There's been a lot of talk about how many people are running for municipal office in 2023. Strong voices and policy debates are drowned out by the noise. And the field for mayor -- with more than 25 hopefuls -- might feel too crowded for voters to contemplate every person intending to be on the ballot. As for dropping policies? Candidates might as well be tossing a needle into a haystack.
There are more than 80 candidates registered to run for office in Denver in total.
In the next weeks, that will likely change.
Jan. 19, is the last day candidates can turn in their petitions to run.
For citywide seats, that's 300 verified signatures a pop. For district City Council seats, it's 100. To ensure they hit that mark, most candidates are turning in significantly more.
Some candidates have already had their petitions approved.
For Denver's most powerful position, mayor, those include (listed in the order in which they were approved): Leslie Herod, Kelly Brough, Debbie Ortega, Lisa Calderón, Andy Rougeot, Ean Tafoya, Thomas Wolf, Trinidad Rodriguez, Mike Johnston and Kwame Spearman.
By the end of Thursday, 25 of the 26 candidates had turned in petitions. Those who had not yet qualified were either being cured -- meaning they were incorrectly filled out and signatories have a chance to fix them -- or they were under review.
"We are turning them around very quickly, but reserve 3-5 days to make sure everything is accurate since we are expecting quite a few folks in at the last minute," wrote Lucille Wenegieme, spokesperson for the Clerk and Recorder's office.
How can the public find out the latest?
Go to the Clerk and Recorder's website for the full list of people who have turned in signatures and had those signatures approved.
"We are updating the online list as soon as a change in status is made for each candidate, so that's the most accurate place for info," Wenegieme wrote.
The Clerk and Recorder's Office has until Feb. 3 to certify candidates.
The official ballot will be finalized on Feb. 7, when the office hosts its randomized lottery for who will appear in what order.
This story has been updated to reflect new candidates who have qualified for the ballot.
