Denver
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denver
Next municipal election is May 7th, 2019, with a runoff (if necessary) scheduled for June 4th, 2019. All 11 districted council seats, both at-large council seats, mayor, auditor, and clerk & recorder are up for vote.
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Contents
Denver Demographics
| Population | Median Age | Median Household Income | Registered Voters | Presidential Results (Denver County) | Religion (Denver County) | Poverty | Cost of Living Index | Median House Value | Median Rent | Race | Age | Education | Foreign Born | Marital Status | Unemployment | Air Quality Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 663,862 (Female: 50%) (Male: 50%) |
34.1 years (-2.3 years to CO) |
$58,003 (-$820 to CO) |
412,174 (Republican: 60,206%) (Democratic: 202,090%) (Unaffiliated: 141,332%) |
2016: Clinton 73.69% Trump: 18.89% 2012: Obama 73.4% Romney: 24.4% 2008: Obama 75.15% McCain: 23.41% 2004: Kerry 69.61% Bush: 29.29% |
186 (+86 to US) |
$316,700 (+$76,200 to CO) |
$1,094 | White: 53.6% Hispanic/Latino: 30.5% Asian: 3.4% Two or More Races: 2.5% Black: 9.2% Native American: .5% Other Race: .3% Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander: .05% |
Younger Adult 22-39: 34.1% Older Adult 40-64: 29.4% Children 0-17: 21.2% Senior 65+: 10.5% College 18-21: 4.75% |
Bachelor's: 26.2% Some College: 18.8% High School: 18.5% Master's: 11.0% Some High School: 7.7% Less than High School: 5.4% Professional: 4.0% |
15.7% (+6.2% to CO) |
Never married: 38% Now married: 35% Divorced: 14% Widowed: 7% Separated: 3% |
6.2% (+2.9% to CO) |
See also https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/city-of-denver-home/government.html
Elected Positions
Denver holds municipal elections every 4 years. The last election was May 2015 and next election is May 2019 (a runoff is in June 2019 should no one in their respective election reach a 50% threshold).
Mayor, all of City Council (11 district and 2 at large total 13 positions) plus Clerk and Auditor are included in the municipal elections.
Sheriff is not an elected position in the city and county of Denver. It is by mayoral appointment.
Operational Electeds
| Title | Name | Party | Next Election | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auditor | Timothy O'Brien | Democrat | 2019 | (720) 913-1311 |
| Clerk & Recorder | Debra Johnson | Democrat | 2019 | 720-865-8400 |
Mayor and City Council
| Title | Name | Party | Next Election | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Michael Hancock | Democrat | 2019 | 720-865-9000 Contact Page |
| At-Large | Robin Kniech | Democrat | 2019 | (720) 337-7712 |
| At-Large | Debbie Ortega | Democrat | 2019 | (720) 337-7713 |
| District 1 | Rafael Espinoza | Democrat | 2019 | 720-337-7701 |
| District 2 | Kevin Flynn | Democrat | 2019 | (720) 337-2222 |
| District 3 | Paul Lopez | Democrat | 2019 | (720) 337-3333 |
| District 4 | Kendra Black | Democrat | 2019 | (720)337-4444 |
| District 5 | Mary Beth Susman | Democrat | 2019 | (720)337-5555 |
| District 6 | Paul Kashmann | Democrat | 2019 | (720) 337-6666 |
| District 7 | Jolon Clark | Democrat | 2019 | (720) 337-7777 |
| District 8 | Christopher Herndon | Democrat | 2019 | (720) 337-8888 |
| District 9 | Albus Brooks | Democrat | 2019 | (720) 337-7709 |
| District 10 | Wayne New | Unaffiliated | 2019 | (720) 337-7710 |
| District 11 | Stacie Gilmore | Democrat | 2019 | (720) 337-7711 |
Expanded Runoff Election Results
| Seat | 2015 Runoff | 2015 General | 2011 Runoff | 2011 General |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auditor | ||||
| Clerk & Recorder | ||||
| Mayor | ||||
| At-Large | ||||
| At-Large | ||||
| District 1 | ||||
| District 2 | ||||
| District 3 | ||||
| District 4 | ||||
| District 5 | ||||
| District 6 | ||||
| District 7 | ||||
| District 8 | ||||
| District 9 | ||||
| District 10 | ||||
| District 11 | ||||
Special Interests
May/June 2019 Election
The regular general election will be on Tuesday May 7th, 2019. Ballots will begin being mailed to voters Monday April 15th, 2019 and ought to be in voters' hands in about a week's time.
Should no candidate achieve 50% of the vote, it will go to an instant runoff, which will be Tuesday June 4th, 2019. (No word yet on when runoff ballots will be mailed.)
Candidates
As of January 1st, 2019, these candidates are filed and declared. Ballot access will be via petition. The petitions for signature will circulate between Tuesday February 5th and Wednesday March 13th, 2019.
Operational Electeds
| Seat | Candidate | Party | Issues Focused On | Selected Experience | Endorsements | Campaign Contact Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auditor | Timothy O'Brien (i) | Democrat | ||||
| Clerk & Recorder | Paul Lopez | Democrat | Current Denver City Councilor (District 3) | |||
| Clerk & Recorder | Peg Perl | Democrat | ||||
(i) = incumbent
Mayor and City Council
| Seat | Candidate | Party | Issues Focused On | Selected Experience | Endorsements | Campaign Contact Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Michael Hancock (i) | Democrat | FULL LIST Senator Michael Bennet Gov. John Hickenlooper Lt. Gov. Donna Lynne Ken Salazar Fmr. Gov. Bill Ritter Fmr. State Senator Mike Johnston Fmr. Mayor Wellington Webb Congressmen Joe Neguse and Ed Perlmutter Fmr. State Senator Irene Aguilar DPS board members Jennier Bacon and Barbara O'Brien Teamsters Local 17 Denver Firefighters Local 858 John Hanfling - (Lobbyist/Co-Founder/Principal at Sewald Hanfling, Public Affairs/Lobbying) Pat Hamill - (Real Estate Developer; donates to reform candidates; member of Colorado Concern, which lists education reform as a value) Dan Ritchie RD Sewald - (Lobbyist/Co-Founder/Principal at Sewald Hanfling, Public Affairs/Lobbying) |
Website | ||
| Mayor | Lisa Calderón | Democrat | Full List of Issues | Fmr. AG candidate for 2018 Dem nom Bernard Douthit | Website | |
| Mayor | Stephan Evans (Chairman Seku) |
Unaffiliated | Website (720) 477-9671 | |||
| Mayor | Marcus Giavanni | Unaffiliated | Previously ran for Denver Mayor in 2015 Was Unaffiliated write-in candidate for Gov in 2014 His running mate was Republican Joshua Yballa Gubernatorial Website Personal Website Another Website |
Website YouTube | ||
| Mayor | Jamie Giellis | Democrat | FULL LIST Accessible Housing Transportation and Mobility Improve Police Training Clean Environment Economic Sustainability Inclusivity Ethics |
Website (720) 815-5290 | ||
| Mayor | Kalyn Heffernan | Democrat | Disability visability and accessibility End Urban Camping Ban Affordable/Accessible Housing Healthcare for All Education Equity Net Neutrality Clean Air, clean water, clean energy Strengthen the arts De-militarize the Police Reparations Protect Immigrants |
Leader at the 55-hour ADAPT sit-in at Cory Gardner's office | Website | |
| Mayor | Danny Lopez | Democrat | Denverite Profile Longtime city employee Ran for Denver mayor in 2007 and 2011 Ran for Denver Council District 2 in 2003 and 2015 |
Email (303) 922-3920 | ||
| Mayor | Leatha Scott | Democrat | Email (720) 569-2804 | |||
| Mayor | Kenneth Simpson | Democrat | Email (303) 807-0328 | |||
| Mayor | Penfield Tate | Democrat | Attorney at Kutak Rock Previously ran for mayor in 2003; did not advance to runoff State Senator 2000-2003 Colorado State Representative (1997-2000) Colorado Democratic Party Vice Chair 1994-1996 |
Website (720) 459-0735 |
| Seat | Candidate | Party | Issues Focused On | Selected Experience | Endorsements | Campaign Contact Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-Large | Robin Kniech (i) | Democrat | Housing For All Climate and Sustainability Transportation and Mobility Economic Development for People Marijuana Regulations Inclusivity, Diversity, and Police Retraining |
Website Twitter Email Contact Page (720) 295-6154 | ||
| At-Large | Deborah Ortega (i) | Democrat | ||||
| At-Large | Jesse Parris | Democrat | Is a Facebook Team Member for Chairman Seku's mayoral run | |||
| At-Large | Tony Pigford | Unaffiliated | ||||
| At-Large | Ralph Tingle Jr. | Democrat | ||||
| At-Large | Lynne Watchendorfer-Langdon | May be a confidential voter, but her Facebook profile "likes" Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. No other political figures) |
LinkedIn IMDb Page |
(i) = incumbent
| Seat | Candidate | Party | Issues Focused On | Selected Experience | Endorsements | Campaign Contact Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 1 | Victoria Aguilar | Unaffiliated | ||||
| District 1 | Sabrina D'Agosta | Unaffiliated | ||||
| District 1 | Raven Porteous | Democrat (There is a Raven Porteous registered in Wheat Ridge, but system may not have updated) |
||||
| District 1 | David Sabados | Democrat | ||||
| District 1 | Amanda Sandoval | Democrat | ||||
| District 1 | Michael Somma | Democrat |
| Seat | Candidate | Party | Issues Focused On | Selected Experience | Endorsements | Campaign Contact Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 2 | Kevin Flynn (i) | Democrat |
| Seat | Candidate | Party | Issues Focused On | Selected Experience | Endorsements | Campaign Contact Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 3 | Veronica Barela | Democrat | ||||
| District 3 | Annamarie Martinez | (May be confidential voter) |
Julie Bañuelos is campaign treasurer | |||
| District 3 | Raymond Montoya | Democrat | ||||
| District 3 | David Roybal | (May be confidential voter) |
||||
| District 3 | Jaime Torres | (May be confidential voter) |
| Seat | Candidate | Party | Issues Focused On | Selected Experience | Endorsements | Campaign Contact Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 4 | Kendra Black (i) | Democrat | ||||
| District 4 | Colleen Zahradnicek | Democrat |
| Seat | Candidate | Party | Issues Focused On | Selected Experience | Endorsements | Campaign Contact Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 5 | Mary Beth Susman (i) | Democrat | ||||
| District 5 | Michele Fry | Democrat | Dalton Zuber is campaign treasurer | |||
| District 5 | Amanda Sawyer | Unaffiliated |
| Seat | Candidate | Party | Issues Focused On | Selected Experience | Endorsements | Campaign Contact Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 6 | Paul Kashmann (i) | Democrat |
| Seat | Candidate | Party | Issues Focused On | Selected Experience | Endorsements | Campaign Contact Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 7 | Jolon Clark (i) | Democrat | ||||
| District 7 | Mark Kelley | Unaffiliated |
| Seat | Candidate | Party | Issues Focused On | Selected Experience | Endorsements | Campaign Contact Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 8 | Christopher Herndon (i) | Democrat | ||||
| District 8 | Miguel Ceballos-Ruiz | Democrat | ||||
| District 8 | LaMone Noles | Democrat | ||||
| District 8 | Erik Penn | Democrat | ||||
| District 8 | Blair Taylor | Unaffiliated | ||||
| District 8 | Patrick Thibault | (Cannot confirm) |
| Seat | Candidate | Party | Issues Focused On | Selected Experience | Endorsements | Campaign Contact Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 9 | Albus Brooks (i) | Democrat | ||||
| District 9 | Candi CdeBaca | Unaffiliated | ||||
| District 9 | Jonathan Woodley | Republican |
| Seat | Candidate | Party | Issues Focused On | Selected Experience | Endorsements | Campaign Contact Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 10 | Wayne New (i) | Unaffiliated | ||||
| District 10 | Christopher Hinds | Democrat | ||||
| District 10 | Patrick Key | (Cannot confirm) |
||||
| District 10 | Antonio Mendez | Democrat | ||||
| District 10 | Tony Smith | Democrat |
| Seat | Candidate | Party | Issues Focused On | Selected Experience | Endorsements | Campaign Contact Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 11 | Stacie Gilmore (i) | Democrat | ||||
| District 11 | Christine Alonzo | (Cannot confirm) |
||||
| District 11 | McKael Grayson | Democrat | ||||
| District 11 | Shayla Richard | Democrat |
Previous Elections
2017
There were no City Council seats up for vote in Denver. As elections are in May of odd year with runoffs in June.
Ballot Measures
Denver Green Roof Initiative
The initiative was certified for the November 7th, 2017 ballot on August 29th. A total of 4,771 signatures were declared valid, a mere 45 more than the threshold required.
The core of the initiative is, should it pass, would require any new buildings (or subsequent replacements of roofs) of over 25,000 square feet to dedicate 20% of their roofs to gardens, solar panels, or other green energy equivalent equipment. Contained in the sliding scale is the upper level of roofs over 200,000 square feet being required to do so for 60% of their roofs. Industrial roofs will have other requirements, and multifamily buildings four stories or less will be exempt. There are provisions for other such exceptions or arrangements.
This would be the second such building code change in the entire country (the first being San Francisco, which went into affect January 1st, 2017 after a unanimous Board of Supervisors vote). The city of Toronto (via the Toronto City Council) was the first North American city to have such a requirement, going into effect in 2010 (with the largest buildings being required up to 60% of their roofs be compliant).
Ballot Language
[Awaiting language]
Arguments For
Official Website for Petitioners and Proponents.
The prominent reason cited is increased concern over climate change, coupled with the Trump administration stripping away the EPA and environmental regulations in the context of climate change skepticism. The argument is if the Trump administration won't do anything, then every citizen has a responsibility to care for their neighborhoods at the very least.
Brief Overview of listed reasons:
- Denver is the 3rd-ranked city in the nation for "Urban Heat Island", which is a phenomenon where cities absorb more heat, making the city up to 5 degrees hotter than than surrounding areas. Plants can absorb this energy.
- Resolves storm drainage issues, including snowmelt (Cached copy in case it is scrubbed from the EPA website).
- This will assist in fulfilling Denver's goals for sustainability in 2020, which includes growing 20% of their own produce and improving air quality standards. Roofs can be rented out by owners for gardens, plus plants will help filter the air via the carbon cycle (while using photosynthesis to absorb the sunlight from the Urban Heat Island effect and convert the carbon dioxide and water into the byproduct of oxygen).
- Gardens help improve biodiversity, and also last 2-3x longer than a black roof.
- Return on investment. Despite the upfront cost, the fact that it's a green roof ups it's market value to either recoup their investment or profit from it.
- Energy generated from solar panels can be sold to energy companies.
- Operating costs are lowered from energy generated, plus the reduced effect of the Urban Heat Island.
- Reduced fire risk.
Arguments Against
Building owners and developers contest the potential costs involved and argue this will discourage either new constriction or put off necessary repairs due to such additional costs. Some municipalities offer incentives for incorporating green roofs. This ballot initiative does not address such incentives, so it leaves that open question.
In lieu of incentives, proponents argue that while it is a great idea, the market will sort it out due to costs needing to be shouldered by those responsible for costs in the absence of incentives.
