DENVER — Denver’s municipal election is here. Voters will elect nine new city councilmembers, a new auditor and will decide the fate of three ballot measures.
The highest-profile election, of course, is the race for the city’s next mayor. Voters will decide who will lead the City of Denver – or at least the final two candidates that will vie for the position in a June run-off – Tuesday night.
These are the top storylines Denver7 Chief Investigator Tony Kovaleski is following as ballots are counted in the municipal election:
Choice paralysis?
Never before has the city had this many candidates – 16 – in a race for mayor. It will be interesting to see where things land when it comes to voter turnout. Did the long list of choices keep people away from the ballot because it was too much to decide? How many Denverites will elect not to vote by Tuesday’s deadline, and instead wait for a potential runoff election, in which the choice would only be between two candidates?
Politics
Denver city council, mayor candidates for 2023 | Denver election guide
The last 48
How many voters will turn out in the final 48 hours? Two days before polls close, about 70,000 votes had been cast. Four years ago, about 85,000 had cast their ballot 48 hours before polls closed. Approximately 100,000 more voted in the final 48 hours. In an election where a small sum of votes could separate candidates at the front of the race, the home stretch will be a big part of the story.
When will we know?
Insiders have told Denver7 they expect the second- and sixth-highest vote-getters to be separated by as few as 100 votes. At what time could we have an answer – be it regarding a run-off or an outright winner? Sources at the city clerk’s office say it’s likely, with many people voting on Monday and Tuesday, that we won’t have final results by 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. In fact, we may not have a final answer for 48 to 72 hours.
History in the making?
Five women are on the ballot for mayor: Kelly Brough, Leslie Herod, Lisa Calderon, Debbie Ortega and Renate Behrens. A winner from that group would become Denver’s first female mayor.
Follow the money
Will campaign donations translate to success at the polls? Here’s a look at the top candidates when it comes to overall contributions:
- Mike Johnston: $3,544,008
- Kelly Brough: $2,412,194
- Leslie Herod: $1,116,262
- Andy Rougeot: $910,184
- Chris Hansen: $648,418
Holding their base
Two candidates were on the ballot four years ago in Denver’s mayoral election: Lisa Calderon and Debbie Ortega. Calderon received 33,100 votes in 2019, while Ortega notched 91,994. Will those voters cast the same vote this time around?
