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Mayoral Madness: Runoff Races Get Nasty

Posted on May 30, 2023   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Peyton Garcia

Peyton Garcia

Election Day is almost here. (Element5 Digital / Unsplash)

Election Day is almost here. (Element5 Digital / Unsplash)

The countdown is on, Election Day is a week away, and punches are being thrown. Here are the latest developments in Denver’s runoff races:

🚔 Johnston goes on the offensive: During a recent debate, Mike Johnston reminded voters that his opponent, Kelly Brough, said she supports reinstating qualified immunity for police officers. In response, Brough’s team clarified she supports qualified immunity except in cases where an officer violates a person’s constitutional rights.

📺 Brough supporters air an attack ad: An outside spending group supporting Brough aired a TV ad attacking Johnston’s credentials. Johnston’s team and his backers have called the ad factually inaccurate and “a new low for campaigns.”

🏟️ Johnston changes his mind: Johnston appears to have changed his position on using taxpayer dollars to fund a new Broncos stadium — he now opposes it. Brough supports it if approved by voters.

🤝 Backroom dealings: According to Brough’s campaign team, state rep. and former mayoral candidate Leslie Herod only gave Johnston her endorsement on the condition that she was guaranteed a high-level position in his administration. Herod and Johnston deny the claim.

🌯 The important questions: At a “Hot Ones”-style debate hosted by City Cast Denver, we discovered two previously unreported stances from both mayoral candidates: 1) Johnston prefers ranch with his hot wings, while Brough is a bleu cheese fan. 2) Both prefer Chipotle to Illegal Pete’s.

🏙️ Don’t forget about city council: There are three city council seats up for grabs — districts 8, 9, and 10. Here’s what’s at stake in those races.

🎧 ICYMI: Listen to our recent interviews with Kelly Brough and Mike Johnston

🗳️ Election Day is Tuesday, June 6. Here’s when, where, and how to cast your vote 👈

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