As the race for Colorado Springs mayoral seat winds down, candidate Brian Bahr will be on the road, but he won’t be campaigning.
Bahr announced Monday that he will be leaving for China on Friday to adopt two children, a trip that will keep him out of the country for the April 5 election.
Bahr and his wife, who have have been waiting nearly two years to adopt, found out in the last few days that they can finally pick up their daughters, now 5 and 9. Bahr said that despite the timing, there was never any hesitation on his part.
“My wife and I discussed this months ago, and we decided we would go regardless of what stage the election was in,” Bahr said.
Bahr, who has five children between the ages of 7 and 14, said that they began looking into the possibility of adopting another child around 2009.
“We’ve been very blessed with beautiful children and we felt that we had a lot more room in our home and in our hearts,” Bahr said.
Bahr and his wife filed paperwork to adopt a child in early 2010, and added on a second child when Chinese law changed to allow it. Bahr said that the process has been long and difficult.
“There have been times we thought we were going to lose the girls,” Bahr said. “When reality like that hits you, you realize what’s important in life.”
Bahn lost his first son at birth in 1994.
The top two vote-getters in the April 5 election will compete in a runoff on May 17. Bahr said he will be back in time for a runoff if he needs to be.
He is hoping voters will not penalize him for putting his family first, and still believes he is the best choice for Colorado Springs, even if he will be thousands of miles away when voters fill out their ballots.
“I’m not sure if there will be political consequences or if people will understand family comes first,” Bahn said. “My hope is that people will realize this is a principle-based decision, and that is the same type of decision making I would bring to my role as mayor.”
Bahr said his main focus now is finally getting the new members of his family home quickly and safely.
“I’m just very excited to meet them and bring them home,” Bahr said.
Even if it costs him the mayor’s seat, Bahr said he has made the right decision. “My most important responsibilities are as a husband and a father. Being a mayor is not nearly as important.”
Mitchell Byars: 303-954-1698 or mbyars@denverpost.com
