(PUEBLO, Colo.) — As the Nov. 7 Mayoral election in Pueblo draws near, longtime City Councilman Larry Atencio is making a bold bid to lead the city into a new era. FOX21 is your local election headquarters and from now until election day, we are featuring all nine candidates running for mayor.
Larry Atencio is one of three current Pueblo City Council members pursuing the title of mayor, and he wants the community to think bigger. Atencio, a familiar face in Pueblo’s political landscape, believes the city has untapped potential that should be harnessed for the benefit of the community and all those who call it home.
Atencio has served on the Pueblo City Council for eight years and ran in the city’s first mayoral election in 2018.
“I think the whole atmosphere in Pueblo is completely different,” Atencio explained. “That’s why I’m using the motto, Think Bigger Pueblo.”
The motto embodies Atencio’s campaign goals of expanding recreational opportunities and city beautification.
“We’re thinking bigger in terms of quality of life, the things we need for our children, economic development, jobs, infrastructure, everything, think bigger Pueblo,” Atencio said.
Atencio envisions the development of new parks and community centers and says he’s brought more than $10 million worth of capital projects to his district during his time on City Council.
“I have always told people, ‘you tell me what to do, I work for you’,” Atencio said.
In addition to improving city amenities, Atencio adds he wants all city facilities to run on 100% renewable energy to meet Pueblo’s 2035 goal of no longer relying on fossil fuels.
“If I have my way, it’s going to get done,” Atencio explained. “I sponsored the resolution a few years ago for Pueblo to go to 100% renewable and we’re on our way.”
Atencio says as Mayor he would address crime and homelessness, but it’s not the main focus of his campaign.
“I’m offering a great quality of life and a place where people can be proud of,” Atencio explained. “That’s why the Think Bigger motto is there. I remember when we used to be Pride City, we can bring that back.”
With nine candidates running for Pueblo Mayor, Atencio highlights that he is the only one that has a master’s degree in public administration. Atencio says he’s trained for the job and is ready to enter the mayor’s office.
“I’ve supported everything that this administration has done and that’s because I didn’t want to get in the way and I didn’t want it to fail,” Atencio explained. “I wanted it to succeed as much as it possibly could, but it just wasn’t enough.”
Atencio says if the Pueblo community wants a good quality of life, they’ll vote for him on Nov. 7. Pueblo County election offices will begin mailing ballots to registered voters on Oct. 16.
