I will not play into Mayor Coffman’s sick game of trading death for death.

Community,

Today Mayor Coffman continued his attack against me by weaponizing the death of a Black child for his political gain, which is not only reprehensible but an affront to the very soul of our community. This is not leadership — this is a betrayal of every grieving family, every survivor, and every single person who believes in the sanctity of human life.

Let me be crystal clear: Austin Lyle should still be alive today. The innocent educators who were shot should never have faced such violence. The students and educators who survived the East High School shooting should never have endured that horror. Yet, instead of addressing the systemic failures that created the conditions for these tragedies, the Mayor has chosen to launch a baseless and divisive attack against me — a distraction to deflect from his own failure to lead.

Mayor Coffman claims that I have moved to Aurora to run for office. This is a lie, plain and simple. His letter is not grounded in truth but in fear — fear of accountability, fear of change, and fear of a community rising up to demand better. His words are nothing more than a dog whistle meant to divide us, distract us, and pit us against one another. But we will not fall for it. I will not allow his falsehoods to derail our focus or diminish the urgency of our fight for justice.

At the final city council meeting of 2024, I asked a simple yet profound question: Do you believe that anyone murdered in Aurora deserves to still be alive today? I invited everyone in the room to stand if they agreed. Many stood. Mayor Coffman did not. Imagine that — a Mayor who cannot even stand in acknowledgment of the lives lost to violence in his own city. This is not just a failure of leadership; it is a moral failure, one that lays bare his priorities. He is more invested in smearing my name than in addressing the systemic violence that continues to claim innocent lives.

This is not about me. It has never been about me. This is about the parents who have lost their children to police violence and the children who will never see their parents again, carrying the unbearable weight of grief every single day. These families deserve dignity. They deserve compassion. They deserve leaders who will honor their pain, not exploit it.

I will not play into Mayor Coffman’s sick game of trading death for death as it dishonors the lives unjustly taken from us and distracts from the very reason we began attending Aurora City Council meetings in the first place. I will not be complicit in re-traumatizing families, survivors, or our community. Instead, I am calling on all of us to rise above his divisive rhetoric and stay focused on our shared goal of ending all forms of violence in our communities. To every grieving family, to every survivor, and to every person who dreams of a better future: I see you, I mourn with you, and I will continue to fight alongside you.

Here is my charge to the Mayor and the entire Aurora City Council: step beyond the politics, the distractions, and the divisive rhetoric. Lead with courage, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to justice for all members of this community. This is your moment to stand not just as elected officials, but as moral leaders, willing to confront the systemic failures that continue to take lives and devastate families. The time for excuses and finger-pointing is over — rise to the challenge, or step aside for those who will.

Here is my charge to the community: Let us stand, unapologetically and unwavering, as a force greater than any lie, distraction, or political game. This is not a moment for silence or complacency — it is a call to action, a call to unite, a call to show that our love for each other and our commitment to change are stronger than any attempt to divide or distract us.

We owe it to the lives stolen, to the families grieving, and to the children watching, to be bold, to be relentless, and to be unshaken. Let us refuse to settle for anything less than a future where justice prevails, where every life is valued, and where no family has to bury a loved one because of violence or neglect. Together, we will prove that we are not just a community — we are a movement, a force that cannot and will not be ignored.

This is our time, and we will not falter.

In Solidarity,

The Honorable Auon’tai M. Anderson