Sixteen candidates are vying for the Denver Mayor position, but two are pulling ahead in the polls.
As the city faces horrid housing costs, increasing waves of crime, and more homeless housing encampments, the public is making what they want to be known.
Fox News reports, If early results hold, Kelly Brough, the former President and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, and Mike Johnston, a former state senator, could be pushed to a runoff election. They would leave behind the more progressive candidates in a largely left-leaning field.
Fear surrounds the race and the future of Denver as it is quickly growing as a business and tech hub. The concern is the city will experience a fate similar to other major U.S. cities.
Johnson said, We do have the same problems that San Francisco and Seattle face. If we get that wrong, you end up like a lot of other big cities where no middle-class people can live.... We want to show there is a different way for cities to grow.
According to candidate Brough, what Denver voters want is somebody who actually knows how to run the city, who has had experience as a CEO.
Calderon insists that the votes will determine Denvers fate. She said, The stakes are between a progressive Denver or a continuation of a corporate Denver for the wealthiest.
The election is officially nonpartisan. Progressive candidates include Democrat Leslie Herod, a state representative, and Lisa Calderon, executive director of a company that supports women running for public office.
Other candidates running for office include a former Crenshaw Mafia gang member, a banker, a state lawmaker, and a former boxer.
Several disagreements divide candidates in the nonpartisan election. According to Fox News, Core disagreements among candidates have arisen over whether to enforce a ban on the growing homeless encampments, further fund the police, impose rent control and allow what is often called safe injection sites where people can use drugs under supervision to prevent overdoses.
Fox News notes, Whoever wins will inherit a city that boasts a large aerospace and tech industry, six professional sports teams, a proud beer culture, and one of the fastest-growing economies in the country.
Fox News also notes the winner will inherit a high crime rate, an increased homeless population, and a surge in opioid overdoses.
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