Larimer county commissioner - john kefalas

Larimer County Commissioner - John Kefalas

District: 1 | Role in 2026: Chair Pro Tem, Board of County Commissioners

Not seeking reelection: Kefalas announced he will not run for a third term in 2026. He has held the District 1 seat since 2018. Fort Collins attorney Dan Sapienza has announced he is running for the open seat. Kefalas stated he intends to remain neutral in the race and will continue serving through the end of his term.

Second D1 primary candidate: Shane Atkinson (Fort Collins, Democrat) has also filed to run for the open District 1 seat, setting up a Sapienza vs. Atkinson Democratic primary on June 30, 2026. General election is November 3, 2026. Kefalas has stated he will remain neutral in the race.

Public service column: Kefalas published his monthly North Forty News column reflecting on his commissioner role — visiting 5th graders at Dunn Elementary, attending the opening day and 50th anniversary of the Larimer County Farmers' Market, and fielding constituent questions. He emphasized that building trusting relationships requires being present in the community.

Atkinson now running uncontested: Both Dan Sapienza and Lisa Chollet failed to gather enough petition signatures to qualify for the June 30 primary ballot and have ended their campaigns. Shane Atkinson is the only Democrat on the primary ballot. With no Republican having filed for the seat, Atkinson is effectively the next Larimer County Commissioner for District 1 — he will need to win the formality of the June 30 primary and then the November 3 general election, both without opposition.