Re-elect Colleen Whitlow

Rooted in Mead. Ready for what's next.

A Colorado native who grew up just up I-25 in Loveland. An Air Force veteran, hobby farmer and two-term mayor who has watched Mead grow from a farm town into one of Northern Colorado's busiest crossroads, and made sure it grew right.

Join the campaign Meet Colleen

Sunset over the Front Range and farm fields near Mead

Colleen Whitlow kneeling beside flower planters — in the garden

Colleen Whitlow taking the oath of office

A note from Colleen

I'm a Colorado native. I grew up in Loveland, just up the road, and for more than 25 years Mead has been my home. It's where I raised my family, built two local businesses, and served first as Trustee and then as your Mayor. I'm a hobby farmer, and I've spent a lot of mornings looking west at Longs Peak, thinking about what this town should look like in another 25 years.

I believe Mead can grow without losing what makes it Mead: the fields, the lakes, the neighbors who show up. That takes planning, steady budgets and someone at the regional table fighting for our roads. That's the job I've been doing, and I'd be honored to keep doing it.

Colleen

Colorado native · Loveland
U.S. Air Force 1982–1992
Trustee 2014–2018
Mayor 2018–present
Fire board president

Mead's story

From a beet dump by the tracks to a town of 7,000.

Mead has always grown around the way people move: first the railroad, now I-25. Here's how the town got here.

1871

Highland Lake

Lorin "Deacon" Mead homesteads and helps build an irrigation reservoir. The village of Highlandlake grows on its shore.

1906

A town by the tracks

The railroad skips Highlandlake, so Paul Mead plats a new town beside the sugar-beet loading dump on his farm. Incorporated 1908.

1990

456 people

Still a farm town of a few hundred, surrounded by beets, corn and alfalfa.

2000

The boom begins

In the late '90s Mead is called Colorado's fastest-growing town. It more than quadruples to 2,017 people.

2018

Colleen becomes Mayor

After four years as Trustee. Mead gets its first police department, library and Community Center.

2028

Illustration of new Mead neighborhoods meeting farmland

What's next

Wider I-25 lanes are due, High Plains Boulevard is under way, and the parks and trails plan looks a decade out.

Mead has grown 15-fold since 1990.

That kind of growth brings traffic, school and water questions. Colleen has spent eight years making sure Mead answers them on its own terms.

U.S. Census 1990–2020; 2025 is a Census estimate.

growth that keeps

Mead, Mead.

Illustration

Watch · about a minute

Where $14.7 million in grants went.

Since 2018, Mead has competed for and won 63 grants and outside awards. Most of the money went where growth hurts most: roads, bridges and safe crossings.

Grants and outside funding awarded to the Town of Mead, 2018–2026, compiled by the campaign from Town grant records. Map not to scale; scenery is illustration.

The plan

Five things worth planting.

Safe & strong community

Law enforcement and public safety that protect families, neighborhoods and freedoms.

Fiscal responsibility

Sound budgets and investments that don't burden the next generation.

Responsible growth

Roads and infrastructure built ahead of the rooftops, not after.

Strong local economy

Small businesses supported, new employers welcomed, jobs close to home.

Leadership with results

Accountable, experienced, and listening to residents first.

What neighbors say

“During COVID, Colleen Whitlow stepped up. She reached out, listened, provided resources, made connections, and helped us navigate the constantly changing challenges facing our business.”

Rogelio CastroOwner, Ranchero's Mexican Restaurant, Mead

“I have watched Mayor Whitlow bring enduring and beautiful changes to Mead during her tenure as Mayor.”

Diane CristLongmont City Council, Ward 1

Endorsed by mayors across ColoradoThornton · Greeley · Brighton · Windsor · Berthoud · Frederick · Firestone · Dacono · Edgewater · Leadville See all endorsements →

Built in Mead

The record.

Mead's first police department24/7, with body-worn cameras from the start.
Built for MeadFedEx, Ziggi's Coffee HQ, Home Depot, Leanin' Tree, Renee's Garden and Agfinity.
Roads that keep upI-25 Express Lanes, High Plains Boulevard, 3rd Street and Mead's first traffic signal.
Debt-free civic buildingsThe Community Center and Public Works Facility, with no new debt.
$14.7 million in grants63 awards since 2018, with the region's lowest tax rates and clean audits every year. Watch where it went →
Firsts for MeadIts first public library and Fire Station 14.

All ten accomplishments →

Voting & questions

What voters ask.

When is the Mead mayoral election?

Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The Town of Mead’s regular municipal election is held with the Weld County coordinated election, and the mayor’s seat and four Board of Trustees seats are on the ballot.

How do I return my ballot?

Weld County mailed ballots around October 9, 2026. Mail yours back with time to spare, or drop it off by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Mead’s ballot drop box is next to the Mead Community Center.

How do I check my registration or get a replacement ballot?

Use GoVoteColorado.gov, or see the Town of Mead’s voting information page for the Town Clerk and Weld County Elections.

Who is Colleen Whitlow?

A Colorado native who grew up in Loveland, a U.S. Air Force veteran (1982–1992) who served in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and a Mead resident for more than 25 years. She was a Mead Trustee from 2014 to 2018, has been Mayor since 2018, and is Board President of Mountain View Fire Rescue.

What has she done as Mayor?

Mead’s first police department; the Built for Mead initiative, which brought FedEx, Ziggi’s Coffee HQ, Home Depot, Leanin’ Tree, Renee’s Garden and Agfinity; more than $14 million in grants; a Community Center and Public Works Facility built without new debt; and Mead’s first public library and Fire Station 14. See all ten accomplishments.

How can I help the campaign?

Volunteer, put up a yard sign, or host a meet-and-greet. Send a message through the contact page or visit Get Involved.

Lend a hand

Put Mead first, one yard at a time.

Ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3. Mead's ballot box is next to the Mead Community Center.