Politics Watch: Denver Mayoral Debate Recap
This year’s mayoral election will consist of three total debates, the first was held on February 17 at the King Center on the Auraria Campus. Put together in conjunction with Metropolitan State University, 9News, and Cllaro, 13 of the 17 candidates on the ballot answered questions on the topics of homelessness, affordable housing, public safety, and the environment.
The 13 candidates, Kelly Brough, Lisa Calderon, Chris Hansen, Leslie Herod, Mike Johnston, Aurelio Martinez, Debbie Ortega, Terrance Roberts, Trinidad Rodriguez, Kwame Spearman, Ean Tafoya, James Walsh, and Thomas Wolf had all opted to participate in the fair elections fund. Denver voters passed the fund in 2018 to publicly finance elections and pay for debates.
On the topic of homelessness, about half the candidates on stage said they would forcibly clear encampments in a show of hands, and five—Brough, Ortega, Spearman, Wolf, and, with a wavering hand, Rodriguez—voted they would want to forcibly arrest or commit people living on the streets.
Spearman, CEO of the Tattered Cover Bookstore, argued that a majority of the city’s homeless were “exploiting the system.” Spearman said a survey by the advocacy group Denver Homeless Out Loud found that “52% of our unhoused would prefer to live in a tent than other housing options.” This is false.
The 2021 survey asked 109 unhoused individuals in Denver to rank their choice of three housing options: a house, a tent, or a shelter. Of the 109 people surveyed, 91 individuals (83%) said a house was their first choice. Only 18 people (16.5%) chose a tent as their first choice for housing. No respondents chose a city shelter as their first choice. The next day, Spearman Tweeted that his team had misinterpreted the data.
Herod’s solution came in the form of social housing, for which Denver itself could become a developer. She couldn’t offer an answer for what should be done if unhoused people turn down social housing, though she said arrests were not the answer.
“We can’t incarcerate ourselves out of homelessness. It won’t work,” Herod says.
Crime and public safety were other hot-button topics among the candidates. One point of contention came during the criticizing of Hansen’s recent campaign ad. The first ad to be released for this election features several people of color caught on CCTV committing various crimes around Denver.
“Raise your hand here on the stage if you’re disgusted by an ad that makes people of color as the only criminals, or the people who are overrepresented in homelessness. It is a trope that has been broken forever,” Tafoya says, as the rest of the remaining candidates raised their hands.
“I cannot believe that he would make this ad. I’m so disappointed in you.”
Tafoya was particularly impressive during the debate, taking control of the conversation at several points. He promised to tackle Suncor and other big agencies responsible for polluting Denver’s air. Herod agreed that holding neighboring polluters like Suncor responsible was a top priority, and said the city needs to build affordable housing in areas that aren’t located directly next to these factories.
There were areas of agreement. All candidates raised their hands to say they would expand the city’s STAR program, which sends mental health professionals to appropriate 911 calls instead of police. All of them also agreed Colorado should have a ban on so-called “assault weapons.” Candidates split on the role of police and how many officers Denver requires.
On one hand, Calderón says, “it’s a myth that more police on the street reduces crimes.” She said it can increase crimes in communities that feel targeted. On the other, Johnston wants to add more police officers to the Denver department, though he does not want to change the minimum requirements to be hired.
The debate, moderated by three 9News anchors, lasted two commercial-free hours. A video recording of the full debate can be viewed here. The next mayoral debate is set to be held on March 14.
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