DENVER — There are 17 people on the 2023 ballot for Denver Mayor, all vying to replace Michael Hancock after three terms in office. If that's not the most ever, it's at least the biggest pool of candidates for that office in decades, according to the Denver Clerk and Recorder's Office, which checked their sample paper ballots going back to 1946.
Each candidate has their own ideas regarding crime, homelessness, housing affordability and more. We asked all of them the same policy questions and asked for written responses.
Below you'll find the answers, all unedited and in the candidates' own words. You can also click on each candidate's photo in the top grid to see their full responses to the 9NEWS mayoral candidate survey, as well as their full sit-down interviews with anchor Kyle Clark.
Denver's Election Day on April 4. The candidates will appear on your ballot in this order, as determined by a drawing: Lisa Calderón, Trinidad Rodriguez, Aurelio Martinez, Thomas Wolf, Al Gardner, Terrance Roberts, Kwame Spearman, Renate Behrens, Chris Hansen, Mike Johnston, James Walsh, Ean Thomas Tafoya, Andy Rougeout, Leslie Herod, Robert Treta, Deborah “Debbie” Ortega, Kelly Brough.
9NEWS has hosted two debates in the mayoral race.
The first happened Feb. 16 at Metropolitan State University of Denver in partnership with Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy & Research Organization (CLLARO) and the Fair Elections Fund.
The second was March 14.
9NEWS' Kyle Clark, Anusha Roy and Marshall Zelinger moderated both.
NOTE: On March 16, Spearman announced he was dropping out of the race. He endorsed Kelly Brough. Because ballots were already printed, Spearman's name appears as an option. Votes for him are considered "undervotes" and don't count toward the final result.
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