President (To Win Colorado)
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(D) Joe Biden*
(R) Donald Trump
80%
20%↓
CO-01 (Denver)
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(D) Diana DeGette*
90%
CO-02 (Boulder-ish)
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(D) Joe Neguse*
90%
CO-03 (West & Southern CO)
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(D) Adam Frisch
(R) Lauren Boebert*
(R) Jeff Hurd
(D) Anna Stout
40%↑
40%↓
30%↑
5%↓
CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado)
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(R) J. Sonnenberg
(R) Richard Holtorf
(R) Deborah Flora
15%↑
10%
10%
CO-05 (Colorado Springs)
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(R) Doug Lamborn*
90%
CO-06 (Aurora)
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(D) Jason Crow*
90%
CO-07 (Jefferson County)
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(D) Brittany Pettersen
85%↑
CO-08 (Northern Colo.)
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(D) Yadira Caraveo
(R) Gabe Evans
(R) Scott James
60%↑
30%↓
30%↓
State Senate Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
State House Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
June 06, 2023 6:23 pm MST
24 Comments
Johnston up about 7 percentage points early, CdeBaca looks like she's getting beaten badly.
I really thought CdeBaca's reparations tax would have swept her to victory. What went wrong?
The bigger question is: why hasn’t the Denver Post declared Flor Alvidrez the winner?
I take it the 2nd place person from the municipal dropped out?
Yep, months ago. https://denverite.com/2023/04/24/nick-campion-drops-out-denver-city-council-district-7-runoff-race-flor-alvidrez/
I wanted to make a snide remark about how the undervotes in the Mayor's race really stuck it to, well, somebody – but in council District 8 the number of undervotes is actually larger than the current margin between the two candidates!
About 575,000 people over the age of 18, as of 2020, live in Denver as of 2020. About 125,000 have voted, at least according to the last ballot drop. So that’s about a 22% voter turnout.
Why don’t people vote in municipal elections?
It’s a good question, but I think some of the answer may be that mayors and city councils really are constrained by the city staff. Most cities are run by a city manager – Denver is – and the mayor and council are sort of figureheads. They give direction, sure, and enact ordinances suggested by the staff, but the day-to-day management of the city and the vast bulk of decisions that make the city operate are made by staff.
All of which seems to me to mean that it really doesn’t matter too much whether this person or that is the mayor or who sits on a city council.
I’ve held municipal elective office, by the way, so I’m not just spewing random thoughts here.
I think you’re confused, NotHopeful. Denver has a strong mayor; we do not now, nor have we ever, had a city manager.
NotHopeful, you are correct about most cities in Colroado (and across the country), but Denver fits into that small minority of cities who have strong mayors and whose city councils act as mini-legislatures, with all of the policy setting that is involved.
While Denver does have a position titled “City Manager,” they are appointed and serve at the pleasure of the Mayor (unlike most cities) and mostly serve as the day-to-day operational manager, carrying out the policy objectives of the Mayor. This person does not make policy decisions on their own.
Yes, city council does pass bills that cause the city to run based on suggestions from staff and the various city departments. However, any major policy decisions come from the City Councilmembers themselves, based on their own interpretation of need, political views, and usually with input from stakeholders (just like any other legislator).
In essence, Denver is run like a small city-state, to the extent the state constitution allows them to.
When Courtney Johnston apologizes for stealing her husband’s big moment, will her speech be an equally long, painful and cringe-worthy tome?
There was a 1:30 am update posted on the DenverVotes website. This suggests to me that is likely all of the ballots, save the overseas voters and cures for signature problems that have until the 14th to come in, and possibly some that still have to be reconciled (machine could not determine the vote, people will have to).
Whatever the case, Council District 8 is currently in recount range. 50.2%-49.8% with only 51 votes separating them.
I'm rooting for Shontel Lewis to pull out a win in Council District 8.
Well, it does prove that "your vote matters".
comment deleted
Ugh. Please no. They were both awful, but Shontel's policy positions have been so misguided. Her tenure at RTD was ineffectual and her signature position piece: hiring mental health workers for engagement with the homeless on buses, is being walked by by the current RTD Board as non-core overreach and a waste of funding.
Though she does have a better housing position than Brad in pushing for more public housing versus community land trusts. So as long as she continues to push for an expansion of dense housing in every single neighborhood she might be tolerable.
Ultimately, I'll take her on the Council, in spite or being in her District, while Candi gets shown the door in one of the worst defeats of an incumbent in Denver history. You have to have f**cked up royally to get humiliated like that!
Depending on the outcome of District 8, the DSA will end up going 1 for 8, or 2 for 8, in endorsements. Compare that to YIMBY Denver's 5 for 10, or 6 for 10, in endorsements. Clearly Denver want pro-growth candidates who know that we need to throw open the doors for increased development to address the housing affordability issue.
Wong, I invite you to volunteer where I work with recovering addicts and alcoholics ( I teach GED classes and workplace preparation).
You can certainly try to convert them to your libertarian way of thinking. Many will already be on board. But I'd ask you to ask, and listen to formerly homeless people about why they were homeless.
Hint: it wasn't because the market wasn't wide open enough for developers.
So volunteer. All you need is a background check. You can teach a financial literacy class, or tutor people in whatever subject you excel in. It's a serious ask. If you're at all interested, I'll post an anonymous email to get in touch.
kwtree, you can handle that outreach to the homeless, my time is constrained raising a family, working a career, and volunteering elsewhere in the community- including homeless support efforts where I have heard stories of untreated addiction, mental health issues, and loss of affordable housing options. I genuinely applaud your volunteer efforts and am glad that you are finding ways to continue to contribute to society during your retirement.
But constraints on housing development, whether through zoning restrictions, lack of funding for affordable development, or a broken permitting review process have absolutely been a major factor in the the housing affordability crisis (just take a bus down Colfax and look at all the shuttered motels and realize those alone have led to hundreds of additional people ending up on Denver's streets). I have personally benefited through home equity appreciation that is, frankly, ridiculous. But I would rather have realized less equity and seen another 40,000 units built in Denver proper over the last decade. The DSA platform wouldn't have done that and I'm hopeful that additional YIMBY-backed candidates will push pro-growth policies that will do so.
Um, teaching GED and workforce preparation is my paid job. I came out of retirement to teach adults, because rent in metro Denver is unaffordable on a retired teacher's income.
Less regulation on developers merely means that they will continue to rake in obscene profits. You know this as well as anyone. Don't pretend ignorance.
New apartment condos on gentrified West Colfax are going for $800K for a 2 bedroom unit. Meanwhile, the motels are closed and every corner has people sleeping on the street and huffing fentanyl.
Shontel Lewis won.
Your developers lost. Their money advantage can’t compensate for their nonsensical message ( which you uncritically repeat) that somehow, unfettered profits will translate into help and housing for homeless people.
Voter registration:
Democrat: 221,633; Republican: 49,645; Unaffiliated: 245,788; Minor: 9,838; Total: 526,904
Votes cast (updated June 7 – NOT final count yet)
Democrat: 86,324; Republican: 15,414; Unaffiliated: 58,335; Minor:1,260; Total: 161,333
overall participation: 36.18%
39% Democratic turnout
31% Republican turnout
23% unaffiliated voter turnout
Denver election will have initial count done today. Signature cures and a few other nuances will be done June 14. Certification of the results is set for June 20. Winners will take office July 17.
As of this morning, the line-up looks like:
Office…..Name
Mayor…..Mike Johnston
Auditor…..Timothy M. O’Brien
Clerk & Recorder…..Paul D. López
At-Large …..Sarah Parady
At-Large…..Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez
CD-1…..Amanda Sandoval
CD-2…..Kevin Flynn
CD-3…..Jamie Torres
CD-4…..Diana Romero Campbell
CD-5…..Amanda Sawyer
CD-6…..Paul Kashmann
CD-7…..Flor Alvidrez
CD-8…..Shontel M. Lewis, 6,483 votes; Brad Revare, 6,432 votes [still close, I’ve not read any claim of win or concession]
CD-9…..Darrell Watson
CD-10…..Chris Hinds
CD-11…..Stacie Gilmore
For the ageists out there:
65 and up – 50,489
55-64 – 24,540
45-54 – 24,691
35-44 – 30,085
25-34 – 25,691
24 and under – 6,058
This to me seemed fairly well balanced across age demographics, with the exceptions on opposite ends of the young'ns and the olds.
That's consistent with the general tendency of older people (who have skin the game financially) to vote and younger people (who do not) to avoid voting.