Your Daily Guide

• 🏙️ Who’ll Fill a Vacant Council Seat?

The race to replace former at-large council member Sarah Parady is heating up. The progressive firebrand resigned back in August due to health concerns; now 10 candidates, mostly political newcomers, are running to fill the seat, even though they would only hold office until the regular election in spring 2027. The at-large seat is one of two that represent the whole city, with every Denver voter getting a say on their ballot. [Denverite]

• Fundraising: The Fax Partnership chair Monica Martinez is far in the lead having raised more than $160,000, roughly triple that of her closest competitors. [Denver Campaign Finance Dashboard]
• Endorsements: Housing policy consultant Melissa Mejia is racking up support, especially from progressive leaders like Javier Mabrey and Julie Gonzales. Candidates Alfredo Reyes and Whitney Traylor have drawn support from current and former council members.
• Drama: Julissa Soto, a healthcare equity advocate, has been accused by her former campaign director Joseph Silva of improperly gathered donations and inappropriate behavior. One day after Silva resigned, Soto filed both a temporary protective order against Silva and a lawsuit claiming unauthorized use of funds. Silva says he plans to file a countersuit alleging defamation and damages of $50,000. [Denverite]
• Candidate writeups: Denverite has reporting on each of the 10 candidates in its voter guide.
• Ballot box accessibility: A new drop box opened last week at Colfax Avenue and Valentia Street with a dedication ceremony to community member Ma Kaing, who was killed in the East Colfax neighborhood by a stray bullet in 2022. [CBS News]

⁉️ Inside Marx and Weiser’s ‘Debate’

For the first, and potentially only, time this election, the top two candidates for governor shared a stage to discuss their plans on affordability and business growth – only business topics would be discussed, according to moderator Ed Sealover of the Colorado Chamber of Commerce. Republican Victor Marx had previously declined all moderated debates against his Democratic rival, Attorney General Phil Weiser. The Chamber of Commerce initially denied giving both campaigns their questions in advance, but later acknowledged the truth after attendees noticed Marx reading prepared answers from printed notes. [CPR; 9News]

• Off script: Late in the forum, Marx brought up some comments he recently made on a podcast that were aggregated in a bunch of tabloid sites. On the podcast, he admitted to pushing his wife while speaking with her about martial arts. Marx demanded an apology from Weiser for his past criticism of the situation. Weiser declined and instead pointed out other statements his opponent has made about women who’ve survived domestic violence. [Washington Post 🔒]
• Party division: Colorado Republican Party secretary Russ Andrews recently declined to endorse Marx, telling Colorado Politics that he needs to “sleep at night.” [Colorado Politics]
• Dig deeper: I hopped on the pod today with producer Olivia Jewell Love and comedian Miriam Moreno to talk about all the recent Victor Marx headlines👇 It’s also my first City Cast pod appearance ever, plz be gentle. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

🌿 Neighbors Unite Against 'Tree of Heaven'

A group of residents has formed the Denver Invasive Species Coalition to combat their least favorite neighbor, Ailanthus altissima, or the “tree of heaven.” The non-native plant was historically favored as a fast-growing shade tree, but fast barely covers it: They grow 6-8 feet per year and multiply in quantities that’d make rabbits jealous. [9News]

• How do you remove a tree of heaven? The coalition recommends a “hack and squirt” method with herbicides, and that human neighbors reach out for assistance.

😷 Trump Sues Denver Over Mask Ban

Last March, Denver City Council unanimously approved an ordinance barring law enforcement, including federal immigration enforcement, from covering their faces during arrests. Now President Donald Trump’s administration is suing the city, arguing that the ordinance threatens the safety of federal officers, and that federal laws override any state or local law. [Axios Denver; Denver Post 🔒]

• The crux: Denver’s mask ban applies to all levels of law enforcement, which the council says it specified to potentially avoid legal scrutiny that has seen similar mask bans struck down by federal judges across the country.