WHACKADOODLES
ARE BACK.
Your 2025
GJ Election Guide
GJ locals created this project in 2021 - The Best Slope Leadership Project - to warn GJ voters of some extremist,
unqualified whackadoodles running for City Council.
Voters heard the call and resoundingly said no to conspiracy theorist and local supplement huckster Greg Haitz, dealing him a 23% defeat.
This was the second time GJ voters said "no thanks" to Haitz's brand of hyperpartisan slackjawing and, we hoped, the last.
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Alas, Greg is back with three wingnuts
in the 2025 GJ City Council election.
Get the story below.
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WAIT - WHO MADE THIS GUIDE?
BEST SLOPE LEADERSHIP PROJECT
is a non-partisan, non-profit project working to build the next generation of qualified, competent, problem solving leadership for Mesa County.
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We have proudly supported the best candidates based on character and qualifications and have supported candidates of both major parties.
We want really good leadership that makes real things happen for our economy, our quality of life, and our futures. Leadership that transcends national drama and self-serving partisan warfare and does the boring, competent work of making our community a better place to live.
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We are a committee of all party registrations with a collective 90 years of local community experience. Some of us have served you in office.
We've personally met every candidate on the ballot this year, followed their campaigns, investigated their donors, and taken stock of what they have to offer.
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This is our
2025 GJ CITY COUNCIL ELECTION GUIDE
in four parts:
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I. Stand for the Constitution: Zombie Edition
II. What's at Stake
III. 2025: The Independents vs. the Haitzlings
IV. Voting Help
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VOTER GUIDE
Part I:
Stand for the Constitution
Zombie Edition
Not long ago, Mesa County became an embarrassing national laughingstock
when Congresswoman Lauren Boebert couldn't keep her hands to herself in public and
and Mesa County Clerk and conspiracy theorist Tina Peters executed an election security breach and data heist that put us at the top of national news.
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Boebert was chased out of her district and fled across the state.
Peters was convicted by a Grand Jury and sentenced to nine years.
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These two had a big local fan club at the time, Stand for the Constitution.
These champs brought assault rifles to public meetings, threatened Republicans who disagreed with them, and tarnished the good reputation of our town.
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Mesa County's Best and Brightest right here.
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Stand for the Constitution ran two slates of wingnuts
for Grand Junction City Council in 2021 and 2023.
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This slackjawed horde may have fallen apart thanks to infighting and public shame, but its members still stalk Zombie-like among us,
still in search of brains.
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In 2025, they're back for more.
Greg Haitz is back in the mix, trying to put a whole lot
of lipstick on candidates Ben Van Dyke and Robert Ballard.
​We'll call these newly-evolved shamblers
the Haitzlings.
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Two-time loser Greg Haitz chums it up with candidate Robert Ballard.
HOW TO KEEP GJ SANE
Part II:
What's at Stake
For six years, GJ has been kicking massive butt.
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If you remember what our small city was like a decade ago, you know how far we've come.
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Our economy is diversifying in ways that were a dream a decade ago and wages and career options have improved dramatically.
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In 2024, we created more jobs per capita than any city in Colorado.
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Our university has grown dramatically and become
a beacon of success and dynamism.
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We've got amazing new outdoor and indoor places to share with family and friends.
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Our downtown is hands-down the most real, authentic, and small business vibes Main Street anywhere in Colorado.
And our parks, riverfront, and trails are national class.
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On the things that most ail us, recent councils
have produced hard-won success.
Figures show that over 1,000 new housing units are in motion. That's about 30% progress towards what we need to end high prices here. The city just won another grant for genuinely affordable homes, beating other Colorado communities in the application process. Crime spiked during COVID and, thanks to new strategies, is down sharply. The city has created new homeless shelters and now must quickly relocate one.
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The fringe is mad because this has been a bipartisan, Main Street success of unaffiliated, Republican, and Democratic councilmembers that's left them in the dust.
It's been the kind of patient, boring, grownup process that's denied them the hyper-partisan cult drama, bullying victims, and attention they crave. Sure, they've shown up to city council meetings waving guns and decried any small change anywhere as GJ turning into Boulder, but the rest of us are busy building a great community and moving on.
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GJ CITY COUNCIL
2025
THE INDEPENDENTS VERSUS THE HAITZLINGS
2025 features three contested city council races. Voters get to vote on all of them.
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In two races, beloved longtime community leaders and party independents have drawn opponents backed by Greg Haitz.
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In the third, incumbent Cody Kennedy faces a challenge from a water scientist and veteran.
City Council At Large
Ken Scissors is a physician who has served GJ residents in all three of our hospitals. Ken touts his experience as the director of an emergency room, an intensive care unit, and veterans' care and his work with county EMS teams. Ken has also served five years on the Grand Junction Planning Commission, which makes him familiar with housing and zoning policies. Ken has also helped with the city's impact fees committee and sustainability plan. Ken is a registered unaffiliated.
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Ben Van Dyke operates a car wash that his parents gave him, far as we can ascertain. It is not one of the nicest car washes in town. Ben has given no prior time to any public service or put in time to learn about city policy, far as we can ascertain.
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Supported by Greg Haitz
City Council District A
Alexis Hitzeroth is a water scientist who's worked for the USGS. Alexis served in Afghanistan and earned promotion to the rank of E-6 Staff Sergeant with decoration.
Hitzeroth is challenging incumbent Cody Kennedy with bi-partisan support. Alexis is a registered unaffiliated.
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Cody Kennedy is a retired GJ police officer and wealthy landowner, with perhaps $5,000,000 in rental properties, far as we have been able to ascertain. Kennedy ran as a moderate in 2023 but has spent much of his time on council quarrelling with other members and has increasingly moved to the fringe.
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Kennedy has drawn criticism for his comments calling the houseless resource center a "crackhouse." Kennedy worked with wealthy landowners to push the 29 Road ballot initiative that GJ voters rejected last year. The 29 Road proposal was decried as deceitful and could have made certain campaign funders substantial wealth through ownership of surrounding land. Kennedy is recently in the news for one rental home that's seen past violent offenders and sex offenders trouble neighbors in a residential area. ​
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Supported by Greg Haitz
City Council District E
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Randall Reitz is a family therapist doctor who has served on city council for four years, including as Mayor Pro Tem. Randall is a beloved local super dad who's helped marching band and high school sports for two decades and served on D51 school committees. Randall is a former healthcare clinic CEO and touts experience leading 45 staff and has also worked at GJ's Marillac Clinic for needful residents. As a councilmember, Randall has served on local boards including the housing authority, airport, downtown development authority, and Visit GJ, and was an active supporter of the campaign to build the GJ Rec Center. Randall is a registered unaffiliated.
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Randall touts accomplishments on council including 1,000+ new homes, the city's great river front upgrades, new mental health programs, new businesses and a vibrant downtown, and a CMU project to match graduates with local jobs.
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Robert Ballard works IT security at Alpine Bank. Ballard is active with the Colorado National Guard and was appointed to the Mesa County Planning Commission where he serves with Greg Haitz, who was also appointed to the commission after losing two elections.
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Supported by Greg Haitz
Voting Help
All active voters should have received a mail ballot at their registered address by now.
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Ballots are due by Thursday, April 8.
They can be returned by mail
or dropped off at these drop box locations.
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If you haven't received a ballot or have misplaced yours,
call the GJ City Clerk right now
and ask about your options.
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https://www.gjcity.org/277/Election-Information
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970-244-1509
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Thank you for being a voter.
Please encourage your friends to vote.
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