O’Brien Upsets Nevitt For Auditor
Kashmann Upsets Adams In District 6
Shepherd First Incumbent To Lose In 28 Years
New And Jones In Runoff On June 2
by Charles C. Bonniwell
The City and County of Denver’s municipal election on May 5, for mayor and all 13 council seats was considered relatively tame since incumbent Mayor Michael Hancock had no major opposition, but beneath the surface a major revolt appears to be gaining momentum which may be culminated in the four runoff elections on June 2. Hancock, and the real estate developers and unions that support him, had recruited a series of candidates and lavished them funding and logistical help. Many of them were also endorsed by The Denver Post which has strongly backed the mayor ever since he assumed office, and after an early dispute over whether the mayor had been a client of a prostitution ring known as Denver Players/Denver Sugar.
Perhaps the most surprising upset occurred in the Auditor’s race where former Colorado State Auditor Timothy O’Brien won by six percentage points over Councilman Chris Nevitt. The councilman was strongly backed by Mayor Hancock and his financial supporters along with outgoing auditor Dennis Gallagher. Nevitt raised close to $400,000, much of which came from unions, real estate developers and lobbyists, such Marcia Garcia Berry of CRL Associates who was Nevitt’s campaign treasurer. Nevitt also had the strong backing of “super lawyer” Steve Farber and his fellow attorneys at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP.
O’Brien, in turn, raised approximately $40,000 and had to lend his campaign an additional $40,000 to get his message out in the waning days of the campaign. Notwithstanding the fact that Nevitt was considered the heir apparent to Hancock as mayor of Denver, O’Brien took almost 55 percent of the vote. O’Brien supporters indicated that they thought reasons for the upset included O’Brien’s professional background and demeanor compared with Nevitt’s lack of qualifications for the post. What may have also contributed to Nevitt’s defeat was the fact that he supported two 31 story apartment buildings which some resi
dents believe will permanently scar the Denver skyline and a general dissatisfaction with City Hall being under the control of real estate developers.
Almost as surprising as the O’Brien upset was the victory of Rafael Espinoza. For the first time since 1987 an incumbent councilperson (Susan Shepherd) lost, and she lost badly. Rafael Espinoza garnered an amazing 69 percent of the vote. Shepherd set a potential record for lowest percentage of the vote ever by an incumbent councilperson getting only 31 percent from the voters. Shepherd, like Nevitt, had originally won in 2011 with overwhelming union support, but after the election, she became close to developers who got approval for projects in Sloans Lake and West Highlands. Members of neighborhood groups that opposed developments
approved by Shepherd, like No High Rises in West Highlands and Sloan’s Lake Neighborhood Association were believed crucial in the electoral tsunami. Shepherd was also lavishly supported by Steve Farber and members of his firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP according to financial disclosure records.
Another upset was the victory of former Washington Park Profile publisher Paul Kashmann over another Hancock picked candidate Liz Adams. She was also endorsed by popular outgoing Councilman Charlie Brown and The Denver Post as well as the coterie of lobbyists and real estate developers and members of the ubiquitous Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP law firm. The race in District 6 mirrored that in District 1 and the auditor’s race where some residents believed excessively dense and under planned real estate developments were being rushed through the City Council.
Whether the citizen revolt will be complete will depend on the runoff races on June 2.
In particular the races in Districts 10 and 11 involve neighborhood candidates against candidates picked by Mayor Hancock and his supporters. In the first round f
ormer Cherry Creek North Neighborhood Association President Wayne New held a small lead (35% to 33%) against former Denver Planning Board member Anna Jones who is supported by the ever present Steve Farber and real estate developers. New surprisingly has the endorsement of The Denver Post.
In northeast Denver’s District 11, Mayor Hancock and Steve Farber’s candidate is Stacie Gilmore, wife of Scott Gilmore who is the appointee of the mayor as the Deputy Manager of Parks for Denver. Stacie Gilmore’s lack of independence and ethical challenges in voting on matters concerning the Parks and Recreation Department have become major issues in the race. Her opponent Sean Bradley is the president and CEO of the Denver Urban League. District 11 is one of the places in Denver where the mayor’s sub silencio support is believed to be of help. The ethically challenged Gilmore also has the endorsement of The Denver Post and money from members of the Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP law firm. In the first round Gilmore garnered 38 percent of the v
ote to 25 percent for Bradley.
While the May 2 results were generally a cause of celebration for neighborhood groups and grassroots activists there was one stain for them in the victory of Kendra Black in District 4 (Hampden area) over Halisi Vinson and Carolina Klein. Vinson had the strong endorsement of former mayor Wellington Webb and park advocates, but Black raised almost $200,000. One disappointed Vinson supporter who knows Black from the Thomas Jefferson High School Alumni Association noted that “at least the money boys got a win after so many other losses. She will do as instructed which will be sad for parks and neighborhoods in District 4, but her big money supporters will make a lot of money. Our neighborhood groups see her as the next Susan Shepherd. We have pledged to keep a close eye on what she is up to over the next four years. She is, according to people who know her, both amoral and dumb which is never a good combination.”
The runoff election is set for June 2 with ballots already being mailed by the Office of the Denver Clerk and Recorder.
