready to do so on a larger scale. As a young firefighter and EMT, I brought the very first ambulance to my hometown of Walsenburg, Colorado. Here in Aurora, I led the creation of our first new rec center in 40 years and started programs offering free meals for local youth, helping immigrants and refugees start businesses,

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?

• Income inequality and homelessness will keep getting worse until we raise the minimum wage and invest in housing programs.
• It's our duty to protect our water, air, and open spaces.
• Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own home, regardless of race, class, or neighborhood, and that includes feeling safe around the police.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Policing, conservation, housing, transportation, development

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

In Aurora, City Council is uniquely positioned to have the final word on issues like policing, minimum wage, conservation committees, etc. It also has a lot of influence over the City Manager's budgetary decisions. Local government officials have a direct impact on community members' everyday lives, and I want to make the office more accessible and transparent, so that more people like me know they can participate in the process.

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

I look up to my mother and want to follow her path. She was a child of immigrants from Mexico, and she has always looked at life from a positive lens, even when encountering people who disagreed or knew little about her. She told me a story about her first grade teacher in Green River, Utah, who made fun of her in front of the class by pointing her out and stating, "see how dumb Dora is, she cannot speak English." My mother wanted to be a nun, but her father did not want her to. She got married and had 8 children, of which I am the oldest. I remember some other words that I live by today, which she told us when my father left us destitute and on our own. She said, " I know you are all afraid and wondering what your life will be. But, know this is not your life forever. There will be a time when you will have control over your life. Take advantage of all the opportunities that will come and change your life for the better."

I have lived that life. She never wavered, went back to school and taught bilingual classes for an elementary school, and volunteered at all our events. She took in foster children when they were in transition. When she and my stepfather met we needed government assistance, but they paid back the government for the 5 years we were on assistance when they started to make better wages -- because they did not want to owe anyone. She continues to be my rock, and today she crotchets boots, hats and receiving blankets for ladies who are incarcerated -- so they have something to give to their child. She also works with the Boys and Girls Club and makes masks for children and families who do not have it.

I follow her path because we all deserve to be heard, respected, and recognized for our unique gifts and talents. There is no one in our community who isn't valuable and necessary.

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

Crash really speaks to the interconnectedness of all people in a community. All the dramas, trials, issues, concerns, racism, pain, fear we all deal with when we go out in the world. I want people to understand we can agree to disagree, but at a human level we must really choose to do right by people because we do not always know what others are going through. By coming together, we can make lasting changes we all want our communities to have. By living in the shoes of others and taking the time to empathize, listen, and care, we will truly be able to make a difference.

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

Transparency, integrity, and an ability to relate to members of their community. We need elected officials who aren't in office because they wanted to be in office, but because they truly care and want to help.

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

I have an ability to recognize the strengths, skills, and true interests of people in my community. I help identify the ways in which they can contribute or grow -- and we all have that within us -- in order to help them better themselves and our community at large. This often has huge ripple effects, and I have been able to use that skill to get stalled projects completed, families fed, gangs disbanded, etc.

I will make a good representative because I have lived and worked in Aurora for nearly thirty years, and I know this community inside and out. I know what it takes to get things done, and I'm ready to do it.

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

Listening to everyone I represent, keeping them informed and involved in decisions that affect them, and doing my best to stand up for the people's interests -- over corporate profits, political power structures, etc.

What legacy would you like to leave?

My legacy is to begin the framework to truly address some of the community policing issues and make people feel safe in a true and deliberate way by all of us coming together to define the roles of both community and police. I want to be known for planting the seeds to affordable housing and livable wages, and I want to complete the construction of a new entertainment venue and a teen youth center.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"The Final Countdown." Fitting for getting out the vote.

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

I have battled all my life with being in the spotlight, struggling with low self-esteem and perfectionism. I was sexually assaulted when I was 10 years old by a family member who was struggling with her identity. I suppressed this for decades, and it was not until about 15 years ago that I told my wife, family, and friends. I see a therapist to deal with all of that. So as you can see, I am not all you see. As I have stated in the past, people are multifaceted, with many sides to see. We only see what people allow us to see. But there are no skeletons in my closet.

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

Not necessarily. We need everyone to engage, and I have been a public servant for decades, which uniquely qualifies me to bring a divided City together.

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

Integrity, listening with intent, and a longtime ability to focus on solutions to the problems at hand -- rather than focusing on the problem or partisan conflicts.

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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Officeholder

Aurora City Council Ward III

Website

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Marsha Berzins	Aurora City Council Ward III 2021-Present	Succeeded by -