24-year-old city councilor-elect set to make history

COMMERCE CITY - It looks like Commerce City will have its youngest city councilor in its history.

Twenty-four-year-old Dominick Moreno will likely win the Commerce City Ward 1 City Council position with 50 percent of the vote.

The election won't be certified for a few weeks.

Moreno was born and raised in Commerce City and returned home after college to campaign for the city council position.

The Adams City High School graduate was valedictorian, and went to Georgetown University on a nearly-full scholarship.

Moreno says he vows to improve the image of his hometown.

"This is where my roots are," Moreno said. "A lot of people don't have a favorable image of Commerce City. It is more industrial than other cities, but I think that's a very necessary aspect of a metropolitan area."

Moreno's father, a custodian, and mother, a retired educator, say their son has always been smart and articulate.

"Once he sets his mind to doing something, he really does it," Moreno's mother, Adelia Moreno, said. "When he left for Georgetown, I said, 'Son you're going to see a lot of things, you're going to learn a lot of things, but don't ever forget where you came from. This is where we need help, this is your city.'"

Dominick Moreno says his age was definitely an issue on the campaign trail.

"I think people were equally excited about my age, and the unique perspective that I bring to the table," Dominick Moreno said.

He says some voters were a bit worried about his lack of experience.

Moreno's father doesn't think his age is an issue.

"He's young, and he's got a lot of good ideas. He learned a lot in college; I think he'll do fine," Moreno's father, Domingo, said.

Dominick Moreno tells 9NEWS his number one priority is engaging the youth in Commerce City.

He says wants to work with the school district to make sure they have a lot of after-school options available to them.

City councilors in Commerce City make a part time salary of about $10,000.

Moreno also works part time as a legal assistant.