NOVEMBER 16, 2018
HOLIDAY STRESS Therapists offer tips for dealing with family over the holidays P12
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ARAPAHOE COUNTY, COLORADO
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WARRIORS WIN IT ALL
Arapahoe conquers the field at state soccer tournament P18
Democrat flips Centennial state House seat Tom Sullivan, father of Aurora-theater shooting victim, focuses on guns, mental health after defeating Cole Wist BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Six years after his son died in a shooting that shook the country, Tom Sullivan is taking his hopes to the Colorado state House, eyeing gun vio-
lence and mental health as top issues to tackle. “I would have been happy just being a dad,” said Sullivan, a 62-year-old who lives in Centennial. But the 2012 Aurora theater shooting upended his life when his son, Alex
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Sullivan, was killed on his 27th birthday. Tom Sullivan’s voice began resonating with people after that, he said. “You owe it to the community to step up and do your part, and this is what Sullivan I can do,” Sullivan said. Sullivan, a Democrat, won the seat in House District 37, which encompasses central and east
Centennial, along with nearby unincorporated Arapahoe County areas and the Town of Foxfield. He unseated incumbent Rep. Cole Wist, a Republican who has served as assistant minority leader in the Legislature. With about 54 percent of the vote to Wist’s 46 percent as of about 9:30 p.m. Nov. 8, Sullivan pulled out an unexpected win in a traditionally Republican district. SEE HOUSE, P4
THE BOTTOM LINE
“You placed your faith and trust in me and this is a responsibility that I do not take lightly.”
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Lopez, on being elected the county’s new clerk and recorder, Page 4 CENTENNIAL Joan LAKEWOOD
The Streets at South Glenn 7001 S University Blvd.
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Westland Center 10785 W Colfax Ave.
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VOLUME 17 | ISSUE 51