Talk about having a crowded and diverse field! The Denver Mayor’s race—with all 17 candidates—is like the paddock at the Kentucky Derby with every stall filled. You’re just waiting to see how they break once the bell rings.
Among the candidates is one hopeful who’s loaned his campaign $500,000 of his own money. A cou- ple of state legislators, both good bets, also running. A veteran city council person who may have more institutional knowledge of the city than that of a combination of candidates, a former school principal, a university professor running for the second time, and a former chief of staff for a former governor. It’s a buffet of personalities, each with ideas on how to ‘imagine a great city.’
Current Mayor, Michael Hancock, who has served as the city’s chief executive for the past twelve years is term limited.
The candidates have shared their positions in a variety of forums, from The Denver Post to Rocky Mountain PBS to Denver’s commercial television stations. Highlights for those who have not caught the various campaign appearances or want to review the various positions of the candidates, the internet remains an option for catching up.
Almost uniformly, the majority of the candidates have a desire to address homeless and housing, public safety and affordability as the keystone elements in their race for the city’s top job.
LaVozColorado reached out to several Mayoral candidates asking them to identify the three most important issues facing the city and which among the three would be their priority once elected. Replies were not received from all who were contacted. Not all candidates responded to the query.
Current city councilmember-at-large, Debbie Ortega, identified her three main issues as homelessness, “public safety within our downtown and neighborhoods” and housing affordability as her highest priorities.
“Denver’s rising cost of living is pric- ing far too many working individuals and families out of our community,” she said. Not being able to find enough affordable housing, said Ortega, creates labor shortages in the city for businesses at every level.
Mike Johnston, a former state legislator and school principal, released a plan outlining his idea for making home ownership easier through a down payment assistance program. In his “Equity: A Denver for All” plan, Johnston promised, to expand upon a program called the “Dearfield Fund for Black Wealth,” that will create a down payment assistance plan for “Black and White families with children” making it easier to enter home ownership.
Former Governor Hickenlooper Chief of Staff Kelly Brough was in agreement that homelessness and the proliferation of sidewalk camping was one of the city’s most pressing issues. But she also said that the scourge of fentanyl needs to be stopped. “It’s a death sentence,” she said, that is destroy- ing lives “at record numbers.”
In the Rocky Mountain PBS Mayoral Forum, State Representative Leslie Herod agreed that too many working people are being priced out of the Denver housing market. “Teachers, firefighters, nurses, mental health providers can’t afford to live in our communities.” Herod, who sits on the legisla- ture’s Joint Budget Committee, said that her current home today would be too expensive for her to buy.
Trinidad ‘Trini’ Rodriguez, an investment banker and native Denverite, said that homelessness is not an impossible issue. “Where is homelessness being solved? In Asia and Europe.” If this growing social issue can be solved elsewhere, he said at the PBS Forum, it can be solved in Denver. Rodriguez also addressed the growing problem of the homeless or unhoused living with mental health issues. Rodriguez also called for a bet- ter staffed and better trained Denver Police Department. He also addressed the recent fatal shooting at Denver East High School, the school he attended.
State Senator Chris Hansen listed public safety, homelessness and a greener Denver as his top three priorities for the city. “Denverites and visitors,” he said, “deserve to feel safe” in the city. Hansen said he wants to rebuild and improve “our Public Safety Department.” “Not feeling safe impacts everyone in the city.” Hansen also pledged to deliver to Denver a similar energy and climate plan that he has introduced at the state legislature.
University professor Lisa Calderon lamented the policy of arresting homeless men and women, saying it does nothing to solve a very obvious problem. Calderon, now in her second run for Denver Mayor, said locking people up just because they have no home is “not evidenced-based.”
Candidate Andy Rougeot, a registered Republican, loaned his campaign $500,000 for the race to the top. His priorities are homelessness and housing affordability. He is an Afghanistan War veteran. He also wants to fortify the police department by bringing the force up to full staffing. It now sits several hundred below what the city has authorized.
Ean Thomas Tafoya has focused much of his campaign on a greener city. He thinks energy bills are too high, and air and water quality need improving. He is a fourth generation Denverite.
Thomas Wolf, a 2011 candidate for Denver Mayor, has made abolishing homeless encampments his number one priority. Wolf said he wants to find shelter for homeless, address those who are struggling with drug dependency and mental health issues. Wolf currently works in finance.
Kwame Spearman, owner of Denver’s Tattered Cover Bookstore, has also made housing a top priority. “We’ve got to innovate…enforce our laws…provide innovation for those who want to have a path into homes.” Spearman’s business sits in the shadow of East High School, where last month a young student died from being shot as he sat in a car in the school’s parking lot.
The election is April 4th. If a runoff is necessary, it is set for June 6th.
