Denver’s election is April 4. Here’s what to know about the mayor’s race.

Who is running for Denver mayor?

Voting History

What we found in the voter files of Denver’s 17 mayoral candidates:

One of the questions we often ask people running for office is: Do you vote regularly?

The answer is sometimes “no,” and that’s true for some of the 17 people who want to be the next mayor of Denver. We pored over each candidate’s state voter file, obtained through a records request, to learn their voter registration history and which elections they did and didn’t cast ballots in.

Here’s a look at the Denver mayoral candidates who have missed or skipped voting in some in Colorado and Denver municipal elections dating back to 1999: 

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Endorsements

Interesting Democratic factions are born from the Denver mayor race

There’s nothing quite like a 17-candidate Denver mayoral race to reveal who is aligned with whom in the Colorado political sphere. 

Notable endorsements are starting to fly in the contest, and we were especially interested to see some Democratic political factions forming, including among sitting and former state lawmakers. 

Here are some of the most interesting announcements we’ve seen so far: 

• Former state Sen. Lois Court endorsed state Sen. Chris Hansen in the Denver mayoral race. Hansen filled Court’s seat in the Senate when a medical issue forced her to resign. “He approaches every issue from an engineer’s perspective, ready to bring solutions to the table that make sense,” Court said in a written statement. “While I have seen so many leaders throughout my career sit back and let time pass them by, Chris always takes the proactive approach, putting the people who elected him at the forefront of every action he takes. And guess what? He gets results.” Sen. Kevin Priola and Rep. Judy Amabile have also endorsed Hansen. 
• Former Gov. Bill Ritter, a Democrat and Denver resident, endorsed Kelly Brough, the former head of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and who was a chief of staff to U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper when he was Denver’s mayor.  “She is the leader we need for the time we’re in,” Ritter said in a written statement. “Kelly is masterful at having the type of community conversations that Denver needs right now, and she has the experience necessary to lead this city.”
• Former City Council President Albus Brooks, now a developer, and John Bailey, chair of the Colorado Black Round Table, both endorsed former state Sen. Michael Johnston. So did YIMBY Denver, which advocates for more housing. (YIMBY stands for “yes in my backyard.”) 
• City Councilwoman Debbie Ortega counts among her endorsers state Sen. Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, as well as Democratic former state lawmakers Polly Baca, Lucia Guzman, Joan Fitz-Gerald, Susan Lontine and Irene Aguilar. 
• Dean Williams, the former head of the Colorado Department of Corrections, endorsed state Rep. Leslie Herod’s Denver mayoral campaign. “I came to Colorado to lead the Department of Corrections because I knew the correctional system in this state could be better — and I found a kindred spirit in Leslie Herod because she was results-driven,” Williams said in a written statement. “Leslie’s experience in the legislature is very important for this new role because experience is going to matter with the challenges that Denver is facing.” Williams’ endorsement of Herod is interesting given the criminal justice focus of the race. Herod is also backed by former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb.

The lone Republican

One candidate who isn’t getting — and likely won’t get — any big-name Democratic endorsements is Andy Rougeot, who is a Republican. Yes, the mayoral race is supposed to be nonpartisan, but Denver is a Democratic stronghold and Rougeot isn’t exactly hiding his party affiliation.

“We don’t need another insider from Denver’s political class in City Hall and the only endorsement that matters to me is an endorsement from the voters on Election Day,” Rougeot, a political newcomer, said in a statement. 

Rougeot is getting support from the Colorado GOP, with Chair Kristi Burton Brown sending an email on his behalf to the state party’s contact list. “Watch his videos and read his plans. He’s taking a courageous, solution-oriented stand on homelessness and crime — two issues that continue to plague Denver,” she wrote. 

🧠 Keep in mind: Bennet won reelection in Denver last year by a whopping 63 percentage points. It’s going to be tough for someone tied to the Colorado GOP to win in the Mile High City. 

To endorse or not to endorse, that is Colorado lawmakers’ question

A lot of big, Democratic political names remain on the endorsement sidelines so far, including the bulk of the legislature. We haven’t seen anything from the congressional delegation or Gov. Jared Polis. Hancock has stayed out of the fray, too.  

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper hasn’t endorsed in the contest, though he’s featured in a super PAC ad favoring Brough. His office said he was unaware of the ad. Denver Democratic U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette isn’t endorsing anyone either. U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet’s office didn’t respond to The Sun when asked about potential endorsements.

In some ways, some of these people’s decision not to weigh in on the race — and for certain candidates — speaks volumes. And as we predicted a few months ago, Denver mayoral race politics have definitely seeped into the Capitol.

🗣️ How are state lawmakers deciding whether to endorse their colleagues or political allies in the Denver mayoral race? It depends on which lawmaker you ask. 

The two top Democrats in the Colorado Senate say they don’t plan to weigh in on the contest at any point. 

“I don’t plan to endorse,” said Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Boulder Democrat. “It’s not my community. I generally don’t get involved in city races in other communities.” 

Senate Majority Leader Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City, said he’s not planning to endorse anyone, either. 

But Sen. Faith Winter, a Westminster Democrat, is going a different route. She is supporting state Rep. Leslie Herod’s campaign, despite serving in the Senate alongside another mayoral candidate: Sen. Chris Hansen. Winter’s career has been focused on getting women more involved in politics, so the endorsement isn’t surprising. 

Analysis: If you talk to most state lawmakers, they will privately tell you they want nothing to do with the crowded Denver mayoral race. It’s like a big fire: better to watch at a distance than risk getting burned.

Polling

Not-particularly-helpful results

First published in The Unaffiliated on 2/28/23. 

A poll of 405 likely Denver voters was conducted Feb. 9 and 10 by Cygnal, a GOP pollster, and Chism Strategies, a Democratic political strategy firm, on behalf of A Denver for Us All, an organization formed by Denver startup business leaders.

The poll’s findings weren’t very useful given that 59% of those surveyed said they were undecided. Just three candidates — Kelly Brough, Leslie Herod and Mike Johnston — had a greater share of support than the poll’s margin of error of 4.86 percentage points.

Fundraising

Here’s a look at Denver mayoral fundraising through Feb. 28. The next filing date is March 17.

And here’s spending by mayoral candidates through Feb. 28. The next filing date is March 17.

Here’s fundraising for Denver at-large City Council candidates through Feb. 28. The next filing date is March 17.

The “Fun Facts” portion of this Denver mayor guide

How much does the Denver mayor make?

Denver’s mayor is paid more than $188,000 and council members, who are on what’s likely the second most powerful government body in the state, make nearly $97,000.

Denver’s City Council is slated to consider revising pay for the jobs early next year, with any increase taking effect on July 18.

What about other Denver races?

You can see a list of the candidates for all Denver municipal offices here.

Several lawmakers are running for Denver mayor or City Council. How will they campaign during session?

Three state lawmakers are among the candidates for Denver mayor, while a fourth state lawmaker is running for one of two at-large City Council seats in the city’s April 4 municipal  election.

The Colorado Sun reached out to the four Denver Democrats, none of whom immediately plans to resign as they run for municipal office, to ask how they will handle their legislative work while also campaigning.

• State Rep. Leslie Herod will continue to serve on the House Appropriations Committee while running for mayor, but is no longer serving on the Joint Budget Committee. “She expects to fulfill her duties as a legislator, along with running for mayor,” campaign spokeswoman Holly Shrewsbury said. “She’s not the first legislator to run for higher office while still holding on to their seat.”
• State Sen. Chris Hansen also stepped down from the Joint Budget Committee to run for mayor. “I’ve got my bills ready to go, I’ve got a great staff at the Capitol that are assisting me and I feel I can do a good job,” Hansen said.
• State Rep. Alex Valdez said he’s waiting to see how things shake out in the crowded mayoral contest before deciding whether to continue serving at the Capitol. “My plan is to get started and if the campaign takes over, I’ll reevaluate,” he told The Sun. “With as many new folks coming into the legislature it’s good to have people who help get off on the right foot.” (Editor’s note: Valdez has since dropped out of the race.)
• State Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez is running for an at-large council seat. She is one of 10 candidates to jump into the race thus far. She does not plan to resign while running for council and said she is accustomed to balancing multiple roles. “I feel a duty to continue to serve my constituents,” she said. “All the things I have done over the years, while having another job, while having a family with young children, I’ve been able to deliver for our state.”

State law prohibits lobbyists from donating to candidates during the legislative session, even if they’re running for a city office.

If any of the candidates win their races, they’ll have to resign from the legislature. 

MORE: During the 2022 legislative session, six state lawmakers continued serving while simultaneously running for Congress. One of them, U.S. Rep.-elect Brittany Pettersen, D-Lakewood, stopped serving on Senate committees during the lawmaking term. 

State lawmakers who have run for Denver mayor in the past

There’s long been a pipeline from the Colorado legislature to Denver City Hall.

Here’s a look at the state lawmakers who have run for Denver municipal offices in past years:

• Federico Peña served in the Colorado House from 1979-82, when he didn’t run again. Instead, he ran for Denver mayor and won in 1983. 
• State Sen. Penfield Tate ran for Denver mayor in 2003, resigning from the legislature on Feb. 14, 2003. He finished fourth among seven candidates. Now-U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper won the mayoral contest that year. Tate ran for mayor again in 2019, and is running for an at-large City Council seat this year.
• State Sen. Chris Romer resigned from the Senate on Dec. 31, 2010, to run for mayor in 2011 after Hickenlooper was elected governor. He finished second among 10 candidates, but lost the runoff to current Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, who was then a city councilman.
• State Sen. Doug Linkhart ran successfully for an at-large Denver City Council seat in 2003 and resigned his Senate seat after his election.

One similarity among all of the politicians listed above? They’re Democrats.

Interesting data in the Denver mayoral race poll that wasn’t related to the Denver mayoral race

Denverites like Gov. Jared Polis but not Mayor Michael Hancock, according to a Denver mayoral race poll that had some interesting data unrelated to the mayoral race. 

The poll of 405 likely Denver voters was conducted Feb. 9 and 10 by Cygnal, a GOP pollster, and Chism Strategies, a Democratic political strategy firm, on behalf of A Denver for Us All, an organization formed by Denver startup business leaders. 

Seventy-five percent of those polled said they have a favorable view of Polis, compared with 21.5% who said they have an unfavorable view of the governor and 1.4% who had no opinion. When it comes to Hancock, 33% said they have a favorable view of Denver’s mayor, while 55% said they have an unfavorable view of him and 7% said they had no opinion. 

“The governor’s image is incredibly strong, especially when you contrast that against Hancock’s image,” said Brett Buchanan, president and founder of Cygnal. “It’s basically like inverse images.”

Nearly 40% of those polled said they view Denver’s City Council favorably, compared with 45% who said they view it unfavorably and 14% who said they have no opinion. The Denver Police Department fared better, with 47% saying they have a favorable view of the department while 45% said they have an unfavorable view and 7.5% who said they have no opinion.

About 45% of those polled said they think Denver is headed in the right direction, while 47% said it’s on the wrong track. Eight percent said they were unsure.

Ask us a question

Credits

Reporting by Sandra Fish, Jesse Paul and Elliott Wenzler.
Design by Danika Worthington.