May 2015 – Lots of Change in Denver

In May 2015, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock will face his first re-election and congenial longtime Denver politician and term-limited auditor, Dennis Gallagher, will retire. Due to term-limits there will be some shuffling of council positions and new faces. Among the term-limited politicians are:

• Auditor Dennis Gallagher
• City Councilperson Charlie Brown – Southeast
• City Councilperson Jeanne Faatz – far Southwest (only Republican and fiscal watchdog)
• City Councilperson Peggy Lehmann – far Southeast
• City Councilperson Judy Montero – Downtown, Northwest
• City Councilperson Chris Nevitt – South-Central (not term-limited, but rumored running for auditor)
• City Councilperson Jeanne Robb – Capitol Hill, Central

Denver City Councilman
Charlie Brown

Among councilpersons, the retirements represent a collective 62 years of experience, including Charlie Brown, the member most likely to attend your event and have a cowboy hat on.

Denver mayors tend to be re-elected, but if they’re going to have a serious challenge, it is usually in the first re-election. Although Hancock has avoided major controversy, Denver is a city with many political factions and constituencies. Someone always wants something more done or something different. So, although it will be a surprise if Hancock has a significant challenge, his re-election is not likely to be a criticism-free event.