The election on April 4 will feature the largest mayoral race in the history of the city of Denver. With that being said, voters have a lot of research to do. 

But first, why is this race so big to begin with? 

More people are encouraged to run for office because the playing field has been evened out with the Fair Elections Fund Act. In November of 2018, Denver citizens voted to make it so that having financial privilege does not automatically put you ahead of the game. In simple terms, the fund matches donations of $50 or less for candidates who agree to take donations only from individuals and small donors. In addition, Denver is one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. and many people want to seize their chance to step up and take the lead. 

Candidates will be listed below in the order they will be on the ballot:  

• Lisa Calderón, a born-and-raised Denverite and professor at Regis University is running for mayor again after being second runner-up in the 2019 election, trailing behind Jamie Giellis and incumbent Mayor Michael Hancock. Her campaign is focused on affordable housing, workers’ rights and promoting small businesses. 

 

• Trinidad “Trini” Rodriguez wants to create equal opportunities for all children, regardless of what neighborhood they come from. To reduce crime and violence, Rodriguez suggests hiring more police officers and ensuring equity in the legal system. Rodriguez has much experience in city building through his work with various civic groups. 

 

• Aurelio Martinez is a former boxer and boxing coach who is running on the premise of advocating for neighborhood protection, attainable housing and an increase in youth programs throughout the city. He also wants to ensure that neighborhood development does not infringe on established communities. 

 

• Investment Banker Thomas Wolf ran for mayor of Denver in 2011, finishing seventh in the first round of voting. Wolf is seen as an underdog going into this race with little civic engagement. His main focus is homelessness, an established problem in the city. 

 

• Al Gardner is an IT professional and has served on several boards in Denver, such as the Denver Civil Service Commission and the Denver African American Commission. Gardner wants to promote the affordable housing programs in Denver and make them more notable and accessible to everyone that needs assistance. 

 

• Terrance Roberts, a former Blood gang member and current civil rights activist wants to create radical change in the city of Denver. After a past in gang-related crimes, he has reformed his reputation as an anti-gang activist and a strong voice in the BLM movement of 2020. Aside from the housing crisis and vagrancy that most candidates are focusing on, Roberts also focuses on youth violence and the development of the music and film industry in Denver.  

 

• CEO of Tattered Cover Bookstore, Kwame Spearman is focused on neighborhood revitalization meeting the needs of each and every community in Denver. If elected, Spearman will develop a plan for all 27 neighborhoods in the city specific to their desires. He also notes that people within these communities also have even more specific needs that he wants to cater to as well. Kwame is supported by his campaign manager, Jamie Giellis, who came up just short of Hancock in the 2019 election. 

 

• Renate Behrens, originally from Germany, entered the race as the “grandma” of the candidates, but she is confident that age won’t be an issue in the election. Behrens wants to promote free public transportation for everyone in order to improve air quality. Her response to high energy bills is suggesting that Denver buy Xcel Energy and decrease customer prices. Her campaign also focuses on homelessness, a common point of interest among many candidates in the race. Without a steady source of income and little technology usage, she knows she has an uphill battle in receiving votes. Behren does not have a website for her campaign, but read more about her on The Denverite. 

 

• State Sen. Chris Hansen is running for mayor of Denver to create a greener, safer, and more affordable city to live in. He also wants to focus on crime in Denver after his kids lost a classmate due to gun violence. He is all for the urban camping ban and plans to continue enforcing the ban if he gets elected, as well as decreasing the homeless rate by building stronger connections with nonprofits. 

 

• Former State Sen. Mike Johnston believes that while most candidates in the race want to focus on homelessness, housing, and crime, he has the ability to reach ambitious goals in those aspects. Johnston encourages Denver to quickly develop affordable housing by creating communities of permanent tiny homes. In addition, he wants to bring more people to the inner city of downtown Denver. 

 

• James Walsh is running for mayor to make Denver a more worker-friendly environment. His campaign is being run by dozens of his students from the University of Colorado-Denver. Through his work with the Romero Troupe, he believes he has what it takes to be the city’s next mayor. If elected, he plans to buy more motels and other housing options in order to decrease homelessness and encourage harm reduction sites where substance users can use under medical supervision, a currently controversial topic.

 

• Health and environmental activist Ean Thomas Tafoya announced he was running for mayor, focusing on climate change, along with other previously mentioned concerns (housing, homelessness and public safety). He also plans to improve and expand public transportation by providing restrooms and water fountains at bus stops. Another notable piece of Tafoya’s platform is establishing public transportation to Red Rocks and other mountain trails.

 

• Andy Rougeot is against the Fair Elections Fund Act and is running so that the city can put more money towards other issues such as homelessness, crime and housing. He loaned himself $250,000 for his campaign, opting out of the Fair Elections Fund. He is in high favor of enforcing the urban camping ban. He is hoping to crack down on crime and addiction by hiring 400 additional police officers. 

 

• Leslie Herod, born in Germany, has previous experience in the state legislature, being the first openly gay black woman elected to the Colorado State House of Representatives. Her main focus is on criminal justice reform in order to hold officers accountable for abusing their power. She also wants to prioritize defelonizing drug possessions, along with other efforts to fund mental health and substance abuse issues within the city. 

 

• Robert Treta has a vision to rebuild (literally, he’s a contractor) Denver by attacking the most pressing concern of homelessness. He wants to promote building cost-effective homes and believes he has the capacity to do so, given his background. He also wants to improve Denver’s electric infrastructure by placing more charging stations for electric cars, which connects to the concern about air quality. And yes, he drives a Tesla. 

 

• With 28 years of experience on city council, Debbie Ortega decided to kick it up a notch and run for this election’s mayoral spot. She is known most for her efforts in environmental sustainability and public safety concerns. She is also known for going her own way and pushing back against the majority, such as her role in initiating the flavored tobacco ban, which was vetoed by Hancock. 

 

• Last, but certainly not least, is Kelly Brough, former CEO of Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. She is running in hopes to create a safe and loveable environment for generations to come. Brough is also participating in the fair election fund. 

Be a part of this historical election and register to vote today.