2023 Denver mayoral election
The 2023 Denver mayoral election was held on April 4, 2023 to elect the mayor of Denver, Colorado, with a runoff to be held on June 6 because no candidate won a majority in the first round.[1] The election was officially nonpartisan and was held concurrently with elections for the Denver City Council, as well as Denver's City Auditor and City Clerk and Recorder. Incumbent Democratic mayor Michael Hancock is term-limited and cannot seek re-election to a fourth term in office. A historic field of seventeen candidates filed to run in the race to succeed Hancock.[2]
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| Elections in Colorado |
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Former state senator Mike Johnston and former Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce CEO Kelly Brough advanced to the runoff. Candidates eliminated in the first round include Emerge Colorado executive director Lisa Calderón, maintenance executive Andy Rougeot, and state representative Leslie Herod.[3][4]
Candidates
Advanced to the runoff
The following candidates are projected to advance to the runoff election to be held on June 6.
- Kelly Brough, former CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and former chief of staff to then-mayor John Hickenlooper[5] (Party affiliation: Democratic)[6]
- Mike Johnston, former state senator, candidate for governor in 2018, and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2020 (Party affiliation: Democratic)[7]
Eliminated in the first round
The following candidates qualified to appear on the ballot, but were eliminated in the first round.[2]
- Renate Behrens, retired caretaker[8]
- Lisa Calderón, executive director of Emerge Colorado, former chief of staff to city councilor Candi CdeBaca, and candidate for mayor in 2019 (Party affiliation: Democratic)[9]
- Al Gardner, information technology professional and member of the Denver Civil Service Commission (Party affiliation: Democratic)[10]
- Chris Hansen, state senator (Party affiliation: Democratic)[11]
- Leslie Herod, state representative (Party affiliation: Democratic)[12]
- Aurelio Martinez, tech worker and former boxer[13]
- Debbie Ortega, at-large city councilor (Party affiliation: Democratic)[14]
- Terrance Roberts, community organizer (Party affiliation: Democratic)[15]
- Trinidad Rodriguez, financing executive and former Denver Housing Authority commissioner[16]
- Andy Rougeot, maintenance executive (Party affiliation: Republican)[17]
- Ean Tafoya, community organizer and former co-chair of the Colorado Environmental Justice Action Task Force (Party affiliation: Democratic)[18]
- Robert Treta, property builder (Party affiliation: Independent)[19]
- James Walsh, University of Colorado Denver professor[20]
- Thomas Wolf, investment banker and candidate for mayor in 2011[21]
Disqualified
- Abass Bamba, data consulting firm president (running as a write-in candidate)[2]
- Matt Brady (running as a write-in candidate)[2]
- Alex Cowans[22][2]
- Paul Fiorino, dance teacher and perennial candidate (Party affiliation: Independent) (running as a write-in candidate)[2]
- Sean Gallegos[23][2]
- Marcus Giavanni, perennial candidate (running as a write-in candidate)[24][2]
- Sylvia Herring[25][2]
- Jesse Parris, community organizer (running as a write-in candidate)[2]
- Ken Simpson, tech consultant and perennial candidate[26][2]
Withdrew
- Anna Burrell, sustainability consulting executive[27] (endorsed Calderón)[28]
- Kwame Spearman, CEO of Tattered Cover[29] (remained on ballot; endorsed Brough)[30]
- David Stevens, language tutoring school founder[31][32]
- Alex Valdez, state representative (Party affiliation: Democratic)[33][34]
Declined
- Auon'tai Anderson, vice president of the Denver Public Schools Board (running for re-election, endorsed Herod)[35][36]
- Albus Brooks, construction executive and former city councilor for district 9[37] (endorsed Johnston)[38]
- Candi CdeBaca, city councilor for district 9 (Party affiliation: Democratic)[37] (running for re-election, endorsed Calderón)[39][40]
- Stephan Evans, activist and candidate for mayor in 2015 and 2019[37]
- Kevin Flynn, city councilor for district 2 (Party affiliation: Democratic) (running for re-election)[41]
- Alec Garnett, former Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives (Party affiliation: Democratic)[42]
- Stacie Gilmore, city councilor and former council president (Party affiliation: Democratic)[37] (running for re-election)[22]
- Cary Kennedy, senior advisor to governor Jared Polis, former Colorado State Treasurer, former deputy mayor of Denver, and candidate for governor in 2018 (Party affiliation: Democratic)[37]
- Robin Kniech, at-large city councilor (Party affiliation: Democratic)[37][22]
- James Mejia, president of Denver Film and candidate for mayor in 2011[37]
- Tim O'Brien, Denver City Auditor[22] (running for re-election)[43]
- Paul Pazen, former chief of the Denver Police Department[37]
- Penfield Tate III, former state senator and candidate for mayor in 2003 and 2019 (Party affiliation: Democratic)[44] (running for city council)[45]
First round
Fundraising
| Campaign finance reports as of March 14, 2023[46] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Contributions | Fair Elections Fund payouts |
Expenditures | Cash on hand |
| Renate Behrens | $429 | $0 | $408 | $21 |
| Kelly Brough | $644,299 | $750,000 | $790,625[lower-alpha 1] | $382,544 |
| Lisa Calderón | $69,013 | $195,351 | $127,457[lower-alpha 2] | $58,161 |
| Al Gardner | $13,770 | $0 | $8,682 | $5,088 |
| Chris Hansen | $200,675 | $375,187 | $440,197[lower-alpha 3] | $18,532 |
| Leslie Herod | $332,646 | $587,057 | $608,704[lower-alpha 4] | $162,726 |
| Mike Johnston | $547,004 | $613,539 | $580,999[lower-alpha 5] | $220,684 |
| Aurelio Martinez | $12,124 | $37,259 | $15,645 | $33,744 |
| Debbie Ortega | $144,186 | $249,705 | $254,685[lower-alpha 6] | $81,326 |
| Terrance Roberts | $26,482 | $73,908 | $78,870 | $11,043 |
| Trinidad Rodriguez | $58,166 | $120,243 | $80,735 | $72,696 |
| Andy Rougeot | $806,000[lower-alpha 7] | $0 | $752,359 | $46,951 |
| Kwame Spearman | $100,266 | $188,406 | $206,524 | $17,182 |
| Ean Tafoya | $47,556 | $153,713 | $144,029[lower-alpha 8] | $11,796 |
| Robert Treta | $125 | $0 | $0 | $125 |
| James Walsh | $15,521 | $51,219 | $26,034 | $33,991 |
| Thomas Wolf | $21,485 | $105,329 | $111,805 | $7,324 |
Endorsements
Kelly Brough (D)
- Statewide officials
- Bill Ritter, former Governor of Colorado[48]
- Local officials
- Chris Herndon, city councilor[40]
- Bill Vidal, former acting mayor of Denver (2011)[40]
- Individuals
- Kwame Spearman, CEO of Tattered Cover and former 2023 mayoral candidate[30]
- Newspapers
- The Denver Gazette[49]
Lisa Calderón (D)
- State officials
- Lisa Escarcega, member of the Colorado State Board of Education[40]
- State legislators
- Elisabeth Epps, state representative[40]
- Local officials
- Candi CdeBaca, city councilor[40]
- Xochitl Gaytlan, president of the Denver Board of Education[40]
- Organizations
- Colorado Working Families Party[50]
- Denver Democratic Socialists of America[50]
Chris Hansen (D)
- Statewide officials
- Roy Romer, former Governor of Colorado[51]
- State legislators
- Judith Amabile, state representative[40]
- Lois Court, former state representative[38]
- Kevin Priola, state senator[40]
- Organizations
- 314 Action[52]
- Teamsters Locals 17 and 455[53]
Leslie Herod (D)
- Statewide officials
- Dean Williams, former director of the Colorado Department of Corrections[38]
- State legislators
- Faith Winter, state senator[38]
- Local officials
- Wellington Webb, former mayor of Denver and former state representative[54]
- Other officials
- Auon'tai Anderson, vice president of the Denver Public Schools Board[36]
- Wanda James, University of Colorado Regent from the 1st district[55]
- Individuals
- Dottie Lamm, former first lady of Colorado (also serving as campaign treasurer)[56]
- Bobby LeFebre, Colorado poet laureate[40]
- Organizations
Mike Johnston (D)
- Local officials
- Albus Brooks, former president of the Denver City Council[38]
- Individuals
- Reid Hoffman, co-founder and executive chairman of LinkedIn[58]
- Newspapers
Debbie Ortega (D)
- State legislators
- Irene Aguilar, former state senator[38]
- Polly Baca, former state senator[38]
- Jessie Danielson, state senator[40]
- Joan Fitz-Gerald, former president of the Colorado Senate[38]
- Lucía Guzmán, former Minority Leader of the Colorado Senate[38]
- Susan Lontine, former state representative[38]
- Newspapers
- El Semanario[60]
- Organizations
- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 76[61]
- International Association of Fire Fighters Local 858[58]
- UNITE HERE Local 23[40]
- Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 27[61]
- United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Southwest Mountain States Regional Council[61]
- United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7[40]
Andy Rougeot (R)
- Organizations
Declined to endorse
- U.S. Representatives
- Diana DeGette, U.S. Representative from Colorado's 1st congressional district (Democratic)[38]
- State legislators
- Steve Fenberg, President of the Colorado Senate (Democratic)[38]
- Dominick Moreno, Majority Leader of the Colorado Senate (Democratic)[38]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[lower-alpha 9] |
Margin of error |
Kelly Brough |
Lisa Calderón |
Chris Hansen |
Leslie Herod |
Mike Johnston |
Debbie Ortega |
Andy Rougeot |
Ean Tafoya |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA/9News | February 21–28, 2023 | 594 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 5% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 5% | 4% | 2% | 1% | 13%[lower-alpha 10] | 58% |
| Chism Strategies (D)/Cygnal (R)[upper-alpha 1] | February 9–10, 2023 | 405 (LV) | ± 4.9% | 8% | 3% | 4% | 6% | 5% | 4% | 3% | – | 9% | 59% |
| Searchlight Research (D)[upper-alpha 2] | January 11–14, 2023 | 500 (LV) | ± 4% | 4% | 8% | 6% | 8% | 6% | 16% | – | 1% | 3%[lower-alpha 11] | 47% |
Results
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Johnston | |||
| Kelly Brough | |||
| Lisa Calderón | |||
| Andy Rougeot | |||
| Leslie Herod | |||
| Chris Hansen | |||
| Debbie Ortega | |||
| Ean Tafoya | |||
| Thomas Wolf | |||
| Trinidad Rodriguez | |||
| Aurelio Martinez | |||
| Al Gardner | |||
| James Walsh | |||
| Renate Behrens | |||
| Robert Treta | |||
| Write-in | |||
| Total votes | |||
Runoff
Runoff endorsements
Endorsements in bold were made after the first round.
Kelly Brough (D)
- Statewide officials
- Bill Ritter, former Governor of Colorado[48]
- Local officials
- Chris Herndon, city councilor[40]
- Bill Vidal, former acting mayor of Denver (2011)[40]
- Individuals
- Kwame Spearman, CEO of Tattered Cover and former 2023 mayoral candidate[30]
- Newspapers
- The Denver Gazette[49]
Mike Johnston (D)
- State legislators
- Terrance Carroll, former Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives (2009–2011) from the 7th district (2003–2011)[62]
- Peter Groff, former president of the Colorado Senate (2008–2009) from the 33rd district (2003–2009)[62]
- Local officials
- Albus Brooks, former president of the Denver City Council[38]
- Individuals
- Reid Hoffman, co-founder and executive chairman of LinkedIn[58]
- Newspapers
Results
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelly Brough | |||
| Mike Johnston | |||
| Total votes | |||
Notes
- Brough also benefitted from $904,950 in independent expenditures by the group A Better Denver.
- Calderón also had $731 spent against her by the group Save Denver Now.
- Hansen also benefitted from $26,000 in independent expenditures by the group A Better Denver.
- Herod also benefitted from $167,600 in independent expenditures by the group Ready Denver. She also had $4,651 spent against her by the group Save Denver Now.
- Johnston also benefitted from $1,411,803 in independent expenditures by the group Advancing Denver.
- Ortega also benefitted from $120,397 in independent expenditures by Denver Firefighters (International Association of Fire Fighters Local 858) and $10,000 by the group Protecting Denver's Future.
- $750,000 of this total was self-funded by Rougeot.[47]
- Tafoya also had $678 spent against him by the group Save Denver Now.
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear - Al Gardner and Thomas Wolf with 3%; Trinidad Rodriguez and Terrance Roberts with 2%; Renate Behrens, Kwame Spearman, and Aurelio Martinez with 1%; James Walsh and Robert Treta with 0%
- Alex Valdez with 2%; every other candidate combined for 1%
- This poll was conducted for A Denver for Us All, a business coalition.
- This poll was conducted for Debbie Ortega
References
- Edwards, Alex (28 February 2023). "Who will end up in a runoff for Denver mayor? It's anyone's guess, experts weigh in". Denver Gazette. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- "Here are the mayoral candidates who qualified for the ballot". 27 January 2023.
- "It's official: Denver mayoral candidates Mike Johnston, Kelly Brough will advance to June runoff election".
- "Mike Johnston and Kelly Brough are heading to the Denver mayoral election runoff, according to latest results".
- "Kelly Brough, longtime CEO of Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, is running for mayor". Denverite. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
- "Denver Mayoral Candidates 2023: Kelly Brough".
- "Mike Johnston running for Denver mayor in 2023 as field balloons". 16 November 2022.
- "Mayoral candidate Renate Behrens doesn't have a website, but she does have a lot of ideas for the city".
- "Lisa Calderón announces run for Denver mayor in 2023". 13 October 2022.
- Cardi, Julia. "Al Gardner jumps into Denver mayor's race; 24 candidates now vying for the seat". Denver Gazette.
- "State Sen. Chris Hansen joins crowded 2023 Denver mayor's race".
- Metzger, Hannah (August 8, 2022). "State Rep. Leslie Herod joins race for Denver mayor". The Gazette. Colorado Springs, Colorado. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
- ""The city is broken": former boxer Aurelio Martinez is taking a swing at fixing Denver by running for mayor".
- "City Councilwoman Debbie Ortega jumps into race for Denver mayor". The Denver Post. 2022-09-02. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
- Toomer, Lindsey. "Anti-gang activist Terrance Roberts eyes Denver mayoral seat". Denver Gazette. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
- "Trinidad "Trini" Rodriguez has entered Denver's mayoral race".
- "Army veteran, small business owner Andy Rougeot launches bid for Denver mayor".
- Mathurin, Desiree. "Environmental activist Ean Thomas Tafoya is running for mayor". Denverite. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
- Edwards, Alex (22 December 2022). "2 more names added to Denver's long mayoral candidate list".
- "Romero Troupe's James Walsh is running for mayor to make Denver "the most worker friendly city in the country"".
- "Investment banker Thomas Wolf is running for mayor of Denver".
- "Who's in, Who's Out, Who's on the Fence? Denver 2023 Mayoral Race". 2 August 2022.
- "The long list of 2023 Denver mayor candidates". January 17, 2023.
- "The race for Denver's next mayor takes shape".
- Fish, Sandra (December 7, 2022). "More than 70 candidates are running for Denver mayor or City Council. Here's what to watch in the 2023 election". The Colorado Sun.
- Toomer, Lindsey. "Ken Simpson eyeing Denver mayor's seat once again". Colorado Politics. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
- "Anna Burrell is running for mayor with an eye on sustainability and an ear for 'normal people'". Denverite. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
- "Off to the race: Most mayoral candidates had a busy Wednesday night in Denver".
[Burrell] withdrew from the race, saying...'I'm stepping out of this race, and my campaign is officially endorsing Dr. Lisa Calderon.'
- "Tattered Cover's CEO Kwame Spearman is running for mayor".
- "Denver mayoral candidate Kwame Spearman drops out of the race and endorses opponent Kelly Brough". CBS News Colorado. 2023-03-16. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
- "The Language School founder David Stevens is running for mayor".
- "Candidate and Initiative Tracking". www.denvergov.org.
- Metzger, Hannah (November 29, 2022). "State Rep. Alex Valdez throws hat into Denver mayor race". The Gazette. Colorado Springs, Colorado. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- "State Rep. Alex Valdez withdraws from Denver mayor race". Denver Gazette.
- Roberts, Michael. "Found: Someone Who Isn't Running for Denver Mayor or City Council". Westword.
- Murray, Jon (2023-03-21). "Racial missteps come under fire in diverse Denver mayor's race: 'We need to expect more'". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
- "Who's thinking about -- or who are people talking about -- running for mayor in 2023?".
- Worthington, Danika; Fish, Sandra; Paul, Jesse; Wenzler, Elliott (2023-03-13). "Ballots are being mailed out to Denver voters. Here's what to know about the mayor's race". The Colorado Sun. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- "Developers put cash behind CdeBaca challenger in City Council race".
- "Mayoral election in Denver, Colorado (2023)". Ballotpedia.
- "Denver's Fair Elections Fund has pushed some 2023 candidates into high fundraising gear early".
- "Littwin: Colorado House Speaker Alec Garnett says he's retiring from politics when the session ends". 16 April 2022.
- "Denver auditor will tackle homeless encampments, small business, City Council and Denver Police in 2023".
The auditor is an elected position, and O'Brien is up for reelection in spring of 2023. There are currently two people, including him, who are running.
- "Who will be Denver's next mayor? Here's a list of likely candidates". 11 July 2022.
- "Former state senator Penfield Tate III announces at-large council run".
- "Denver Campaign Finance Dashboard". Denver Maplight.
- "Denver mayoral candidates' finances hint of tight race ahead of April 4 election".
- "Big endorsement could shake up Denver's mayoral race". www.cbsnews.com.
- board, The Gazette editorial. "ENDORSEMENT: Kelly Brough for Denver mayor". Denver Gazette.
- "Lisa Calderón secures progressive backing in Denver mayoral race".
- Edwards, Alex (2023-02-27). "Former Colorado Governor endorses Sen. Chris Hansen for Denver mayor". Denver Gazette. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- "314 Action Endorses Senator Chris Hansen for Denver Mayor". 314 Action. December 28, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
- Edwards, Alex. "Teamsters Local 17 and 455 endorse Chris Hansen for Denver mayor". Denver Gazette.
- "Wellington Webb endorses Leslie Herod for Denver mayor". KUSA.com. January 25, 2023.
- Goodland, Marianne (March 21, 2023). "Inside the office of state Rep. Leslie Herod: High intensity or workplace harassment?". The Denver Gazette. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
- Hernandez, Esteban L. (September 8, 2022). "State Rep. Leslie Herod is running for Denver mayor". Axios.
- "Our Candidates". LGBTQ Victory Fund. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
- Fish, Sandra (2023-04-03). "Denver mayoral candidates raised $6.6 million, while outside groups spent $3.6 million, final campaign finance reports show". The Colorado Sun. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
- "Endorsement: Mike Johnston for Denver mayor". The Denver Post. 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
- "El Semanario Endorses Debbie Ortega for Denver Mayor – El Semanario".
- McCormick-Cavanagh, Conor (2023-03-14). "The Contenders: Debbie Ortega Wants Her Long Political Career to End in Mayor's Office". Westword. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
- Edwards, Alex (2023-04-06). "Mike Johnston secures endorsement from Terrance Carroll, Peter Groff". The Denver Gazette. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
External links
- Official campaign websites
- Kelly Brough (D) for Mayor
- Lisa Calderón (D) for Mayor
- Al Gardner (D) for Mayor
- Marcus Giavanni for Mayor
- Chris Hansen (D) for Mayor
- Leslie Herod (D) for Mayor
- Mike Johnston (D) for Mayor
- Aurelio Martinez for Mayor
- Debbie Ortega (D) for Mayor
- Terrance Roberts (D) for Mayor
- Trinidad Rodriguez for Mayor
- Andy Rougeot (R) for Mayor
- Kwame Spearman (D) for Mayor
- Ean Tafoya (D) for Mayor
- Robert Treta (I) for Mayor
- James Walsh for Mayor
- Thomas Wolf for Mayor
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