Denver City Councilwoman Debbie Ortega filed to run for mayor Friday, adding another high-profile name to the city’s first open mayoral race in more than a decade.
Ortega is an uncommonly seasoned veteran of Denver politics. She was first elected to the council in 1987 and served until 2003, when newly established term limits required her to leave office. Ortega was then elected again in 2011 to an at-large seat on the council and is once more term-limited, like current Mayor Michael Hancock.
Recently, the councilwoman helped lead an ill-fated effort to ban flavored tobacco and vaping products in the city, but more broadly she has focused on environmental and transportation issues.
“For over 40 years, I have been a trailblazer in Denver, advocating for meaningful policy to address the issues that matter most to our neighbors and local businesses,” Ortega said in a statement. “It is time for Denver to chart a new course. This will require a leader who works side-by-side with the people, as I have for my entire career.”
She pledged to work and balance Denver’s growth and development with “critical” infrastructure, while boosting the city’s affordable housing stock.
