Meet Mike Johnston: Get to know the Denver mayor candidate

The Denver mayor's race features a crowded field of 17 candidates. All agree on the top issues at stake in the race, and in many cases, they agree on the solutions.

Yes, but: No two candidates are alike.

• We asked each a series of fun questions to learn more about them as a person as part of our Spotlight profile series. (Edited for style and brevity.)

Meet the candidate: Here's what Mike Johnston, a former state senator and nonprofit leader, told us.

📲 First tap in the morning: ESPN

📍 Favorite spot in Denver: Western History Reading Room on the fifth floor of Denver Central Library downtown

🍳 Favorite places to eat and drink: Brothers BBQ, Cherry Cricket, Little India and Station 26 Brewing

👀 Fun fact: I was a sports nut as a kid, and was a state champion ski racer and played college Division I soccer.

😄 Hobbies: Playing soccer, skiing with my kids, ice hockey and watching the Broncos

📺 On demand: "Dopesick" on Hulu, "The Office" and "Mare of Easttown"

📕 Reading list: "The 1619 Project," by Nikole Hannah Jones and "The Passenger" by Cormac McCarthy

🎧 Podcast queue: City Cast Denver

🎵 On rotation: Holly Williams, "The Greatest Showman" soundtrack and Lauryn Hill

☝ First action as mayor: Get people who are unhoused into safe, stable housing

🚩 What sets you apart as a candidate: I have a big vision for the city, but more importantly, I have built diverse coalitions to tackle the city's toughest problems

🏆 Proudest personal achievement: My family: my wife, Courtney, three beautiful kids, three cats and a dog.

🎉 Top career accomplishment: I was able to finally build bipartisan support for ASSET, Colorado’s version of the DREAM Act which allowed undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at Colorado schools, and passed it into law.