On an unusually damp and foggy morning in Denver's Civic Center park, a group of former mayoral candidates assembled to throw their support behind one of the two left in the race: Mike Johnston.
State Rep. Leslie Herod, who already endorsed Johnston late last month, was the MC for the press conference.
"Make no mistake, we are the progressives in this race, and we have chosen to back Mike," said Herod.
Behind her was Johnston, flanked on both sides by former mayoral challengers Ean Thomas Tafoya, Terrance Roberts, Al Gardner, and Jim Walsh. State Senators James Coleman and Julie Gonzales were also there to endorse Johnston.
"It's been a while since we've all been on stage," said Tafoya, who's been an advocate for environmental issues and underserved communities in Denver. He added that he and Johnston agreed on a lot.
"There are people in our communities where it's not safe to breathe their air, to drink their water or cross a street," said Tafoya, who added that a couple of weeks ago, Johnston and his children had joined him in caring for unhoused people.
The various former mayoral candidates who endorsed Johnston garnered about 6,000 votes on Election Day in April, not something that will fundamentally alter the course of the race, but helps bolster his credentials on the left.
Today's endorsement from state Sen. Gonzales, who represents northwest and downtown Denver, also helps give Johnston some geographical diversity. Former mayoral candidate Lisa Calderón narrowly won that senate district, beating Johnston by more than 100 votes.
Calderón, the third place overall vote getter, has not made an endorsement in the race. She did not return a call seeking comment.
In endorsing Johnston, Gonzales talked about his work passing the ASSET bill in 2013.
"Mike Johnston partnered with [the] community, partnered with immigrant students, partnered with their families and their parents, and the teachers and the business leaders," said Gonzales. "In order to get that bill signed into law so that now undocumented students could pay in-state tuition here in the state of Colorado."
Johnston was last to speak: "And every time people wonder if those things that seem undoable are really doable, all you have to do is look at the coalition of folks behind us who have spent their lives taking on things that people said couldn't be done. And over and over and over again, they have delivered on them."
The election for mayor has been something of an endorsement arms race recently.
Not long after the election, Johnston was endorsed by former mayor Federico Peña. Then Brough announced former mayor Wellington Webb had endorsed her.
On Wednesday, as Johnston was holding his press conference, Brough's campaign announced endorsements from the Denver Pipefitters Local 208, Denver Plumbers Local 3, and the Hispanic Contractors of Colorado.
"Kelly's experience as an executive coupled with her unquestioned leadership ability is exactly what our city needs," said Gary Arnold, of Pipefitters Local 208 in a statement released by the campaign. "We can't wait to roll up our sleeves and work alongside her to address the challenges we are currently facing."
And earlier this week, on Monday, Brough held a press conference accepting the endorsement from the Denver firefighter's union.
But it wasn't just the firefighters that day, Brough had invited the police union and former Denver District Attorney and Governor Bill Ritter, emphasizing her broad coalition within the public safety groups.
"I really believe that Kelly is the right person," said Ritter. "And so I also understand that public safety is probably a more significant issue in Denver than it's been since I became the DA in 1993."
But Ritter acknowledged that endorsements probably aren't the deciding factor, in the end it's the candidates themselves.
"So do these endorsements help? I think they probably help. I don't think they hurt," said Ritter. "But I think at the end of the day, people pay maybe less attention to them than candidates do or campaigns do."
