On May 7th, ballots for the 2019 Denver Elections will be due. The ballot has two ballot initiatives, six mayoral candidates, three clerk and recorder candidates, six Councilmembers At-Large candidates, one candidate for Auditor and one candidate for Councilmember for District 6 (the city district encompassing University of Denver and University Park).
Every four years, Denver residents vote for a mayor. This year, six candidates are on the ballot, with four as write-in candidates. The mayoral race is a non-partisan, and should one candidate not get a majority of the votes, a runoff will occur with the two candidates with the most votes.
Lisa Calderón grew up in poverty in Denver. She received a B.A. from Metro State University, a Masters in Liberal Studies from University of Denver, a law degree from University of Colorado, and a EdD from CU Denver. She has long been an advocate for the less fortunate, directing non-profits throughout Colorado, like Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence (a shelter for victims of domestic abuse) and Community Reentry Project (which helped former prisoners). She is running on a platform of what her website calls, “Equity, Fairness and Justice.” She want to curtail the power of the mayor’s office, give more power to Denverites in local issues, and create more affordable housing.
Stephan “SeKu” Evans (ChaiRmaN SeKu) was born in Five Points. He has been engaged in politics, by being a member of the Black Panthers while studying at the University of Denver, being an avid city council participator, and by running for mayor in the past. 303 Magazine says that he supports open carry to prevent crime, urban-camping, and redistributing wealth. In an interview with Westword, he said that he intends to decentralize power in Denver politics.
Jamie Giells is from rural Iowa. She two received an M.A. from University of Colorado in public administration. She was the president of the RiNo Art District in 2014, until she stepped down to run for mayor. She is running on a platform decrying the previous administration’s fumbling of affordable housing. She hopes to tackle homelessness and expensive housing by creating cabinet level position that would oversee projects, by allocating one billion dollars for new affordable housing over ten years and by incentivising new innovation for attainable housing. She also has new plans to improve Denver transit, help small-business owners and keep the city green.
Michael Hancock is the incumbent mayor, and has lived in Denver since he was young. Hancock has been engrossed in Colorado politics and public life for decades. He received an M.A. from University of Colorado in public administration, was a city council member, and was a part of the Urban League which seeks to support disadvantaged African-Americans. As mayor, he oversaw the turn-around of Denver’s floundering economy, improving infrastructure, vastly reducing the unemployment rate and creating more affordable housing. He says that he will maintain the economic success of the city, citing his development plan and a campaign to make the minimum wage in the city 15 dollars by 2021. He has a long list of supporters including the former governor, former state senators, and federal representatives.
Kayln Heffernan is an activist, teacher, and MC in Denver. She is running on a platform of access, both concrete and abstract. As a person who uses a wheelchair, she wants greater access for persons with disabilities. She also wants more access to affordable housing, decrying the conditions of Denverites living in poverty. She wants greater accountability for Denver government and desegregated schooling for Denver students.
Penfield Tate III grew up in Boulder and is the son of Boulder’s first black mayor. He has been a member of Colorado State Senate and the Colorado House of Representatives. His website discusses the many things that he wants to do as mayor. He is campaigning to improve Denver infrastructure and development. He wants to combat Denver’s homelessness problem and create for affordable housing units. Tate has stated that he wants Denver to the greenest city in the country, and be relying completely on renewable energy by 2030. He was been a vocal critical of Hancock, condemning Hancock regarding his sexual misconduct allegations.
Paul Fiorino, Marcus Giavanni, Leatha Scott, and Ken Simpson are the write-in candidates.
Note: An earlier version of this post said that Lisa Calderón received her M.A. from University of Colorado, a law degree from University of Denver, and PhD from UC Denver. That is incorrect and the story has been updated to reflect this.
