‘It’s disingenuous’: Former EPC Sheriff says Wayne Williams wrongly claimed to have his mayoral endorsement
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)-- Former El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder says he's endorsing Yemi Mobolade as the next mayor of Colorado Springs.
It's a surprise to some, given that Mobolade's runoff opponent Wayne Williams claimed to already have Elder's endorsement. Williams' campaign sent out a flyer saying Williams had Elder's support, and also listed Elder under the endorsements section of Williams' campaign website, according to Elder.
"I made him take it off his website," Elder told KRDO, saying he never rescinded his endorsement of Williams because he'd never offered it in the first place.
Elder said he had no plans to endorse anyone in the mayoral race, until the runoff at the earliest. He claims he had too many friends running for mayor to endorse one candidate.
"It was not fair to all of my friends to say, you know, 'Hey, Darryl (Glenn) sorry,' 'Or hey Loginos (Gonzalez) sorry, I'm going to endorse Wayne.' That wasn't fair to them, and frankly, that's not who I am."
Williams offers a different version of events. In a text message, his campaign manager said in part, "A year ago former Sheriff Elder had told us he was supportive and would do anything to help. Then, after moving to Arizona, he decided that he no longer wanted to be involved so we removed him as an endorser. We're proud to have the endorsement of the current sheriff, Joe Roybal, who actually lives in El Paso County..."
Elder called the message disingenuous, saying that he snowbirds in Arizona during the winter months, but still lives in El Paso County.
"That's not factual," he said of Williams' recollection of events. He did admit that when Williams initially announced his intention to run, he offered to help. But Williams was his only friend running at the time.
Elder added he never offered to endorse Williams, and Williams' never asked for the endorsement. Williams' team also said they never asked for the endorsement.
Williams' campaign manager says the flier did not say Williams was 'endorsed' by Elder, but rather 'supported'. Meanwhile, the six names or organizations that surround Elder's on the mailer, like Sheriff Joe Roybal, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers, and Tresurer Chuck Broerman, have all endorsed Williams.
"My message doesn't matter to that many people," Elder said. "He thought maybe he could use it. I didn't give it to him, it just is what it is, I wish him well. I'm just not endorsing him."
