Denver Mayor Mike Johnston makes his case for 4 more years
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Mayor Mike Johnston speaks during a campaign event at Town Hall Collaborative in Denver on Tuesday evening. Photo: AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston launched his re-election campaign Tuesday with a simple argument:
- He's made progress on some of the city's toughest problems, and he needs four more years to finish the job.
Why it matters: Voters appear increasingly impatient with the pace of that progress — and Johnston's asking for another term as his popularity slides and Denver's electorate trends further left.
Driving the news: The incumbent's campaign launch video, released Tuesday morning, casts his first term as a turnaround story, pointing to historic declines in street homelessness and crime, falling rents and downtown's recovery.
- His campaign slogan — "Change drives hope" — distills the pitch.
- But a recent poll captured a political paradox: Most voters credit Johnston with progress on Denver's challenges, even as more view him unfavorably than favorably.
Between the lines: Johnston heads toward April's election in a different political landscape than the one that elected him in 2023, with nine challengers currently in the race as Denver's progressive bloc flexes newfound strength.
- That could bring fresh scrutiny to the big-money support behind his first campaign. A super PAC backing him raised $4.2 million, fueled in part by wealthy donors including LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
- Johnston told Axios Tuesday he's running a more "grassroots" effort this time — focused on local donors and personally knocking doors citywide.
What he's saying: Johnston attributed some of his declining favorability to broader frustration with incumbents and national politics.
- "I think I probably feel the same way Denver does … we're going in the right direction," he told Axios, "and I'm in no way satisfied."
The latest: His second-term pitch centers on building 20,000 homes people can afford, pursuing universal child care, creating jobs and driving street homelessness even lower.
Reality check: The home-building promise comes with caveats.
- The mayor told Axios he doesn't expect all to be built by next term's end — just acquired, permitted or in the pipeline. And they wouldn't all necessarily be income-restricted affordable housing.
Yes, and: His universal child care proposal is also still being developed, with no final price tag or funding source yet identified.
State of play: Johnston told Axios his agenda won't shift in response to Denver's changing politics.
- "We've been very aggressive and progressive on our values," he said, "and those won't change."
- He pointed in particular to his clashes with the Trump administration over immigration, telling Axios he's fought "as hard as any other mayor in the country" on the issue.
What we're watching: Johnston's campaign says its first fundraising totals will be reported Sept. 30 — offering the first look at how his promised grassroots approach is taking shape.