50 Candidates Vie For Denver Mayor, Council, Auditor & Clerk
Incumbent Mayor Hancock Raises $1.1 Million; Opponents $0
By Cara DeGette
GPHN Editor
Denver City Councilman Christopher Herndon may not have any opposition in his bid to represent District 8. But citywide, 50 candidates are jostling for 16 open seats in the May 5 municipal election.
Mayor Michael B. Hancock has three opponents in his bid for reelection. However, as of early March, Hancock had raised $1.1 million in reported contributions, compared with reports of zero contributions to each of his opponents. With no money or widespread support to challenge an incumbent, that makes a mayoral upset unlikely.
Two candidates are on the ballot for city auditor — Chris Nevitt and Timothy O’Brien. The winner will succeed outgoing longtime auditor Dennis Gallagher. In the city clerk and recorder’s race, incumbent Debra A. Johnson is being challenged by Joan Poston.
All 11 Denver City Council districts are up for election. Those seats represent distinct geographical areas of the city (see map, page 5). In addition, the two at-large seats are open, with incumbents Debbie Ortega and Robin Kniech facing three challengers.
A potential run-off election will take place June 2 in any race in which no candidate receives a majority of the vote in May, except in the at-large council race. The top two vote-getters win in that race.
Denver will mail ballots to registered voters the week of April 13.
In January, the City Council approved a 10.3 percent pay raise for elected officials. When the winners of the May 5 election are sworn in in July, the mayor will earn about $163,000 a year, the auditor and the clerk and recorder will pull in salaries of $141,000, and council members will make $87,500 a year – with the council president making about $10,000 more.
The following is a list of all candidates who made the May 5 citywide ballot, along with the campaign cash they had raised as of early March. Also included are the campaign websites for mayoral candidates, District 8, and the At-Large council candidates.
Candidates for Mayor
Seku (Chairman Seku) (No contributions reported)
(Campaign Website www.democracy.com/seku)
Paul Noel Fiorino — (No contributions reported)
(No website)
Michael B. Hancock (Incumbent) — $1.1 million
(Campaign Website hancockfordenver.com)
Marcus Giavanni — (No contributions reported)
(Campaign Website marcusgiavanniforgovernor.com)
Auditor – Open seat
Timothy M. O’Brien — $23,035
Chris Nevitt — $232,658
Clerk and Recorder
Joan Poston — $1,000
Debra A. Johnson (Incumbent) — $8,641
City Council, At-large (2 seats)
Robin Kniech (Incumbent) — $96,602
(Campaign Website www.kniechforcouncil.com)
Jose G. Silva — $1,595
(Campaign Website www.josegsilvafordenver.com)
Jeffery Washington – (No contributions reported)
(Campaign Facebook site: www.facebook.com/jeffery.washington)
Deborah “Debbie” Ortega (Incumbent) — $52,360
(Campaign Website: www.ortegaatlarge.com)
Kayvan Khalatbari — $14,400
(Campaign Facebook site: www.facebook.com/kayvandenvercitycouncil)
City Council
District 1
Rafael Espinoza — $14,605
Susan K. Shepherd (Incumbent) — $55,620
District 2 — Open seat
Fran Coleman — $8,440
Kevin Flynn — $27,558
John Kidd — $12,985
Danny F. Lopez – (No contributions reported)
Jeanne Labuda — $3,580
District 3 — No opposition
Paul D. Lopez (Incumbent) — $9,615
District 4 — Open seat
Carolina Klein – (No contributions reported)
Kendra Black — $128,192
Halisi Vinson — $66,997
District 5 — No opposition
Mary Beth Susman (incumbent) — $29,694
District 6 — Open seat
Paul Kashmann — $49,493
Liz Adams — $84,040
District 7 — Open seat
Jake Viano — $10,202
Mickki Langston — $24,011
Michael J. Levy – (No contributions reported)
Mathews “Mateos” Alvarez – $5,215
Aaron Greco — $48,843
Jolon Clark — $46,085
Ian Harwick — $13,520
Anne McGihon — $34,443
Luchia Brown — $10,360
District 8: — No opposition
Christopher Herndon (incumbent) – $75,262
Website: herndonfordenver.com
District 9
Michael Borcherding — $9,445
Ean Thomas Tafoya — $3,265
Albus Brooks (incumbent) — $162,284
District 10 — Open seat
Chris Cornell Wedor — $31,030
Wayne New — $96,934
Travis P. Leiker — $20,954
Anna Jones — $56,286
Chris Chiari — $59,650
District 11 — Open seat
Tim Camarillo – (No contributions reported)
Stacie Gilmore — $31,492
Shelli Brown — $18,494
Sean Bradley — $31,905
Tea Schook — $23,229
How To Vote: The Fine Print
Denver will mail ballots to all registered voters the week of April 13. Ballots must be returned by mail or can be dropped off at the following locations in and near Park Hill by Election Day, May 5.
Polls are open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For more information, call the
Denver Elections Division at
720-913-VOTE (8683)
or go to www.denvergov.org
Where to Vote in Park Hill and Downtown
• Denver Elections Division
200 W 14th Ave
• Hiawatha Davis Jr Recreation Center
3334 N Holly St
24-Hour Ballot Drop-Off Box Locations (In and nearby Park Hill):
• Central Park Recreation Center
• 9651 E. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
• Denver Elections Division
200 W. 14th Ave
• Denver Museum of Nature & Science
2001 N. Colorado Blvd
• Hiawatha Davis Jr Recreation Center
3334 N. Holly St
• Montclair Recreation Center
729 N. Ulster Way