From an email sent by Linkhart to supporters:

I will always champion community causes. Investing in people saves us money down the line. By focusing on preventing problems, we create a better future for ourselves. Today at 1:30 in Washington Park near the rec center, I will endorse Michael Hancock for mayor of Denver. I invite you to join us.

I’m endorsing Michael because through our work together on City Council I witnessed his passion for improving Denver. His extensive work with the community demonstrates his willingness to address our problems. He understands that our government best functions when we all work together.

We will collaborate as a community to make Denver the greenest city in the country. We will kindle sustainable economic prosperity for everyone by growing jobs within our local economy. We will improve our children’s lives by developing coordinated youth and family programs.

I know Michael is the leader for the job ahead of us. I will continue my work alongside Michael to ensure our voices and issues are addressed. He will listen to us when we need him the most.

Spahn, always a dark horse candidate nonetheless appealed to certain element of the electorate who appreciated her low-key intelligence and thoughtful approach to issues.

She finished well out of the hunt. Former candidate Carol Boigon dropped out before the election, throwing her support to Michael Hancock.

Hancock and Romer each made the run off, to be decided in early June by mail-only ballots.

Candidates Doug Linkhart and James Mejia still have not announced whether they will endorse either remaining candidate.

Spahn, a third-generation Denverite, is an attorney, a former deputy district attorney and magistrate judge, and founding executive director of the Office of the Child Representative, a state agency that advocates for Denver’s most vulnerable children. Most recently, she worked with Rebecca Love Kourlis, heading up the Sandra Day O’Connor Judicial Selection Initiative

“The foundation of my candidacy has been that we need to move city government into the 21st century,” said Spahn in a press release. “To do that, we need a leader who has a vision and will have the courage to surround himself with people who will bring innovative ideas to our city. We need new leadership at City Hall.

I am proud to announce my endorsement for Chris Romer for Mayor.”

“To have someone like Theresa, with her record of public service, supporting me is humbling and encourages me to work even harder,” said Romer. “Theresa Spahn elevated the debate, and her insights on public safety – and on every issue – were invaluable.”

“Women voters in Denver define this race, and they will decide this race,” Romer concluded. “I am proud to have earned Theresa’s support, just as I hope to earn the support of all Denver voters.”

The general election will be June 7.

Hancock supporters said the ground game may have made the difference. Former Colorado Speaker of the House Terrance Carroll, who emceed Hancock’s party, said Hancock volunteers had knocked on 28,000 doors in the 72 hours leading to the election.

Doug Linkhart, who came in a distant fourth, said he was surprised he hadn’t done better. “It was a self-fulfilling prophecy,” he told the Colorado Independent. “The press said all along there were three candidates, and they covered three candidates, and those three candidates are the ones getting the votes,” he said.

Linkhart, who issued a release early Friday stating that a poll produced three weeks ago showing he was not in the top three candidates was inaccurate, said his name on the top of the ballot and considerable city-wide leadership experience would win him the election.

Doug Linkhart drops his ballot, voting for himself for Denver mayor. (Boven)

“Everywhere I go, I have been more specific about what I am going to do,” Linkhart told the Colorado Independent. “[I'm] not just giving generalities or acting like I am going to fix the school district which we can’t do anyhow. I think we can help the schools and help the kids.”

Linkhart said it was the details that mattered to Denver voters. He said some of the specifics have been his plan to add composting to recycling, opening libraries for longer hours, making recreation centers free for kids and fixing what many voters see as a broken police department.

Getting specific, Linkhart said that implementing his composting and recycling program would be supported and enhanced by beginning to charge citizens for garbage pickup.

Mayoral candidate Doug Linkhart fills out his ballot for the Denver election. (Boven)

“Denver is 41st in the country of major cities on recycling–not very good,” Linkhart said.”

Commenting on what many observes have noticed as a lack of voter interest in the race, Linkhart said he hoped that the citizenry would take a moment to make a decision on their futures.

“So many people are not voting to date, I am worried that we are not going to see enough folks vote,” Linkhart said.

Linkhart is one of the top candidates in a race that appears to be largely between Linkhart, James Mejia, former state Senator Chris Romer, and former City Council President Michael Hancock.

The election to determine which two candidates make the run-off will be over Tuesday, May 3. If one candidates scores 50 percent plus one vote, the election itself will be decided Tuesday.

You can read his green initiative here.

From Hancock’s website:

As Mayor, Michael will establish Greenprint Denver as a permanent office of the Mayor, giving it a greater ability to support private-sector job growth, coordinate with other city agencies and set benchmarks and goals in seven key areas: energy, water, land, transportation, waste, community, and air and emissions.

Greenprint Denver will coordinate with the Office of Economic Development on clean-energy job creation while also tracking efficiencies, effectiveness and cost-savings with other city offices and departments such as Community Planning and Development, Parks and Recreation, Public Health and Safety.

A stronger Greenprint Denver will allow for more coordination and communication between city agencies so that the best ideas are implemented efficiently and effectively with a focus on outcomes, including a reduction of agency overlap.

You can read James Mejia’s green platform here.

From Mejia’s plan:

As gas prices rise electric cars will become more common creating a higher need for charging stations. My administration will take an active role in identifying locations throughout the city and seek business partners to identify the most effective possibilities. The Hyatt Regency at the Convention Center provides designated parking and charging for guests with electric cars. At DIA, the new Canopy Airport Parking provides free charging for travelers using electric vehicles. When I am Mayor, I will work with businesses to install stations throughout the City and will see that the energy provided to these stations comes from renewable sources.

As Mayor I will ensure that Denver continues its transition to using long lasting materials. The Department of Public Works has begun to repave high traffic roads and intersections with concrete. Concrete is more durable than asphalt, better handles Colorado winters and will ultimately save the City money through reduced maintenance and replacement costs. Denver has one of the largest inventories of LED traffic lights. These lights are brighter, last longer, are environmentally safe and save the City hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The City of Denver currently charges an additional fee for recycling collection. As Mayor I will provide recycling and composting free of charge to all Denver homes, including multiunit housing and businesses. Our current system is a deterrent to recycling and composting. The long-term benefits to Denver will easily out weigh any additional cost the city experiences in the short-term. In just a few short years our efforts will pay for themselves and create a greener city.

Chris Romer’s green plan is here.

From Romer’s plan:

Chris understands that to attract the employers of the future to our city and protect our natural resources for generations to come, Denver must be on the leading edge of sustainability and energy efficiency. He’s consistently fought for measures that promote sustainability while creating jobs and saving money. To position Denver on the leading edge of the Clean Energy Economy, Chris will: Create clean energy jobs in Denver, Support and empower GreenPrint Denver, Promote multimodal transportation to reduce pollution and increase options, Lead sustainability efforts starting at City Hall

After using Colorado companies to equip his Denver home with solar panels, an energy efficient cooling system and strong insulation to reduce his family’s energy footprint and utility bills, Chris knows the power of effective sustainability and the good jobs it can create. He believes Denver should strive to be the greenest city in the country.

Doug Linkhart’s green vision is here.

From Linkhart’s plan:

Recycling is one of the most cost-effective strategies to combat greenhouse gases. To engage Denver residents in the battle against global warming, Doug will implement Denver’s new Solid Waste Plan, which calls for the conversion of the current dumpster-based system to a 3-cart system in order to provide recycling and composting to every home. Denver has made good progress in this regard, but still ranks below the national average in waste diversion and above many cities in greenhouse gas emissions per capita.

The “Green for Green” program will cover the costs of the new solid waste program by assessing a monthly fee on each homeowner, with the amount determined by level of participation in recycling and composting and a discount for low-income households. As the Co-Chair of Council’s Business, Workforce and Sustainability Committee, Doug brought together experts from other cities to discuss best practices. As Mayor, Doug will use this information, coupled with community input and the expertise of our Solid Waste Division, to design and implement an effective, equitable system for our city.

Doug will work with waste management companies and local businesses to create incentives for multi-family and commercial establishments to use recycling and composting.

Denver police may be facing a shakedown if Denver mayoral candidates adhere to statements made Thursday night. During a forum held by community advocates, most mayoral candidates vowed to ensure transparency, change flawed practices of the past and improve community policing efforts.

Doug Linkhart (Boven)

At the forum, sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado and the National Lawyers Guild, candidates were asked questions that targeted the broken windows campaign, excessive police brutality, levels of community involvement, access to video records, and immigration.

“My police department will have zero tolerance for excessive force. There is no excuse for the level of force that we have experienced over the last few years,” City Councilman Doug Linkhart said. “And there is no excuse for Denver being number six in the nation for incidents of excessive force. That is a black eye for our city.”

Linkhart called for replacing many members on the civilian oversight board with people who more closely represent the community while strengthening both the oversight board and the office of the independent monitor.

Mayoral candidate Michael Hancock speaks at a mayoral debate. (Boven)

Candidates roundly agreed to work on developing better oversight of police officers on duty and on investigations into their wrongdoing.
“It is about transparency and right now, wherever you go around the city, our citizens don’t have confidence on this issue,” Theresa Spahn said.

Spahn said that she would look to best practices and national accreditation models to help provide greater transparency in Denver’s bruised system.

All the candidates including Carol Boigon, Chris Romer, James Mejia, Michael Hancock, Thomas Wolf, Jeff Peckman, Linkhart and Spahn called for greater police accountability, with many using personal or family experiences to bolster their arguments.

Hancock said that when he is driving down the street and a police officer is behind him “the alarm goes off.

“I am sensitized to that as a man of color,” Hancock said. “What we need to do as a community is set the values that racial harassment simply won’t be tolerated…. and that we need a comprehensive approach.”

The Broken Windows Campaign was seen by candidates as a program shattered by misuse.  They said it had allowed police officers to profile and conduct unwarranted stops.  They said policing efforts had to move toward a more data driven model that provides greater community involvement in the decision making.

Mejia, however, warned that the city should not stop with data analysis but look at the roots of racial profiling and investigate what the numbers actually mean.

“Not only do we need to collect it, we need to look at the root cause of why it is happening to make sure that black and brown people are treated with the same respect and dignity as everyone else in our community,” Mejia said.

In dealing with the firing of police officers, Chris Romer said that one of his proudest votes as a state senator was the one that allowed for bad teachers to be fired. He said he would eliminate poorly performing police officers.

Hancock followed up on the sentiments saying that bad officers affected communities like teachers affect classrooms.

“There must be a value of excellence and accountability, integrity and transparency in both situations,” Hancock said. Hancock went on to say that the system is already in place to fire bad officers but that there exists a lack of will to do so.

Though agreeing with the need to fire bad police officers, Mejia said poorly performing teachers should be removed in some cases, but that in other cases their performance is related not to their own efforts but to the tools they are provided.

Mejia also touched on the concerns of many in the audience that a policing program in schools meant to help students avoid the judicial system is doing just the opposite. “We have to make sure that we go back to the original intent. The intent is not to create a rap sheet by the time you graduate high school. The intent is to correct behaviors and make sure there is a positive rapport and partnership with that police department.”

Asked what they would do to support those who have been in prison and are now making an effort to become members of the community, candidates pointed to the need to increase programs focusing on keeping people out of prison in the first place, but said programs designed to aid reintroduction should also be improved.

Chris Romer speaking to police excessive force. (Boven)

Linkhart said that in many cases what really needs to be focused on is the mental health of those individuals entering and exiting the judicial system. He said programs focused on tackling those issues were key in helping to reduce overall recidivism.

City planning, according to Hancock, Boigon and Mejia, also would play a crucial role in their administrations. They said clean streets and better environments aid in decreasing the number of individuals entering into the penal system in the first place.

Boigon went on to say that she was currently working in the community to bring formerly incarcerated women to jobs and said she would work in the same vein as mayor to ensure those with a record are given training and employers are engaged.

In spite of all the agreement, a lightning round provided the audience with more than rhetorical differences in policy.

Asked if local law enforcement should enforce federal immigration law, Linkhart provided an immediate “no” to the question, with Thomas Wolf answering “yes” almost as quickly. Other candidates answered more slowly but most sided with Linkhart.

James Mejia speaking at panel discussion.

Only former Colorado State Sen. Chris Romer, after some encouragement from the crowd, joined Wolf in a halfhearted raise of his yes panel.

Romer later clarified his position, telling The Colorado Independent that local law enforcement should only be used when dealing with felons.

The panelists were also asked if they would opt out of the federal Secure Communities Program, which is designed to remove criminal illegal aliens from the country but also targets many without criminal records. Only Hancock and Wolf said “no.”

“Like it or not, Secure Communities will be federally mandated throughout the country by 2013,” Hancock told the Colorado Independent when asked about his answer. ”Beginning to implement these strategies now will allow us to ensure that the program reflects Denver’s values of diversity and fairness. We will require that our officers are properly educated and trained to apply these tools impartially and establish clear protocols for domestic violence victims to rely on law enforcement without fear of retribution. This is essential to providing transparency, allowing us to target violent criminals, and not contribute to racial and ethnic profiling.”

In the end, each candidate was adamant that the reforms they institute to bandage Denver’s wounded reputation for police violence would bring greater trust and safety to the people they serve.

Doug Linkhart is the survivor. He won the reality-TV-style alt-Denver Mayoral debate hosted last night by NewEra Colorado, OneColorado and Planned Parenthood– the best candidate forum ever™. The Montclair-neighborhood Democrat, an at-large city councilman and former state representative and senator took a laid-back Linkhart approach to the event. He coasted through early rounds of questioning and shined at the end, espousing an updated version of a 1960s platform that would shift focus and resources from prisons to schools, turbocharge green energy development and implementation in the city and legalize pot.

“Look, we’ve tripled our prison population in the last twenty years,” he said to open a final address that won over the packed room at Casselman’s. He compared the thriving prison system to the struggling school system. He was unabashedly pro-pot but managed to tie that position to police and prison reform and youth culture without being didactic or striving, playing a kind of down-low political music from the stage that connected.

When he stopped speaking, shouts went up, mobile phone screen lights danced above moving heads and the big screen behind the candidates that flashed the results of the crowd’s text-message voting told the rest of the story.

In the last round, where each of the remaining candidates– Michael Hancock, Linkhart, James Mejia and Chris Romer–said just a minute or so of whatever they wanted to the audience, Linkhart had zoomed from the middle of the pack to the uncontested top spot with 33 percent of the votes.

Hancock came in second place at 27 percent and Romer and Mejia tied at 20 percent.

On the stage at the end, as DJ Lazy Eyez spun the music higher, Linkhart did a louche version of the “The Dougie” and Romer and Hancock took turns swilling local Fox News reporter and debate panelist Eli Stokols’ beer, moving to the beat with an “ah well maybe next time” look on their faces.

The debate opened with NewEra’s MTV Cribs-style video of visits to the candidates homes. Then came a round of trivia. “What’s the population of Denver?” (Just over 600,000) “Which of the following beers is brewed in Denver?” (Great Divide!) “What percentage of Denver residents are renters?” (48 percent!)

Talking points and any general typical politician misdirection– ie, lazy droning about liberty or freedom, etc– was quashed quickly by booing from the crowd or by waving “bull” signs held up by the panelists, which in addition to Stokols, included radio talk show host Mario Solis and Strong Colorado communications specialist Ellen Dumm.

Although talking points were given the hand or the bull sign, facts were allowed and encouraged.

Linkhart at one point trotted out this one: Colorado schools rank 49 out of 50 in the nation when it comes to funding.

Romer added this: When businesses want to open in Denver, the first question they ask is not about taxes, not about whether Colorado is a red state or a blue state. The first question is Does Denver have good schools?

The answer to that question, given the anemic funding, the high dropout rate and the low graduation rate is… Give us time. We’re getting there.

Senator Michael Bennet wanted to send a video for the occasion. He sent his wife instead, Susan Dagget.

“The Senator is in Washington wrestling with the budget and a possible government shutdown, which is like a form of ‘Survivor’,” she said. “I’m sure he’d like to vote some people there off the island.”

Park Hill candidate Carol Boigon trailed the pack. She didn’t connect with the youth crowd. Her text-message votes reached only to the low single digits.

“Hey don’t feel bad,” said Stokols, adding something like: “You got more votes than I would have gotten here: I work for Fox News.”

[ Top image: Linkhart (Ernest Luning); last image: Chris Romer shakes hands and sizes up the crowd (Tomasic). ]

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Accepting the fact that electoral politics is as much entertainment as politics and that all entertainment must now include text-message voting, youth-voter organization NewEra Colorado is gathering Denver’s mayoral candidates for a debate that will embrace our fully mediated reality-teevee era. Scheduled for Wednesday evening, the debate will subject candidates to Denver trivia questions in addition to more standard policy questions. The candidates will answer to live-audience members, video participants and a panel of experts. Denver Fox News reporter Eli Stokols will play the panel’s Steven Tyler. Ellen Dumm of the Campaign for a Strong Colorado will play J-Lo.

From a NewEra release:

CANDIDATE SURVIVOR: A FREEWHEELING ALTERNATIVE CANDIDATE DEBATE FOR THE DENVER MAYOR’S RACE

New Era Colorado to host an innovative, fresh political debate for the Denver Mayoral candidates with a focus on youth issues

WHAT: An alternative candidate debate for the Denver Mayor’s race, free and open to the public, that will involve a ‘survivor’ theme where candidates will go through several rounds, culminating with a round where the audience will be voting for their favorite candidates using text message voting. The top six contenders for mayor will be attending and debating issues facing young people in Denver. It will be an opportunity for Denver residents to get to know the candidates’ personalities as well as their positions on issues important to young voters: education, economy, medical marijuana, and other social issues.

WHO: The debate is hosted by New Era Colorado and OneColorado and co-hosted by Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado, and 9to5 NAWW. Denver Westword is a media sponsor.

Mayor candidates include Carol Boigon, James Mejia, Michael Hancock, Chris Romer, Doug Linkhart, and Theresa Spahn

A panel of judges on stage includes AM760 radio host Mario Solis-Marich, Eli Stokols of Fox 31 and KWGN, and Ellen Dumm of the Campaign for a Strong Colorado.

WHEN: Wed. April 6th, 2011
Doors: 6:00pm | Show: 7:00pm

WHERE: Casselman’s Bar & Venue
2620 Walnut Street
Denver, CO 80205

VISUAL : The candidates will be seated on stage and interacting with the audience and fielding questions from the panel of judges. Through a series of lightning round questions, video questions, Denver trivia and questions on substantive issues facing young people today, the candidates will face rounds of voting and a panel of judges to ‘survive’ the debate.

Got a tip? Story pitch? Send us an e-mail. Follow The Colorado Independent on Twitter.

Candidates Doug Linkhart and James Mejia have also endorsed the civil unions bill.

Michael Hancock (Kersgaard)

“Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ‘Somewhere along the way, we must learn that there is nothing greater than to do something for others,’” Hancock said. “I truly believe extending civil union benefits to same-sex couples is a matter of equal rights and civil rights.

“As the next mayor of Denver, I will make it a priority to provide equitable services to our entire community. To achieve this, I will make diverse appointments, continue to be an ally to the GLBT community, publicly support issues and organizations that are important to the GLBT community and act as a facilitator to find common ground when there are differences,” Hancock said.

Some are calling yes votes by mayoral candidates Doug Linkhart and Michael Hancock political suicide, but so far the outcry seems decidedly muted.

Every four years outgoing city council members must set compensation levels for new office holders who will take office after the municipal election. Raises are supposed to follow set schedule based on the lower of two indexes–the Consumer Price Index and a career service employees average.

Of the three sitting council members running for mayor, only Carol Boigon voted against the raises. All three issued statements, which are below.

Carol Boigon voted against the raise. (Kersgaard)

“As I’ve been saying the last three weeks when this issue has been before us, we are going through a time unlike any in recent memory. Middle income families are struggling to put food on their tables and we are confronting a budget deficit of $100 million, with education and other vital city services facing cuts. Therefore, I cannot in good conscience consider a raise for my colleagues, me or the mayor, and I will not take it if it passes. When leaders are in a position to cut pay for workers, they need to be just as hard – if not harder – on themselves.”

Michael Hancock:

“I know people are struggling in this tough economy. I’ve spent my entire career standing up and fighting for kids, families, neighborhoods and schools that have been left behind. I have worked tirelessly to help close $350 million in budget shortfalls the past few years and as mayor I will not accept the salary adjustment. However, I believe very strongly that we can’t let public service or politics become a playground for only the rich. Serving on the Denver City Council is a full-time job, and we need to ensure that working-class, diverse groups of people have the opportunity to lead Denver in the future.

…

This is about allowing everyday Denver residents to serve in elective office. This is about the future and carving a path for young people who may want to serve their fellow citizens. This is about being a leader and standing up to do what is right, not what is politically expedient.”

Doug Linkhart:

“This is a non-issue for today’s budget. We should be delaying any increase in deference to the economy, but not engaging in political posturing regarding future increases that are spelled out in city ordinance. I know times are tough. If elected mayor, I will decline the additional funds as a result of the compensation rate change.”