Aurora Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky lagged behind two progressive candidates vying for two at-large seats, as the council for Colorado’s third most populous city swung left following Tuesday’s elections.

Progressive candidates have also maintained their lead over their conservative rivals — some incumbents — in other council races in an election that is poised to significantly shift the makeup of Aurora’s elected body from a seven-to-three conservative majority to a six-to-four progressive majority.

When initial votes started rolling in Tuesday night, conservative Mayor Mike Coffman said he was shocked.

Since then, he’s had time to adjust, he said.

“I think the Republicans weren’t fired up enough for this election, and the Democrats were,” he said about the political swing. “What happens at the national level tends to impact what happens at the local level.”

He added: “People hate it when one party has all the leverage and power and they tend to push back the other way.”

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, Jurinsky and fellow incumbent Amsalu Kassaw remained behind their progressive rivals, Rob Andrews and Alli Jackson, in the race for the two at-large seats.

Andrews took the lead with 29,659 votes, or 26%, and Jackson followed closely with 29,177, or about 25.6%. Jurinsky had 25,246 votes, or 22%, and Kassaw had 20,389, or 18%. Watson Gomes trailed with 9,394, a little over 8%.

Jurinsky and Kassaw led the fundraising for their seats by a significant margin, with Jurinsky’s total campaign contributions adding up to $260,000 the week before the election, according to the city’s campaign finance system.

Kassaw raised the second largest amount, with more than $105,000.

No other candidate broke the $100,000 mark.

Jurinsky has not responded to multiple requests for comment from The Denver Gazette.

In Ward I, progressive candidate Gianina Horton held a strong 31-point lead over conservative Stephen Elkins. Horton had 2,822 votes (59%), and Elkins secured 1,337 votes (28%). Reid Hettich trailed with 605 votes, almost 13%.

In Ward II, progressive candidate Amy Wiles maintained an eight-point lead over conservative incumbent Steve Sundberg. Wiles had 5,416 votes (54%), and Sundberg had 4,643 (46%).

In Ward III, progressive incumbent Ruben Medina held a strong 26-point lead over conservative incumbent and former councilmember Marsha Berzins. Medina secured 4,655 votes (63%), and Berzins had 2,689 votes (37%).

Medina was shocked that the council will likely flip, he said.

“I wasn’t sure. I was hoping we could flip a couple, but shocked so far that (the progressives) are all slated to be on,” he said.

In Adams County, there were 10,000 ballots still to be counted as of Wednesday morning, a county spokesperson told The Denver Gazette.

In Arapahoe County, some 21,000 ballots still need to be counted.

Of the ballots not yet counted, officials do not know how many are Aurora ballots.

With the council swinging left, Coffman said he worries for the city’s business community and law enforcement.

Despite his concerns, he is ready to work with new councilmembers to focus on getting things done in the city, he said. Many of those things, such as the revitalization of Colfax Avenue and the development of the homeless navigation campus, are not necessarily left-and-right issues, he said.

Meanwhile, Aurora Police Department Chief Todd Chamberlain will bring the new council on board with the department’s direction in reducing crime, Coffman told The Denver Gazette, adding that Chamberlain is “a great chief” and the law enforcement agency is moving in a positive direction.

The police force has been under a consent decree between the city and the Attorney General’s Office in the last few years, under which Aurora is required to adopt a number of specific changes aimed at enhancing public safety and trust.

The new council could change anew how it conducts its meetings.

The council has been grappling with how to deal with activists protesting the shooting of Kilyn Lewis, who was killed by an Aurora Police officer last year during an operation to arrest him on a warrant for attempting to commit first-degree murder in the shooting of a blind man. Lewis was not armed; the officers had commanded him to drop to the ground. Lewis instead walked toward the driver’s side door and pulled a cellphone and tube with a fruit snack in it from his back right pocket.

The protesters have attended every council meeting for more than a year, often speaking over time limits and interrupting meetings

The council has gone back and forth with in-person and video conference meetings following the Lewis protests.

While the council voted in October to meet in-person again starting Nov. 17 after meeting via video conference since June, the new lineup of councilmembers could change things, Coffman said.

Progressive councilmembers Alison Coombs, Medina and Crystal Murillo have argued that the council’s responsibility is to listen to the public.

Conservative members said the protests are disruptive to important city business.

“We can’t run from community when things are bad,” Medina said, echoing echoing what the three current progressive councilmembers have been saying since the Lewis protests began. “The community wanted a change and this is where it is. We can work together to bring the city to where it should be.”

With a new council comes a need to look at the rules for decorum, Medina added.

Having differences in opinion is OK, but, he said, councilmembers have been “nasty” to each other and that’s not a good way to lead.

“We’ve had people on council who’ve been divisive and don’t want to work with everyone,” Medina said. “I’m hopeful we can bring back some decorum and work together.”