The Denver mayor’s race is a big deal

BY KYLE HARRIS DENVERITE

Denverite has covered the 2023 mayor’s race breathlessly for months. And it’s been fun.

Here’s why: We’ve been blown away by the number of people wanting to run the city. We’ve been entertained (and occasionally ummoxed) by candidates’ antics and obstacles. We’ve been in awe of all the ideas — well, many of them — about how to x this place and help it thrive.

We’ve been fascinated by how this race ts into Denver’s history and future and this weird present we’re in, where the economy is uncertain, the demographics of the city are uncertain and what people want is — well, uncertain.

All of that means there’s a lot to explore.

Here’s what we’ve done so far

We’ve talked to every single candidate running. Here they are listed in the order they’ll appear on your ballot:

• Lisa Calderón

• Trinidad Rodriguez

• Aurelio Martinez

• omas Wolf

• Al Gardner

• Terrance Roberts

• Kwame Spearman

• Renate Behrens

• Chris Hansen

• Mike Johnston

• James Walsh

• Ean omas Tafoya

• Andy Rougeot

• Leslie Herod

• Robert Treta

• Debbie Ortega

• Kelly Brough

We’ve reported on many of the candidates’ platforms as they’ve been released: the good, the bad and the ugly — all in the eye of the beholder, of course.

We’ve produced issue-speci c coverage of candidates who have released plans.

We’ve covered campaign fundraising: Who’s bringing in the most money, who isn’t and why?

We’ve dug into the rollout of the Fair Elections Fund and the issues it’s faced, including a mid-election tweak to the rules. We also looked at what happens to the money if candidates drop out of the race.

We’ve reported on the rst T.V. ad, a website asco, an AI mayor and more.

We’ve covered debates and forums, including one of the rst that took place at the Park Hill Golf Course and the rst Fair Elections Fund debate at Regis University,

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA

Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

CHRISTY STEADMAN

Editor csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com and the second Fair Elections Fund debate at Metro State University. ey’re concerned about public safety and rising crime, though many also remain focused on accountability for police and nding

We’ve explored, in-depth, what the mayor actually does and how much power the position has. And we’ve spoken to four Denver mayors about their takes on the role and what’s needed in it.

Our work is just beginning heading into the April 4 election and an almost inevitable run-o between the top two vote getters.

Is there anything singularly important about this specific race?

Not one thing but many! We’ve spoken to dozens of Denverites in neighborhoods around the city and community organizations, and they’ve told us what’s on their mind and what issues they want the next mayor to x.

Denverites are worried about the city’s a ordability, with housing costs being top of mind for many. Some Denverites are happy about the growth, others are frustrated — and most we’ve spoken to want it better managed.

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com ballot drop o locations and inperson voting centers: tinyurl.com/ WhereToVoteDenver. e rst is a link to an interactive map with the City Council districts. Denver recently went through a redistricting process and the new districts will go into e ect on Election Day. I found this map most helpful: tinyurl.com/CouncilDistrictsDenver. You can plug in your address and it will tell you what district your address is in.

I have two more helpful links to make voting go as smoothly as possible.

One more link: the sample ballot, which is available as a downloadable PDF on the city’s elections division’s website: tinyurl.com/ SampleBallotDenver2023. In addition to council candidates, there are 17 mayoral candidates, races for city auditor and clerk and recorder, and three ballot questions. e sample ballot is available now, so you can be well-prepared by the time your ballot arrives in the mail. Happy voting, Denver.

Letter To The Editor

We must focus on the programs that garner bipartisan support I’ve been around a long time, but the last couple of years of politics has drained me. I’ve grown tired of the constant ghting, bickering and general feeling of resentment. While politics has never been happy-go-lucky, when I was young it seemed like politicians got things done. I am hoping that over the next few years something will change, and we can get back to working together to make our lives and our country better.

Until then, I think it’s important we focus on the programs and services that garner bipartisan support. One of those programs that has wide bipartisan support, both at the federal and state level, is Medicare Advantage. Providing high-quality, a ordable health care to seniors and people with disabilities should not be a controversial topic, and I’m glad our legislators seem to agree.

e reason for this bipartisan support is that Medicare Advantage has proven itself to be an e ective program, accomplishing its purpose of providing top-quality health care to some of our most vulnerable Americans, while also being a scally responsible program.

I encourage our federal and state representatives to support bipartisan policy, starting with Medicare Advantage.

Sincerely,

Columnists & Guest Commentaries

Pauline Pfundstein, Denver

Columnist opinions are not necessarily those of Life in Cap Hill. We welcome letters to the editor. Please include your full name, address and the best number to reach you by telephone.

Email letters to csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com alternative means to achieve community safety. e mayor is powerful. e role is often described as the strongest elected position in the state. e mayor sets the budget, makes more than 700 appointments, is the boss of Denver International Airport, the police department, the sheri ’s department, the Department of Public Safety and more than 11,000 city employees. e mayor touches most of what we love and hate about Denver. ere have only been three elected mayors in the 21st century: Webb, Hickenlooper and Hancock. In that time, there have only been two races when there wasn’t an incumbent — until now. is is rare and a big

Deadline 5 p.m. on the 20th of each month for the following month’s paper.

People say they are concerned about homelessness — both the struggles of people living on the streets and the e ects of homelessness on residents across the city as a whole.

Some want better transportation and more investment in recreation centers and homeless shelters. Others are concerned about education funding, wanting more money going to the schools.

People want solutions, and it’s clear that the people of the city understand that the mayor’s seat can try to tackle many of these issues. So is this why Denverite is spending so much time on the race? Exactly.

And assuming City Council isn’t fully opposed to the mayor’s vision — and that is rarely the case, the mayor can shape everything from the design and the economy of the city to the spirit of the place.

And mayors stick, because Denver is a city that mostly reelects incumbents. at happened three times for our current mayor, Michael Hancock, for John Hickenlooper (‘til he ran for governor), Wellington Webb and Federico Peña, who decided to leave after two terms.

About Letters To The Editor

Colorado Community Media welcomes letters to the editor. Please note the following rules: opportunity for whoever’s lucky enough to win over the public. e new administration will shape the city’s future for years to come. Decisions made by mayors a hundred years ago or more shape the city’s present today, and as Hancock told us, mayors carry out each other’s legacies. e team at Denverite has many of the same questions you do, and we’re looking for answers. In a crowded election, we want to make sense of it all. And we want the entire city to be informed by clearheaded reporting as voters sit down to decide who to support in the general election and eventually the run-o . is story is from Denverite, a nonpro t Denver news source a liated with CPR News. Used by permission. For more, and to support Denverite, visit denverite.com.

• Email your letter to letters@coloradocommunitymedia.com. Do not send via postal mail. Put the words “letter to the editor” in the email subject line.

• Submit your letter by 5 p.m. on Wednesday in order to have it considered for publication in the following week’s newspaper.

• Letters must be no longer than 400 words.

• Letters should be exclusively submitted to Colorado Community Media and should not submitted to other outlets or previously posted on websites or social media. Submitted letters become the property of CCM and should not be republished elsewhere.

• Letters advocating for a political candidate should focus on that candidate’s qualifications for o ce. We cannot publish letters that contain unverified negative information about a candidate’s opponent. Letters advocating for or against a political candidate or ballot issue will not be published within 12 days of an election.

If somebody wins the o ce and doesn’t quit rst, there’s a good chance the person will hold the role for the next 12 years.

So it’s important, even if you’re not following politics blow by blow, to brush up on who’s running, what they believe in and what troubles they may have. After all, we can help pick who leads us.

So what’s Denverite’s approach to covering the race?

We are diving into the candidates’ approaches to the issues readers have told us matter to them. When candidates drop signi cant proposals on these issues, we report about them.

We’ve also focused on candidates who are making waves, either in name recognition through the limited polling we’ve seen or through donations — both quantity of money and the Fair Elections Fund.

And we’re going to keep covering the candidates putting out plans that may a ect you and how you live, play and go about being in this city.

So here’s the deal. We’ll keep covering this race. You keep reading and letting us know what you want from our coverage.

• Publication of any given letter is at our discretion. Letters are published as space is available.

• We will edit letters for clarity, grammar, punctuation and length and write headlines (titles) for letters at our discretion.

• Please don’t send us more than one letter per month. First priority for publication will be given to writers who have not submitted letters to us recently.

• Submit your letter in a Word document or in the body of an email. No PDFs or Google Docs, please.

• Include your full name, address and phone number. We will publish only your name and city or town of residence, but all of the information requested is needed for us to verify you are who you say you are.

• Letters will be considered only from people living in Colorado Community Media’s circulation area in Adams, Arapahoe, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Je erson and Weld counties.

• Do not use all caps, italics or bold text.

• Keep it polite: No name calling or “mudslinging.”

This maze art features a clock in the shape of a columbine — Colorado’s state flower — to represent the spring forward daylight savings time, which will occur on March 12 this year. This maze can be solved by starting at the S at the tip of either of the lower two flower petals and mazing-out to the W for win at 12 o’clock.

Mile High Happenings is a monthly column featuring community events throughout Denver, highlighting events that take place in the central and central-south neighborhoods covered by the Washington Park Pro le and Life on Capitol Hill newspapers.

Event submissions from community members and organizations are welcome. Submissions should include brief details about the event and a photo

March 1-31

Month of Photography Denver

Time: Varies.

Location: Multiple.

Cost: Varies.

e Month of Photography is a biennial festival that takes place in March in its respective years to celebrate the art of photography. It was founded by Denver-based artist Mark Sink in 2004. e festival is presented by and headquartered at the Colorado Photographic Arts Center, 1070 Bannock St. in Denver’s Golden Triangle Creative District, which is a nonpro t organization. e 2023 Month of Photography Denver will include a diverse array of photography exhibitions in many spaces — including museums, galleries, universities, community art centers, nonpro t organizations, public spaces and businesses — throughout Denver, the metro area and other Colorado cities. A complete schedule of events and exhibits can be found on the Month of Photography Denver’s website.

More information/reservations: denvermop.org

Logo courtesy of the Month of Photography Denver’s Facebook.

March 1-31

Music Matters

2023

Time: Varies.

Location: Multiple.

Cost: Varies.

Youth On Record’s fth annual Music Matters is taking place throughout the entire month of March. is year, nearly 40 partners have con rmed their participation. How it works is the public visits the various partner businesses and venues, and they donate a portion of their proceeds to Youth on Record. For example, some are donating $.25-$1 from each ticket sale and others are donating a percentage from the sale of a specialty beverage or food item. Youth On Record is a Denver-based nonpro t that designs and implements strengths-based, musiccentered programs intended to equip young people from historically under-resourced communities with the skills needed to nd success in life.

More information/reservations: youthonrecord.org/event/music-matters

Logo courtesy of the Youth On Record website.

March 3-12 or event logo.

Deadline is the 20th of each month for the event to be listed the following month. Cycle for the column’s listings will typically begin on the rst weekend of the month, depending on publication dates.

Submissions can be emailed to Christy Steadman at csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com.

March 8

World Denver’s International Women’s Day Luncheon

Time: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Location: Seawell Ballroom in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, 1101 13th St.

Cost: $150 per ticket.

Denver Restaurant Week

Time: Varies.

Location: Multiple.

Cost: $25, $35, $45. Visit Denver’s Denver Restaurant Week highlights and showcases Denver’s culinary scene. How it works is participating restaurants create a multi-course dinner based on three price points — $25, $35 or $45 per person. Menus have been announced and diners are able to search restaurants by location, price point, cuisine and amenities, such as minority-owned or vegan options available. Reservations are encouraged.

More information/reservations: denver. org/denver-restaurant-week Logo courtesy of the Denver Restaurant Week website.

March 10-12

Jurassic Quest

Time: Various.

Location: Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St., Denver.

Cost: Varies.

Jurassic Quest is a family-friendly event that o ers the opportunity to learn about the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods through an exhibit of life-like and rideable dinosaurs. Other features include live dinosaur shows, interactive science and art activities such as fossil digs, bounce houses and in atable attractions.

More information/reservations: jurassicquest.com is International Women’s Day celebration will feature keynote speaker Jane Marie Chen and will honor Friendship Bridge and Lucille Echohawk.

Photo courtesy of Jurassic Quest press release.

More information/reservations:

Jane Marie Chen will be the keynote speaker at World Denver’s International Women’s Day Luncheon. Photo courtesy of the World Denver website.

March 9-12

2023 Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival

Time: Varies.

Location: Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave., Denver; and the Freyer-Newman Center at the Denver Botanic Gardens, 1085 York St.

Cost: Varies, full festival and individual screening options available.

e annual Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival celebrates and honors the individuals, organizations and lms that highlight the rich cultures and experiences of Asian American and Paci c Islander (AAPI) communities. is year’s theme is “Celebrating Our Stories.” e event includes many lm screenings and receptions, as well as community conversations with panelists, Q&As with lmmakers, an Asian marketplace and more.

More information/reservations: cd lm.org Image courtesy of the Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival’s website.

March 10-19

Colorado Ballet: Cinderella

Time: Various.

Location: Ellie Caulkins e Colorado Ballet’s presentation of “Cinderella” will feature choreography by Ben Stevenson set to Proko ev’s iconic score.

Opera House at Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1385 Curtis St.

Cost: Varies.

More information/reservations: coloradoballet.org Image courtesy of Colorado Ballet’s website.

March 11

Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Time: 9:30 a.m.

Location: Downtown Denver.

Cost: Free to attend.

e Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been an annual tradition since its founding in 1962. It features a variety of entertainment. e parade route starts on Wynkoop Street at 19th Street and will turn left on 17th Street in front of Union Station, and then turns northeast down Blake Street and will proceed to 27th Street.

More information/reservations: denverstpatricksdayparade.com

Paddy is the o cial mascot for the Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade and its committee, a not-for pro t consisting of more than 300 volunteers. Image courtesy of the Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

March 18

Carnival Ball 9

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Chambers Grant Salon in the Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1385 Curtis St.

Cost: Free, $15 per ticket suggested donation.

e Mile High Freedom Bands Swing will perform its ninth Carnival celebration. is event is part of the Denver Arts & Venues Next Stage Now program.

More information/reservations: mhfb.org/ events/carnival

All of the Mile High Freedom Bands’ season 39 artwork is original watercolor pieces created by MHFB member Jack Mao. Courtesy of the Mile High Freedom Bands’ website.

March

March 15

Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Induction Gala

Time: 5:30 p.m.

Location: Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, 1550 Court Pl.

Cost: $275 for an individual ticket e Class of 2022 Induction Gala, organized by the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, will honor and celebrate the outstanding careers of 17 Colorado women and their impact on the state, nation and the world. ese women have been chosen for induction into the Hall of Fame in recognition of their remarkable, enduring and inspiring contributions to their respective elds. Inductees include contemporary and historical, and they have held roles that include pioneers, politicians, educators, entrepreneurs, minority leaders, lawyers and more.

More information/reservations: cogreatwomen.org

Image courtesy of the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame website.

March 20

National Geographic Live: Greenwood: A Century of Resilience with Alicia Odewale

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Location: Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Denver, 2344 E. Ili Ave.

Cost: $34

Dr. Alicia Odewale is an African diaspora archaeologist who focuses on community-centric, anti-racist and Black feminist archaeology in her work. In this presentation, Dr. Odewale will uncover stories of resilience occurring during the 100 years since the attack on Black Wall Street in the historic Greenwood district in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She will describe how archaeology and radical mapping can be used as a tool for recovering lost stories, reclaiming a narrative and pursuing restorative justice. is presentation is co-presented by the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

More information/reservations: newmancenterpresents.com Waiting on photo.

March

Denver March Powwow

Time: Varies.

Location: Denver Coliseum, 4600 Humboldt St.

Cost: General admission is $7 online at axs.com. is annual three-day event celebrates American Indian heritage and is one of the largest powwows in the nation. Generally, it features more than 1,500 dancers from about 100 tribes from 38 states and three Canadian provinces. e event will feature traditional dance, arts and crafts and food for purchase.

More information/reservations: Facebook: Denver March Powwow; denvercoliseum.com/events

April 2

Stories on Stage: Denver Noir

Time: 2 p.m.

Location: Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center, 721 Santa Fe Dr., Denver.

Cost: $24.

Local writers take a walking tour of Denver’s dark side in these hard-boiled crime stories. A virtual performance will be available beginning at 7 p.m. April 6.

More information/reservations: storiesonstage.org.

Photo courtesy of the Stories on Stage website

April 2

Colorado Symphony: Carnival of the Animals with the Denver Zoo

Time: 2:30 p.m.

Location: Boettcher Concert Hall at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1385 Curtis St.

Cost: $27 for adults, $10 for children.

is family-friendly performance is intended to introduces little ones to the joys of the orchestra with “Carnival of the Animals,” one of the bestknown pieces by French Composer Camille Saint-Saëns. Each movement depicts a di erent animal and animals from the Denver Zoo.

More information/reservations: coloradosymphony.org

Image courtesy of the Colorado Symphony’s website.

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

While working out at a gym in Golden recently, someone approached Ty Scrable and asked if he was associated with Colorado School of Mines. Scrable had to explain that, no, he’s just a Golden resident.

Unfortunately, Scrable said, this isn’t the rst time it’s happened.

“I get that a lot,” he said. “People think I’m a student, professor or tourist because I’m Black.”

Systemic racism stubbornly remains in Golden. But, as Scrable said, it has morphed from Ku Klux Klan demonstrations in the 1920s and racist housing policies in the 1940s to something less overt but still widespread and endlessly frustrating.

Because White people make up the overwhelming majority in the city and, thus, are seen as the norm, Scrable said, “many people don’t view me as part of my own community.” e newspaper, which now is part of Colorado Community Media, isn’t immune to biased coverage. is report is the product of its journalists attempting to examine the paper’s coverage of the Black community since the Civil Rights era and own up to its mistakes.

In the wake of Black Lives Matter demonstrations in the summer of 2020, many cities and newspapers across the United States have started reckoning with their pasts, examining how they’ve contributed to systemic racism, learning what they can do to be more inclusive and fair. e Golden community has started the process, and now it’s the Golden Transcript’s turn.

Since 1866, the Golden Transcript — known as the Colorado Transcript for its rst 103 years — has been a record keeper for Je erson County. While its stories are extensive and valuable, the paper contains original and reprinted content that was harmful to the Black community and other marginalized groups.

Just one example is its coverage of the Black Panther Party, a group that gained national attention in the late 1960s for its response to policing in Black communities across the country.

Between 1969-1971, the newspaper published approximately 170 articles that referenced the Black Panther Party. Nearly all of

BEYOND THE GOLDEN TRANSCRIPT: Our efforts to reconcile racial mistrust begins with this story

In our newspaper this week, you’ll see an article about the Golden Transcript. It’s one of two dozen newspapers owned by Colorado Community Media, which also owns this paper. The article tackles the issue of systemic racism in the Transcript’s pages.

The idea for the project started in 2020, when the Colorado News Collaborative, Colorado Media Project and Free Press convened the Black Voices Working Group, which was made up of Black leaders, community members and journalists. The group addressed media coverage and focused on how to improve trust in mainstream media among the Black community. Acknowledging past harm was the No. 1 recommendation made by the group.

A few months later, I attended a Denver Press Club event where Jameka Lewis, a senior librarian at the BlairCaldwell African American Research Library, illustrated biases in mainstream local media coverage of the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and ’70s while exhibiting rare prints of the Black Panther Press. Many of Lewis’ examples came from the Transcript. Most articles were wire stories from other cities, but editors still chose to run them, affecting perceptions of the party in Golden.

We pursued and were awarded a grant from the nonpartisan Colorado Media Project to explore, uncover and analyze this issue in the form of the special report that is in this edition of your newspaper.

Our newsroom, which is predominantly White, also participated in the Maynard Institute’s diversity, equity and inclusion Fault Lines training along the way. West metro editor Kristen Fiore was a speaker at the Advancing Equity in Local News convening with journalists from publications like the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Washington Post to talk about this project.

We believe this story is important beyond Golden — and we hope to spark conversations in our communities across the Denver area about race and inclusion and how our news coverage impacts those issues.

Linda Carpio Shapley is publisher of Colorado Community Media, which runs two dozen weekly and monthly publications in eight counties. She can be reached at lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com