It’s Election Day, which means many of you (we hope) have carefully penned in some little bubbles for democracy.
And as election night draws to a close, no candidate for mayor has received more than 50 percent of the vote. That means we’re headed for a runoff vote on June 4 between the top two candidates: Michael Hanock and Jamie Giellis. Calderón, in third place, conceded Wednesday.
It’s also very lucky that five — yes, five — City Council races and the clerk and recorder race will go to a runoff.
Initiative 300, the proposal to repeal the urban camping ban, was defeated early, with more than 80 percent of voters saying no.
Oh, and voters have decided to decriminalize psilocybin, or magic mushrooms. They approved Initiative 301 by 1 percentage point. All results are final but not certified.
NEED A REFRESHER ON WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT? Here you go.
?Mayor
Denver has a “mayor strong” government so, yes, this is big.
Lisa Calderón, Stephan Elliot Evans (better known as Chairman Sekú), Jamie Giellis, Kalyn Heffernan and Penfield Tate are all taking a run at Mayor Michael Hanock. He’s been Denver’s mayor since 2011.
Results:
STORY: The race for Denver mayor heads to a runoff, likely between Michael Hanock and Jamie Giellis
Tate: 14.73 percent
Hancock: 38.65 percent
Heffernan: 2.49 percent
Giellis: 24.88 percent
Evans: 0.74 percent
Calderón: 18.45 percent
Results are final but not certified.
❌ Initiative 300
An initiative to overturn a law passed by the Denver City Council in 2012 banning people from sheltering themselves in public. The bill would add a chapter to the city’s municipal code about human rights and anti-discrimination measures, and would make it unlawful for city employees or agents to harass or intimidate people who are seeking the rights guaranteed by the law if it were passed.
Results:
STORY: Denver voters reject Initiative 300, upholding the city’s ‘urban camping ban’
Yes/for: 17.18 percent
No/against: 82.82 percent
Results are final but not certified.
✅ Initiative 301
An initiative to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms, or magic mushrooms, by making it lawful for a person 21 or older to possess, use and home cultivation magic mushrooms. It would also establish a panel to review the law’s impact on public health and safety and prevent Denver from using public funds or resources to prosecute people charged with psilocybin-related crimes.
Results:
STORY: It looks like Denver voters have decriminalized psychedelic mushrooms
Yes/for: 50.56 percent
No/against: 49.44 percent
Results are final but not certified.
City Council
✅At-large
Where: All of Denver
Who:
Robin Kniech (incumbent)
Johnny Hayes
Lynne Langdon
Deborah Ortega (incumbent)
Jesse Parris
Tony Pigford
Results:
Incumbents Debbie Ortega and Robin Kneich win with 36.16 percent and 27.53 percent, respectively.
Results are final but not certified.
?District 1
Where: Chaffee Park, Berkeley, Highland, Jefferson Park, Regis, Sloan’s Lake, Sunnyside and West Highland, as well as portions of West Colfax
Who:
Victoria Aguilar
Sabrina D’Agosta
Scott Allan Durrah
Praj Kulkarni
David Sabados
Amanda Sandoval
Michael Somma
Results:
District 1 is headed for a runoff between Sandoval (31.19 percent) and Somma (16.99 percent).
Results are final but not certified.
✅District 2
Where: Mar Lee, Harvey Park, Harvey Park South, Bear Valley and Fort Logan
Who: Kevin Flynn (incumbent, unopposed)
?District 3
Where: Barnum, Barnum West, Lincoln Park, Mar Lee, Sun Valley, Villa Park and Westwood
Who:
Veronica Elizabeth Barela
Annie Martinez
Raymond Montoya
Jamie Torres
Results:
District 3 is headed for a runoff between Torres and Barela, who have 40.31 percent and 36.26 percent of the vote, respectively.
Results are final but not certified.
✅District 4
Where: Goldsmith, Hampden, Hampden South, Kennedy, Southmoor Park, University Hills and Wellshire
Who:
Kendra Black (incumbent)
Colleen Zahradnicek
Results:
Black wins with 77.84 percent.
Results are final but not certified.
?District 5
Where: Bellevue-Hale, Crestmoor I & II, East Montclair, Hilltop, Lowry, Mayfair, Mayfair Park, Montclair, South Hilltop, South Park Hill, Windsor Gardens and Winston Downs
Who:
Michele Fry
Stephen Replin
Amanda Sawyer
Mary Beth Susman (incumbent)
Results:
District 5 is headed for a runoff between Sawyer and incumbent Susman. Sawyer earned 40.69 percent and Susman earned 35.96 percent.
Results are final but not certified.
✅District 6
Where: Corey-Merrill,Rosedale, University, Virginia Village, Washington Park
Who: Paul Kashmann (incumbent, unopposed)
✅District 7
Where: Athmar Park, Valverde, Baker, College View, Overland, Platt Park, Ruby Hill and West Washington Park
Who: Jolon Clark (incumbent, unopposed)
✅District 8
Where: East Colfax, Park Hill, Stapleton and portions of Montbello
Who:
Miguel Adrian Ceballos-Ruiz
Chris Herndon (incumbent)
LaMone Noles
Erik Penn
Blair Taylor
Patrick Floyd Thibault
Results:
Herndon wins with 51.19 percent of the vote.
?District 9
Where: Globeville, Elyria-Swansea, Five Points, Cole, Clayton, Whittier, Curtis Park and City Park
Who:
Albus Brooks (incumbent)
Candi CdeBaca
David Oletski
Jonathan Woodley
Results:
District 9 is headed for a runoff. Brooks earned 44.77 percent while CdeBaca earned 43.05 percent.
Results are final but not certified.
?District 10
Where: Capitol Hill, Alamo Placita, Uptown, Cheesman Park, Cherry Creek, Congress Park, Country Club and Belcaro
Who:
Chris Hinds
Antonio Méndez
Tony Smith
Wayne New (incumbent)
Results:
District 10 is headed for a runoff. Incumbent New has a solid lead, but not enough to avoid the runoff. He’s got 39.05 percent, while Hinds has 30.32 percent.
Results are final but not certified.
✅District 11
Where: DIA, Green Valley Ranch and Montbello.
Who:
Christine Alonzo
Stacie Gilmore (incumbent)
Results:
Gilmore wins with 73.77 percent.
Results are final but not certified.
?Clerk and recorder
The office oversees elections, issues marriage licenses and other records, and serves as a public trustee for the city.
Current Clerk and Recorder Deborah Johnson isn’t seeking reelection. Paul López, Sarah O. McCarthy and “Peg” Margaret Perl are running to replace her.
Results:
The clerk and recorder race is headed for a runoff between Paul López and Peg Perl. Lopez earned 36.87 percent. Perl earned 32.68 percent.
Results are final but not certified.
✅Auditor
Our current auditor, Timothy O’Brien, is running unopposed.
But the city auditor is the mayor’s office’s main check on power, so if you’d like to read up on the job anyway, while you’re awaiting results, click right here.
What we’re hearing, seeing and learning
? 10:49 p.m. That’s all for the night, Denverites. Way to civically engage.
We’ll make minor updates here when the 11:30 numbers come in, but the candidates and reporters are heading home for the night.
Check back with Denverite tomorrow for more updates and stories. We’ve got a lot of runoffs to think about.
? 9:52 p.m.: Calderón’s spokesperson Liz Stalnaker said she won’t be conceding tonight. “We’re waiting for every vote to be counted because every vote counts.”
Stalnaker said they will be releasing a statement in the morning. -EH (@EstebanHRZ)
? 10:11 p.m. Denver City Council races that at the moment appear headed for a runoff:
District 1 (northwest)
District 3 (west side)
District 5 (east)
District 9 (north central)
District 10 (central)
-EH (@EstebanHRZ)
? 10 p.m.: The third wave of results are in from Denver Elections and we’re updating below. Again, again, you can see for yourself here. -AD (@AshleyDean)
? 9:57 p.m.: Hanock has left the building. -CJ (@coreyhjones_)
? 9:52 p.m.: Calderón supporter Molly Snook said she wouldn’t support either Giellis or Hancock in a potential runoff.
“I’d love to see a female mayor in Denver,” Snook said. “I don’t want it to be someone like Jamie.”
Snook said Giellis represents “the worst of new Denver.”
“I see them as two sides of the same coin,” Snook said. She noted both are backed by developers, who said don’t have the best interests of the people in Denver in mind. She called the initial results for Calderón disappointing, but wasn’t ready to say give up hope. -EH (@EstebanHRZ)
? 9:19 p.m.: Hancock tells supporters the runoff effort starts tomorrow morning (FULL STORY)
Giellis has just acknowledged the runoff to her supporters: “And let me just say, I am ready for the fight. I am ready for the fight!”
Calderón is not conceding.
? 9:05 p.m.: Denver Elections says 139,412 ballots have been cast. Here’s a look at the data. -AD (@AshleyDean)
? 8:57 p.m.: Denver voters reject Initiative 300, upholding the city’s ‘urban camping ban’
? 8:54 p.m.: The Hanock campaign believes we’re headed for a mayoral runoff, folks.
Hancock congratulates Jamie Giellis on making it to the runoff. “So now it looks like we have another month to tell the story. And that’s OK.” -DS (@DavidASachs)
? 8:39 p.m.: Little has changed since the 7 p.m. results because few new votes were counted. The 7 p.m. results drop showed 95,600 votes cast in the mayor’s race. At 8:30 p.m., there were 100,035.
Also of note: as of 8:30 p.m., slightly more people had cast votes in the Initiative 300 race than the mayoral race — 100,210 vs, 100,035, respectively. -Alex Scoville, CPR (@AlexScoville)
? 8:30 p.m.: The second wave of results are in from Denver Elections and we’re updating below. Again, you can see for yourself here. -AD (@AshleyDean)
? 8:24 p.m.: Hancock is in the building, but still no sightings. -Corey Jones, CPR (@coreyhjones_)
? 8:11 p.m.: Toni Rodgers, woman who supports Hancock, on his sexual harassment: “He talked about just what he was doing wrong and he corrected it, and I don’t think any of us are perfect. I want to do the right things all of the time, but I don’t. I didn’t see any pattern with his behavior. It was just a misstep, like the rest of us have.” -DS (@DavidASachs)
? 8:10 p.m.: Bail reform advocate Elisabeth Epps supported Calderón. Speaking briefly on behalf of her and District 9 city council candidate Candi CdeBaca (who hosted her watch party with Calderón), Epps asked those in attendance if they were ready to volunteer for four more weeks.
“We understood that this wouldn’t be easy,” Epps said. “Personally, I’ve had a rough couple of years. And in every turn, these two women have been there for me every single moment. And I know it’s not just me.” -EH (@EstebanHRZ)
? 8:09 p.m.: Bob Stribling says he’s not happy with the way the city has been going, and stopped by Giellis’s campaign headquarters to learn more. “I have never seen such a group of enthusiastic energetic people who were there because they really wanted to be.” -MES (@_msakas)
? 8:07 p.m.: Still haven’t seen Mayor Hancock at his party. He’s scheduled to speak just after the next batch of results drop at 8:30. -DS (@DavidASachs)
? 8:06 p.m.: Hancock supporter B.J. Rodgers, who owns some McDonald’s around town: “I believe in what he’s trying to do for the city. I think he’s made some tremendous strides. I like the direction, but I want to try to do just a little bit more.” -DS (@DavidASachs)
? 8 p.m.: Here’s an interesting look at when ballots were returned, via Denver Elections:
You can see more ballot return data here. -AD (@AshleyDean)
? Most notable among the early results are two things: Initiative 300 is almost certainly defeated and the mayor’s race looks like it’s headed for a runoff.
The next round of results comes in at 8:30 p.m. -AD (@AshleyDean)
? 7:40 p.m.: A voter who gave only her first name, Alison, dropped off her ballot with her No on 300 vote about 15 minutes before polls closed. She said she was voting primarily because of 300. “I think that we can do better than having people live on the streets.”
She says she feared Denver could end up like San Fransisco or her home town of Los Angeles. “I have stepped on vomit on the sidewalks in San Francisco,” she said.
Steve Dzuba, who voted for 300, said he had been homeless himself before the camping ban and believes outreach workers would not have found and helped him if police had been moving him along. “300 is a good thing.” -DB (@donnaindenver)
? 7:33 p.m.: Terese Howard, who has helped lead Denver Homeless Out Loud’s campaign for 300, said, “We can’t overcome that much. Realistically.”
Howard also says they’ll be pressing the next City Council to overturn the camping ban.
“We’re back at Council as soon as we have a new council.” -DB (@donnaindenver)
? 7:31 p.m.: Jerry Burton, a Denver Homeless Out Loud activist who lives on the streets, moments after polls closed: “Win or lose, we’re in the conversation.”
An encampment of about 20 people he’d led in Curtis Park was broken up by police just before the election. He said he will be erecting it again tomorrow.
“On the 8th, we will be organizing people if we win. We will be organizing people if we lose.” -Donna Bryson (@donnaindenver)
✍️ 7:29 p.m.: A statement from Roger Sherman, campaign manager for No on 300: This campaign has reminded us that Denver is a compassionate community that cares deeply about both its people and its public places. While most voters agreed that Initiative 300 was not the right path forward for Denver, this is not the end of the discussion. There is more we can and should be doing, as a community, to ensure Denver is a safe, welcoming and supportive place for everyone.
Homelessness and housing are complex issues that demand thoughtful solutions. We need both short term action and long-term commitment. We are encouraged by the broad and diverse group of community leaders who engaged in the campaign and we hope that those folks – faith leaders, neighborhood organizations, park advocates, service providers, business groups and everyday residents, housed and unhoused – will work together moving forward to advance practical approaches to supporting people experiencing homelessness today and address the underlying drivers of homelessness in Denver. -AD (@AshleyDean)
? 7:23 p.m.: Calderón supporter Katherine Cornwell lives in Sunnyside. Before results were flashed on a nearby screen, Cornwell said she felt a sense of anticipation.
“I’m ready for a woman to lead Denver,” Cornwell said. “For one, we’ve never had a woman lead our city and I think it’s well past time. I am very concerned that we have a mayor who sexually harassed one of his employees and faced no accountability for that. I think that’s absolutely egregious.”
Cornwell said getting to know more about Calderón’s background convinced her she was the best option. She noted her educational background and advocacy for people, adding Calderón’s has the best handle on issues like housing, transportation and social justice. -EH (@EstebanHRZ)
? 7:21 p.m.: Jake Martin, a spokesperson for Mayor Michael Hancock’s campaign: “I think a runoff is a probable outcome. We always knew it could be in the cards.” He referenced Wellington Webb and Frederico Peña, who also won runoffs. Hancock did too, in 2011. “I think we were always prepared with a crowded field of six candidates.” -DS (@DavidASachs)
? 7:21 p.m.: Joan Loughridge owns the building that Giellis’s campaign was headquartered. Loughridge didn’t know of Giellis before, and says she started volunteering for her campaign after getting to know what Giellis stood for. “She’s a quality person that really and truly cares.” -MES (@_msakas)
? 7:20 p.m.: Raffi Mercuri, addressing I-300 supporters: “We will not be able to overcome, unfortunately. That’s not going to change much. I’m pretty shocked. People seemed pretty split, actually. Fear was maybe the predominant thing on this issue.
“This was the right campaign to be on, this was the right issue. We are better than this. Don’t lose hope. You’re an incredible group of people. This is 2.5 million dollars of hate and ignorance. That’s what this is. And love will always defeat hate and ignorance in the end.” -KB (@KevinJBeaty)
? 7:17 p.m.: Giellis says she’s “trying to stay calm” and patient as she waits for results. She says she felt like her campaign did all it could, “We truly left everything on the field, we worked so hard.” “I feel absolutely wonderful about what we’ve achieved.” -Michael Elizabeth Sakas, CPR (@_msakas)
? 7:16 p.m.: Somber mood at 300 party as the first results don’t bode well for them. Very quiet as Owen Perkins read the results. -KB (@KevinJBeaty)
? 7 p.m.: The first results are in from Denver Elections and we’re updating below. And, of course, you can see for yourself here. -Ashley Dean (@AshleyDean)
? 6:54 p.m.: Turnout as of 5:30 p.m. is 33.3 percent — voters have until 7 p.m. to be in line at a Vote Center or drop their ballots at a drop-box. Locations at http://www.DenverVotes.org/VoterInfo . Results will begin posting at 7 p.m. and update every 90 minutes after that. -Denver Elections
? 6:43 p.m. “I feel good. It’s always an exciting time. People are just getting off of work. I’m not going to predict anything. We’ve worked very hard and we’re looking forward to being in the runoff.” -KB (@KevinJBeaty)
? 6:36 p.m.: Calderón walked into her watch party, which is taking place inside the building in Five Points housing her campaign headquarters, shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday.
“I’m feeling good,” she said. “I feel like we’ve done everything we possibly could with the tiny staff that we have.”
Calderón said she was outspent 20-1 by Hancock. She has some paid staff, but most of her staff are volunteers, including friends.
She since launching her campaign, she hasn’t made any major changes on the things she would focus on if she’s elected mayor. She noted sustainability will be important among the three major areas she wants to focus on, including housing, homelessness and transit in Denver.
“I’m not nervous,” she said. “I feel like I’m in the eye of the storm. Everything is at its calmest.” She said regardless of what happens Tuesday, she’s proud of the movement she’s helped start in Denver. -EH (@EstebanHRZ)
? 6:29 p.m.: “I’m feeling pretty good. Heard — unofficially — it’s looking like a runoff,” said Edward Dauer, who’s known Tate for 25 years and is at his party. He’s heard Tate could make a runoff. “And that’s great. I’m feeling good enough to order a drink.” -KB (@KevinJBeaty)
? 5:30 p.m.: Arnell Nevins, who is experiencing homelessness, on why he is voting: “We need a change. Just a lot of things that I feel, especially about the homeless situation. I feel that with me being part of the homeless population, we got to have some kind of rights and I just want to make sure that (I-300) passes. I hope that we can have the right to sleep wherever we want instead of being able to be forced by the police, being hassled by the police. I understand people’s concerns that the homeless are doing things that they shouldn’t be doing, I agree with them, but at the same time they’ve got to have rights.
“If 300 wasn’t on the ballot I would have voted anyway because I’m the type of person that will vote.” -DS (@DavidASachs)
? 5:15 p.m.: Jerry Aguirre on what brought him out to vote: “I always vote. I brought (my friend) out because we see opposite sides of (Initiative) 300. I just wanted to be strong and show my support for something I don’t believe in but not totally — the initiative wasn’t strong enough. That’s why I had to say no. (Initiatives) 300 and 301 both drove me to the polls.”
Jason Busch on what brought him out to vote: “Just to set the example of being involved. The more people get involved, that shows they care. So for example, at least me coming to this building — the more people, little kids — that see you coming in here, they think, ‘Oh, they care about something having to do with government and politics.'”
A very chill Aaron Benko on what brought him out to vote: “I vote every single election. This one is important, but they’re all important. I wanted to vote yes for 300. I’m not too worried, because I think there are a lot of really good candidates. The good thing about Denver right now is that everyone’s pretty good. I’m not a Hancock fan but, you know, he’s not terrible.” -DS (@DavidASachs)
? 5:13 p.m.: We were interviewing voters at Denver elections headquarters when Kalyn Rose Heffernan rolled in to cast her ballot. “I just voted for myself for mayor,” she told Rev. Josephine Falls, a long-time elections worker. “That’s something.”
We also saw a dog good named Billy. -KB (@KevinJBeaty)
? 5:03 p.m.: Denver Elections told me that about 3 percent of early voting ballots came in without signatures, but they got that number down to about 1 percent by alerting the voters with enough time to fix the commission. -DS (@DavidASachs)
? 4:59 p.m.: Emilia Wint on what brought her out to vote today: “I guess it’s important and it was mainly the initiatives, like ballot questions. I guess it’s important and politics are like heinous right now.” -DS (@DavidASachs)
? 4:23 p.m.: As of 4 p.m., voter turnout was at 29.47 percent of active voters, surpassing 2015’s 28.99 percent. The new number to beat is 2011’s 38.31 percent -Denver Elections
? 3:39 p.m.: Turnout for the 2015 municipal election was 28.99 percent of active voters. As of 2 p.m. today, the 2019 municipal election has a turnout of 28.10 percent of active voters. It’s anticipated that this year’s turnout will surpass 2015 turnout by the time polls close at 7 p.m. -Denver Elections
? 3:23 p.m.: Denver is slowly creeping toward 30 percent ballots cast. Right now, Republicans leading returns (36 percent); Dems (31 percent); unaffiliated (22 percent). Polls close at 7 p.m. -Esteban Hernandez (@EstebanHRZ)
? 2:58 p.m.: We’re at the Hiawatha Davis Jr. rec center in Park Hill, where assistant supervisor Mike Mohrman is on duty. He’s been working elections gigs for 15 years. -KB (@KevinJBeaty)
? 2:57 p.m.: Meet Ms. Alta Roper. Who’s voting today with the help of her granddaughter, Jenessee Johnson, and Denver Elections’ Nancee Braan. -Kevin Beaty (@KevinJBeaty)
? 2:08 p.m.: Current returns from @DenverElections show nearly 27 percent of ballots in. -David Sachs (@DavidASachs)
? 12:04 p.m.:
? 10:37 a.m.: Christopher Powell wanted to take a selfie so here we are! He voted yes on both initiatives on the ballot. “I don’t want people out here running around high on mushroom, but I don’t think they should be labeled criminals for using them.” -JB (@TheRealJB_News)
? 9:49 a.m.: Bruce Campbell is a registered Democrat who worked for the mayor when he lived in Philly. Campbell said he knows a thing or two about how a large city should be run. His vote for mayor? “Anyone but Hancock,” he said. -JB (@TheRealJB_News)
? 9:06 a.m.: Republican Carol Anne Risser came out with her two kids to vote today and let them drop the ballot in the box because, “I want them to understand the importance of voting,” she said.
Risser didn’t want to share who she voted for but spoke strongly against initiative 300. “Obviously I have two kiddos and we live right by a park, which we love and we want it to remain an open space for us to enjoy.” -JB (@TheRealJB_News)
? 8:52 a.m.: #DenverVotes today and I’m here on S. University to catch a few of them. I’ll be at a few spots around town today so stay with me. #copolitics -Joella Baumann, CPR (@TheRealJB_News)
