Your Daily Guide

🏆 The Denver-est Denver Awards are Back!

Tickets for our second annual Denver-est Denver Awards are officially on sale starting today! Join us Thursday, Dec. 10 at the Federal Theatre to celebrate everything that makes Denver what it is. Who do you think makes Denver so special? Is there a dish that tops all others? Do you think your neighborhood tops all the others? Cast your nominations for the categories below:

• The Most Denver-est Denverite
• Biggest Win
• Best New Arrival
• Best Street or Neighborhood
• Best Cultural Contribution
• Best Bar or Restaurant
• Best Store or Small Business

Nominations are open through Friday, Nov. 13 at 11 p.m. Grab your friends, get your tickets, and send your nominations! Tickets will sell out, so grab yours soon!

P.S. Are you a City Cast Denver Neighbor? That means you get a special discount, along with other perks!

🚌 Planners Are Getting Serious About BRT on Speer

Construction of the new bus rapid transit line on Colfax Avenue has been a source of much grousing and debate for the past couple years, and the planning and fundraising for similar lines on Colorado and Federal boulevards has already begun. As of this week, it’s time to add Speer Boulevard to the list, with the Denver Regional Council of Governments commissioning a study to “consider various potential options [on the busy southeast corridor] ranging from doing nothing to BRT in fully dedicated lanes, and numerous options in between.” [Denverite]

• Make your voice heard! Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure also kicked off public engagement about the study with an open house earlier this week. The project team is also planning a community webinar in December for Denverites to weigh in.

🫏 Colorado Democrats Poised For Total Control

Colorado Democrats won enough seats in the state House to claim a two-thirds supermajority. Two races in the state Senate are too close to call, so Democrats could end up with a supermajority there, too. If that happens, Democrats would control all four state elected offices and the whole legislature, giving them enormous power to create sweeping change. [Denver Post 🔒]

• Shades of blue: Colorado Democrats will have no trouble agreeing on what to do with all that power, right? … Right?
• Go deeper: Check out today’s pod with Denver Post reporter Elliott Wenzler and politics contributor David Sirota as we share insight and analysis on the very latest results. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

🥤 Gov.-elect Weiser Suggests Fentanyl, Youth Sports Measures ‘Incomplete’

The Democratic attorney general and now gov.-elect – who we once dubbed “Big Gulp” Phil Weiser for his iced tea container preference – is officially responsible for implementing the ballot measures Coloradans passed earlier this week, including some conservative-backed reforms to fentanyl penalties, youth sports and surgeries. Though those particular results aren’t official yet, Weiser is already thirsty for the challenge, suggesting in comments to the Denver Post that “sometimes, something is passed and it is incomplete.” [Denver Post 🔒]

🏈 Bo Nix Knows He is ‘Clutch’

We don’t typically cover a ton of sports, but it’s been a really long week here at City Cast Election HQ, and I am so looking forward to watching the Broncos continue their winning streak against the Carolina Panthers this Sunday at 11 a.m. I swear, I think this team has got all the pieces it needs to go the distance (not that I’d complain about a trade for the Colts’ star running back, Jonathan Taylor). [Denver Gazette 🔒; Sports Illustrated]

• What Bo knows: Reporters asked Quarterback Bo Nix Wednesday about his tendency to lead epic fourth quarter comebacks. His response: “I just think we got a lot of guys with a clutch gene.”