10 MARCH 23-29, 2023 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | of Denver with a focus on solving homeless- ness and fi ghting age discrimination. She says that she’s worked as a secretary, a chef and a caregiver, and has a background in real estate, property management and construction. “I am an honest, caring person,” says Beh- rens, adding that she needs this job because she doesn’t get Social Security and does not have health insurance. Behrens believes that one of the best ways to get people off the streets of Denver is to transform parking spaces downtown into housing. “These apartments are very simple, yet have electricity, heating, shower and hot plates. Rent has to be paid. If they make it for one year, they get the rent amount back for a fresh start. Employers who have homeless employees should provide housing if needed/wanted,” she adds. Behrens has raised $429 for her campaign. Kelly Brough When describing why she wants to run for mayor of the Mile High City, Kelly Brough uses the word “optimism.” She’s optimistic about the promise that Denver can offer a city “where working families can buy a home, our downtown is thriving and vibrant, those who are most vul- nerable are sheltered and our kids get a great edu- cation,” she says. Brough was able to make good on that prom- ise to her two daughters while raising them in Den- ver. But her life was tough at times. Her father was murdered when Brough was just an infant, and she lost her husband to suicide following his battle with addiction. Together with significant experience working in the public sector — as a legislative analyst for Denver City Council, chief of staff for then-Mayor John Hickenlooper, and presi- dent and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce — that background has become one of Brough’s primary pitches to Denver voters, to show that she has the professional chops and empathy gained through tough life moments to become an ideal Denver mayor. But Brough also has a potential weak spot in a city as progressive as Denver. While she was running the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the organization opposed progressive policy proposals in the Colorado Legislature, such as paid family leave. Brough says that she supports paid family leave from a values perspective, but notes that the “devil was in the details” when it came to specifi c policy items that the chamber opposed. Brough has promised to stop enforcing the homeless encampment sweeps that be- came synonymous with the administration of Mayor Michael Hancock. “Moving people down the block or across the street is a costly, ineffective policy and does not provide meaningful solutions that help individuals or the community. I will provide people experiencing homelessness with a variety of safe indoor options. I have met with nonprofi ts and organizations that serve the homeless community, and I believe them when they tell me that 90 percent of those who are unhoused would rather be sheltered,” Brough says. However, unlike some more progressive candidates, Brough acknowledges that as a last resort, she would instruct her administration to arrest people who refuse all service offers and continue to camp on the streets of Denver. “There are a lot of ways that we can en- sure it doesn’t criminalize or cause trauma,” Brough notes. Brough has raised $2,299,249. Lisa Calderón A lifelong Denverite and a prominent pro- gressive advocate and activist, Lisa Calderón says that now is the time for major changes in how the Mile High City moves forward. The former head of a community re-entry program for people newly released from jail, she’s also worked as a college professor and as the executive director of Emerge Colo- rado, an organization that helps Democratic women run for offi ce. Calderón herself ran for mayor in 2019, placing third in that race, which saw Han- cock win a third and fi nal term. She had only a shoestring budget that time; now, with help from the Fair Elections Fund, she’s been able to put on a more polished campaign with more staffers. Despite los- ing the 2019 mayoral race, Calderón picked up right where she left off once it was over: criticizing Hancock. As a staunch critic of the mayor, Calderón fi t in well as chief of staff for Denver City Council rep Candi CdeBaca, another Hancock foe. She loves dogs and the outdoors; she’s also a huge fan of dark chocolate and “won’t eat the cheap stuff,” she says. Calderón, who says she plans to end homeless encampment sweeps, would also like to decentralize power in the mayoral administration. “Unlike other candidates, my administra- tion will distribute power currently held by the mayor’s offi ce and put it back into com- munities. Denver is better when community members are making decisions for and about their own communities. My platform is driven by a commitment to center marginalized communities and ensure that the residents most typically excluded from political deci- sions have access to, and input to, how Denver works for them,” Calderón explains. While Calderón has the backing of plenty of progressives, how well she does in the April race will be a refl ection of how far to the left Denver is ready to move. She’s hopeful that with her experience from that fi rst run, a well-organized campaign and a city ostensibly longing for change, she’ll be elected the next mayor of Denver. Calderón has raised $264,364. Al Gardner An IT executive by trade, Al Gardner has worked in the nonprofi t, startup and public sectors. But it’s his time on various boards and commissions, particularly as chair of the Denver Citizen Oversight Board, that give him a unique insight into how law en- forcement works in Denver. Gardner led the board that watched over the Denver police and sheriff departments when they were revising hiring, training and disciplinary processes; that board also worked closely with the Independent Monitor, the chief law enforcement watchdog in Denver. “Service to the community is the corner- stone of who I am and who I will be as Den- ver’s mayor. I will focus my efforts on creating ladders of success and crafting common- sense changes to policies that improve the lives of Denver citizens,” says Gardner, who plays the tuba, drums and trombone. Gardner would also like to increase the police budget to invest in police recruiting. “Having worked closely with DPD, I am keenly familiar with the struggles to recruit good candidates and fully staff all of our districts and ad- equately cover all shifts,” he says. “Understaffed shifts and overwhelmed offi cers have led to long 911 wait times that im- pact citizen safety.” Gardner has raised $13,770. Chris Hansen Although he grew up in Goodland, Kansas, just across the border from Colorado, Chris Hansen says that he and his fam- ily rooted for the Broncos and read the Denver Post. After studying engi- neering at Kansas State University, Hansen got degrees from MIT and Oxford. He’s put his education to work in the renewable energy and electricity fi elds, as well as the fi nancial sector. Over the past seven years, Hansen has repre- sented Denver in the Col- orado Legislature, where he currently serves as a state senator. Now this lover of musical theater and former member of his college glee club wants to take all of his experience in the public and private sectors to be- come Denver’s next chief executive. As mayor, Hansen says, he would make Denver the greenest city in America. “I plan to add EV chargers, renegotiate with Xcel to protect customers and elec- trify our transit and heating and cooling systems,” he explains. “I’ll collaborate with Denver Water to promote water effi ciency programs and reduce water waste. Through the lens of environmental justice, I’ll address disproportionate pollution in low-income areas. The city must lead the plan to develop transit options along key corridors with dense housing.” City Haul continued from page 9 continued on page 12 Kelly Brough Chris Hansen Lisa Calderón EVAN SEMÓN PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS HANSEN FOR MAYOR EVAN SEMÓN PHOTOGRAPHY
