Activist, Public Speaker Ash Beckham Pursues Council Seat
Aims for Community Unity with Ward 2 Vacancy
Marcia Martin’s tenure as the Ward 2 representative on the Longmont City Council officially ended on December 31, 2024, leaving the seat vacant as the city prepares to select her successor to avoid the expense of a taxpayer-funded election.
The City of Longmont invited qualified Ward 2 residents to submit their applications by January 8. The vacancy has attracted significant public interest with 18 out of 22 qualified applicants in the mix.
Ash Beckham, a well-known activist, public speaker, and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, has applied to fill the vacant Ward 2 seat on the Longmont City Council. Beckham, who has lived in Longmont since 2016, brings a range of experience in equity, community building, and collaboration.
“I have two young kids, a just-turned-seven-year-old and a just-turned-four-year-old,” Beckham explained. “We moved to Longmont before we had our first child, and this place feels like home. I’ve lived in Colorado for 25 years, and Longmont has become where I want to raise my family.”
Beckham has ties to the community through her involvement in local organizations, such as serving on the HOA board of Clover Creek and as the chair of her son’s school’s biggest fundraiser, the annual Turkey Trot.
“I’ve always been passionate about supporting small businesses and entrepreneurship, and Longmont offers a real sense of community that I want to contribute to. I’ve been involved in my kids’ school and our HOA, and now this opportunity to serve on the council just feels like the right next step,” Beckham said.
As a public speaker and activist, Beckham emphasized the significance of collaboration and inclusivity. She believes her skills in developing connections and creating a sense of belonging will be invaluable to the Council.
“I’ve spent my professional career building collaborative environments, and these cultures where people feel like they belong and they have a say,” Beckham said. “I feel like that’s such a notable part of what progress looks like is mindfulness with those voices at the table. And how do you get them there? And at the very least, how do you get their concerns there? And I feel like that’s what I do professionally, and bringing that to Council.”
Beckham’s approach to leadership is centered on the idea that representation matters and that the diversity of opinions and experiences in a community should be respected.
“There are so many different interests in Ward 2,” Beckham said. “You’ve got families that have had farms in their families for generations. They are deciding if they don't want to do it, they can’t afford it, or it makes more sense for them to sell. You’ve got families that are worried about transportation. You have people that are worried about developments on either side and what that’s going to do to schools that already have 25 people in a classroom.”
Beckham identified affordable housing and homelessness as two of the most pressing challenges facing the city. On the topic of growth, she emphasized the need for smart growth that considers both infrastructure and community needs.
Beckham highlighted specific areas of concern, including new developments in and around Ward 2, like the Kanamoto development. She spoke of the importance of keeping the local economy strong, with an emphasis on ensuring that developments contribute positively to the community.
“It’s got to be mixed construction to a certain extent. Purely rental units don’t make sense. It isn’t keeping the money here. People aren’t building generational wealth for their families.,” Beckham said. “I think it takes a nuanced approach. We need to look at all the possibilities and make sure that the developers that are making money off of what they’re doing here, are keeping that money in the community.”
On homelessness, Beckham stressed the importance of a nuanced approach.
“There are many reasons why people are unhoused, from mental health issues and addiction to economic instability,” Beckham said. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. We need to engage with local partners who have boots on the ground and understand the needs of the unhoused population. How can we provide not just housing, but also the support services that are necessary for people to regain stability and become part of the community again?”
Beckham believes that infrastructure planning, particularly around transportation, plays a critical role in how Longmont can grow while maintaining its small-town charm. She advocates for a thoughtful approach to expansion that focuses on connecting the community while keeping the needs of the residents in mind.
“Another thing that I’ve done professionally is run events, and I know firsthand the impact that you can make at a community when you have it as a cultural destination,” Beckham said. “Lyons, Lafayette, Louisville, Mead, we’re surrounded by people that don’t have a Roosevelt Park, that don’t have some of the smaller musical venues that we have, that don’t really have the stability there. If we can continue to enhance and build that and make it a destination, it supports our local businesses.”
Longmont is known for its diversity, and Beckham sees this as one of the city’s greatest strengths.
“Longmont is ethnically, politically, and socioeconomically diverse,” Beckham said. “We need to have diverse perspectives. Diversity is scarce. Diverse perspectives give us the most creative solutions. So, how are we honoring what those experiences are like and taking input from those populations and the people who serve those populations to collectively have the best set of policies and practices in place to bring them on board and make them part of the community.”
Beckham’s connection to Longmont runs deep, and it’s part of what fuels her commitment to improving the city for future generations.
“Longmont is just real to me,” Beckham said. “It reminds me of where I grew up—of the working class in the Rust Belt in Toledo, Ohio.”
“Everybody has their opinion of Boulder, but it’s an echo chamber. To be here and see politically opposing yard signs is inspiring to me. That’s where we’re going to come up with some really good solutions because we’re not trying to out right each other. We know that we have different opinions, but this is how we’re most creatively coming up with solutions. That is just a real town,” Beckham said.
Beckham’s empathetic approach to leadership, focused on understanding the why behind opposing views, reflects her belief in a politics of unity rather than division.
“Politics now are so divided, and there’s this duality of it, it’s like one side or the other, but it’s so much more complex. If we agree more, if we can see the complexity, then we can find that common ground,” Beckham said.
Beckham’s vision for Longmont’s future involves maintaining its authenticity while embracing opportunities for thoughtful growth. She believes the city’s growth can be a source of opportunity, not just challenges.
“It’s big enough to make a real difference, and you can make real change, and it’s still growing. You can still plan,” Beckham said. “There are not a lot of places that are growing at the same rate, but they have the size and the budget to really make a difference.”
With a bevy of interested applicants having submitted applications by the January 8 deadline, the Council is set to interview applicants in a public meeting on January 21, before the swearing-in of the new representative scheduled for January 28.
Longmont residents can share their thoughts on candidates, like Ash Beckham, by addressing the Council through an email sent beforehand. The open forum to address the city council previously scheduled for January 21, will be replaced with an interview session of candidates and the appointment of a selected candidate.