The Aurora City Council appointed Amsalu Kassaw to fill a vacant at-large city council seat, making him the first minority immigrant resident to serve on the council.
“I’m very happy,” Kassaw said with shocked excitement. “I thought it was going to be tied.”
Kassaw, who immigrated from Ethiopia, brings a unique perspective and background to the city’s board of lawmakers, fellow city council members and supporters said Monday after he was nominated.
Former City Councilmember Ingrid Lindemann, an Aurora teacher, who was elected to the city council in the 1990s, was an East German immigrant, naturalized and married to Don Lindemann, and prominent veteran. Virginia “Ginny” Zinth was appointed to the city council in the mid-2000s after sitting on the Aurora Planning Commission. Zinth was a naturalized immigrant from Scotland.
The appointment was finalized with a 6-4 vote, with council members Angela Lawson, Ruben Medina, Stephanie Hancock, Danielle Jurinsky, Steve Sundberg and Mayor Mike Coffman supporting Kassaw.
Reflecting on Medina’s unexpected support, Kassaw praised the vote as an example of bi-partisanship, which he hoped other council members might be inspired by.
“He put people over politics about party,” Kassaw, a Republican, said. Medina is a Democrat. Kassaw’s other city council supporters are Republicans or vote with the GOP council caucus. Partisan politics have become a regular, controversial feature on the officially non-partisan city council.
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