Anderson sets new political sights after contentious school board term
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Auon'tai Anderson at a Denver Public Schools event in May. Photo: Eric Lutzens/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Auon'tai Anderson's controversial term on the Denver school board ended a week ago, and now the 25-year-old is setting his sights on the state Legislature.
Why it matters: Denver voters demanded change in the November school board election, and whether that mood will spill over into the 2024 race for House District 8 may determine the outcome.
State of play: Anderson, who didn't seek re-election, starts the six-way contest in the Democratic primary near the front of the pack given his elected experience.
- And he's prepared to tout his tenure on the school board, saying his policy priorities — including an assault weapons ban, LGBTQ inclusion and more diverse curriculum — need to be implemented statewide.
- "I'm going to be an unapologetic lawmaker who is going to push forward with Democratic ideals," he told John in a recent interview.
Context: His time on the unpopular school board is expected to play a role in the race.
- Then known as "Tay," Anderson won a seat in 2019 as the youngest elected official in the state after losing a prior bid.
- He soon became the face of many debates on the dysfunctional board, which spent more than $43,000 in taxpayer dollars on conflict-resolution mediators to help it do its job.
Of note: Anderson was censured in 2021 after an investigation found he flirted with a 16-year-old student on social media and made intimidating posts. He was cleared of more serious allegations.
- A second attempt to censure Anderson for disclosing information from a private session did not advance.
Plus: He pushed for the removal of police officers from schools only to reverse his position amid public outcry following gun violence at East High School.
What he's saying: In the interview, Anderson defended his four years on the board, saying he has no regrets.
- "I don't see anything that I look back and say, 'I would have done this differently,' because I learned a lesson [from] everything," he said.
The intrigue: He argued the recent election results are not a rebuke to the prior board but the influence of dark-money political organizations.
- And Anderson, who is Black, dismissed criticism from opponents as rooted in racism.
The other side: Heather Lamm with Resign DPS, an organization that demanded changes in board leadership, said the group made the school district less safe with its discipline policies, and as a member, Anderson is "complicit in the bad decisions and more than anything bad leadership."
- She rejected suggestions that the criticism is race-related. "He will play that card anytime he feels like he is being disagreed with," she told us.
Two other candidates for the legislative seat, both of whom have raised more money than Anderson, declined to comment on his bid.