Denver Politics endorses... Chris Nevitt in Council District 7

We judge City Council candidates by 4 simple qualifications:

• Intelligence applied to real-world problems
  
• Commitment to public service
  
• Identification with ordinary citizens
  
• Experience in city government

Based on these criteria, we enthusiastically endorse Chris Nevitt for Council District 7.

Chris Nevitt has a Ph.D. in economics, and has focused his career on the application of that knowledge to the problems of working men and women.

His support runs wide and deep in this district. The Nevitt coalition includes virtually every labor organization, the city's entire safety apparatus (police officers, firefighters, and the District Attorney), and the entire Denver delegation to the Colorado House and Senate. That says something about him. He has had the most small donors as well, engaging neighborhood leaders and small business owners throughout the district.

Shelly Watters is a fine person who has already served the public well, working as an aide to two city councilwomen. But access doesn't imply leadership, and her reliance on big business donors raises questions of perspective. In addition, her timid answers in public forums lead us to question her ability to be a powerful advocate for District 7.

Nevitt's primary criticisms regard his close labor ties and alleged political aspirations, yet even these mild concerns seem wrongheaded. While one could certainly imagine a bullheaded ideologue marring City Council with far-reaching ambitions, Chris Nevitt is not that man. He is a pragmatic-yet-principled populist.

That's the kind of leadership we look forward to in City Council in District 7, which is why we urge support for Chris Nevitt: the intelligent, committed, and experienced choice for Council District 7.

Dear Shelly endorsement

Lisa Jones of Dear Denver has endorsed Shelly Watters in the District 7 runoff in an article entitled "Watters, please, in District 7." Her reasoning is mainly directed against the current frontrunner in the race:

I suppose I should start getting used to the idea of Chris Nevitt on Denver City Council. I'm among the few who aren't favorably impressed by him. Not that I'm jumping up and down about Shelly Watters, mind you. But I do think Watters is the better choice.

She prefers Watters for two reasons: first, because Watters has been a council aide for Carol Boigon (whom Jones likes), and second, because she is concerned that Nevitt may be too ideological, to wit:

we all love Jimmy Stewart-style politicians who stick to their principles. Sometimes, however, noble motives conflict with practicality and political reality. "Being right" doesn't always translate into "getting it done."

Updates on the runoff endorsements

In the three runoff City Council races, frontrunners lead each race by substantial margins. For that reason, the challengers need endorsements from the now-expired candidacies of their general election opponents in order to have any hope of winning.

Council District 3: JoAnn Phillips now has the endorsement of three former candidates: Kathy Sandoval, Mark Roggerman, and Antoinette Alire. These candidates represented 11%, 10%, and 2% of the votes in the May general election. Added to Phillips own total of 15%, this coalition represents 38% of the electorate. Compared against Lopez's 45%, the gap has narrowed considerably. One also wonders whether questions surrounding Lopez's official residency will swing the tide in favor of Phillips.

Council District 7: Julie Connor has declined to endorse either candidate, leaving her 19% of the vote unaccounted for. Shelly Watters is left to battle Chris Nevitt without further support. With Nevitt needing just one sixth of Connor's union-friendly, small-donor constituency to obtain a majority, it's hard to see how Watters could overcome the 20% deficit from the May election, when she received 27% to Nevitt's 47% of the vote.

Council District 8: Greg Rasheed has endorsed Sharon Bailey, doubling Madison's deficit from 8% to 16%. With virtually no news coming out of that race since the May election, there appear to be few dynamics working on Madison's behalf.

Gulchie Awards announced

Coyote Gulch has announced the 2007 Gulchie awards, recognizing candidates in the Denver municipal elections who have best employed the Internet in their campaigns.

The winners were:

Mayor - John Hickenlooper
Auditor - Dennis Gallagher
Clerk and Recorder - Jacob Werther
Council District 1 - Rick Garcia
Council District 2 - Jeanne Faatz
Council District 3 - Paul Lopez
Council District 4 - Peggy Lehman
Council District 5 - Mitchell Poindexter
Council District 7 - Chris Nevitt
Council District 8 - Darrell Watson
Council District 9 - Judy Montero
Council District 10 - Jeanne Robb
Council District 11 - Michael Hancock
Council At-Large - Carol Boigon

We want to give special recognition to Judy Montero for her weblog, Carla Madison for the video of the Raging Grannies, Greg Rasheed for his video introduction, Mark Roggeman for design and Carol Campbell for the print a sign application.

Hick's polysyllabic vocabulary

Dear Denver continues in its line of amusing video creations, this time endorsing Mayor Hickenlooper while simultaneously poking fun at his erudite lexicon... that is, those big "25-cent words" my granpappy used to hate.

For the full article and video, visit "Polysyllabic Hick deserves re-election."

Predictions found in Westword comics

Westword's Kenny Be has weighed in on the upcoming election, playing on themes of boredom and silliness.

Prospective winners are indicated for all offices, included contested races as Council District 3 (Kathy Sandoval, Paul Lopez), Council District 7 (Shelly Watters, Julie Connor), and Council District 8 (Carla Madison, Darrell Watson).

Then there's the fun made of challengers Waldo Benevidez, Niccolo Casewit, and RJ Ours.

It seems to be all in good fun... and anything that helps to alert folks to the election is a good thing. View the original comic with all its caricatures at Westword's "Worst Case Scenario."

Cole Neighborhood blog urges you to vote for...

The ostensible goal of Cole Neighborhood blog's "Get Your Denver Election Ballots In!" is to increase participation:

It's shocking to me how little action some residents take in improving their neighborhood - whether it be participating in their neighborhood association meetings, volunteering, getting involved with neighborhood safety, or even more basically, VOTING.

The author ties this lack of involvement to the endemic difficulty of getting Denverites to participate in any form of local government:

One couple is never short on complaints about Cole--Whether it be the crime problem, the trash problem, the condition of their neighbor's home, etc.--Yet despite numerous efforts on my part to get them involved in the neighborhood, it has been somewhat like keeping a candle lit in a gusty windstorm.

Similarly, we've had neighborhood meetings as large as 45 people, but inevitably, the next one shrinks back down to the same 4 or 5 involved residents. How do these people expect things to change in Cole? It takes a few, committed individuals, some luck, and some momentum. But it starts by getting involved, rather than just complaining.

Yet to us, the more interesting part comes when the unnamed blogger BigSprinter offered endorsements. In addition to John Hickenlooper, the site endorses Dennis Gallagher and Stephanie O'Malley for somewhat facile reasons (e.g., "because the Denver Post endorses them, and for reasons that make sense to me.").

More substantive remarks are directed at the candidacies of Doug Linkhart and Carol Campbell:

Doug Linkhart seems dissatisfied in both Mr. Hickenlooper's and outgoing Councilmember Elbra Wedgeworth's track record in tackling the many issues North Denver metro neighborhoods face. Additionally, he seems sincerely interested in "filling in" and redeveloping the blighted "horseshoe" that still rings the redeveloped downtown to the north (and of which Cole belongs). Similarly, he shares my belief that the North Denver neighborhoods like Cole, Whittier, and Curtis Park at this point have enough homeless, drug and alcohol-related shelters--It's time for Highlands, and some of the other urban Denver 'hoods to do their part and host some of these important facilities.

Carol Campbell similarly seems ready to tackle head-on the crime and disorder issues that plaque urban Denver. I applaud her for consistently not skirting the issues, or candy-coating her opinions. For example, she's not afraid to speak out about the dim-witted Denver tradition of spending police dollars every year to facilitate Cinco de Mayo cruising. Is she being racist in speaking out about it? Come on, people. I don't care if they're Starbucks-drinking yuppies blasting Yanni in their 3-series BMW's, cruising is a big problem, that adversely affects residents and businesses along the Federal corridor. I lived over there, and know first-hand. So, because Carol Campbell is a straight-shooter that has the interests of responsible, law-abiding urban Denver residents in mind, she gets my vote.

Finally, the site endorses Carla Madison in Council District 8. The explanation was negative insofar as BigSprinter was troubled by the candidacies of Darrell Watson, Greg Rasheed, and Sharon Bailey, for some well-considered reasons.

Which brings us to Carla. Why do I like Carla? One, she isn't a good public speaker. I know, you're probably laughing now, but while I wish she'd practice her public speaking skills a bit more so more people would embrace her, I feel that what you see is what you get with her--And that makes all the difference too me.

She also supports Broken Windows, stimulating redevelopment while maintaining the historical and architectural character of the neighborhood, and she has consistently attended neighborhood and Cole-Whittier Against Crime meetings (not just the one where all the candidates were in attendance to give their sales pitch). Not to mention that she has a strong track-record at the neighborhood level as president and involved member of her City Park neighborhood association.

Whomever you pick, VOTE! And the bottom line is realistically that any of the above candidates will be an improvement over Elbra Wedgeworth, who checked out years ago.

Denver Politics endorses... Julie Connor in District 7

What do you look for in a City Council candidate? We think four things are paramount:

• Intelligence applied to real-world problems
  
• Commitment to public service
  
• Identification with ordinary citizens
  
• Experience in city government

City Council District 7 is fortunate to have several committed candidates. But in terms of the listed characteristics, one stands above the rest: Julie Connor.

Connor knows the ins and outs of city government, having worked in constituent services for outstanding representative Kathleen MacKenzie. She knows each and every major (and minor) question before our district, and she has developed the personal relationships necessary to achieve desired outcomes.

Even more importantly, she identifies with ordinary citizens, helping the advantaged and disadvantaged alike to participate in city government. As a historian, I was impressed by Connor's dedication in finding common ground in the contentious DeBoer Historic District, reconciling divergent interests so that a compromise could be reached.

And she is smart. Watch the forums, read the interviews, and talk with her. She is sharp, alert, and alive with the issues. That's the sort of person I want on City Council.

Chris Nevitt is also a great candidate, with both the "common man" viewpoint and the intelligence to carry through the work, but he has been on the fringes of public policymaking. Meanwhile, Shelly Watters has become a favored candidate, raising lots of money from development interests. But the trust of such well-heeled insiders and politicos leads to questions of access, fairness, and perspective. I want someone who will hear the rest of us: new participants and old hands, small donors and no donors, and previously-excluded as well as seasoned veterans.

Connor has been committed to public service from the Peace Corps to the present day, in wide-ranging issues facing the district in all of its complexity. For all these reasons, we enthusiastically endorse Julie Connor as our next City Councilwoman from Council District 7.

Taylor endorses Carol Campbell

Rick Taylor, former president of the Athmar Park Neighborhood Association, endorses Carol Campbell in her bid for an at-large seat for City Council. He writes, in part:

Carol has never waited for others to lead. When an issue arises, she finds the solutions. As the chair of APNA's zoning committee, she spent countless hours assisting neighbors with code compliance issues and implemented the "Landlord Project" to foster cooperation between residents and owners of rental properties. She was a strong advocate of "Broken Windows" policing in 2005 after a series of crimes in Athmar Park that included the murder of a Denver police officer and her advocacy helped to convince the Denver city administration to implement "Broken Windows."

This year she is "stepping up to the plate" again to run for City Councilmember-at-Large. Typical of Carol, she has the courage of her convictions to take on two well-known and well-funded incumbents. She is unwilling to wait for a "safe" time to run for office and believes, strongly, that every election should be contested.

I strongly urge Denver voters to elect Carol Campbell to the Denver City Council.

Rocky endorses frontrunners

The Rocky Mountain News today issued official endorsements for the May 2007 municipal election. With due caution, they endorsed the frontrunner in every race... except for Council District 8, in which they offered kudos for both Sharon Bailey and Carla Madison:

Mayor: John Hickenlooper
Auditor: Dennis Gallagher
Clerk & Recorder: Stephanie O’Malley
District 3: Paul Lopez
District 4: Peggy Lehmann
District 5: Marcia Johnson
District 7: Chris Nevitt
District 8: Sharon Bailey or Carla Madison
District 9: Judy Montero
At-large: Doug Linkhart and Carol Boigon

No on Campbell

The Wash Park Prophet urges a "No" vote on Carol E Campbell for the City Council At-Large seat.

Prophet predicts

In early March, the Wash Park Prophet predicted victories for Chris Nevitt in Council District 7, Darrell Watson in CD8, and Stephanie O'Malley for Clerk and Recorder. He had no prediction for CD3, and anticipated incumbents would win without a runoff in all other races.

He added to those predictions today, indicating the likelihood of Shelly Watters getting into a CD7 runoff, Carla Madison making the CD8 runoff, and Paul Lopez facing down Ben Romero in a CD3 runoff.

The Prophet's predicted winners all have one thing in common: they are the financial frontrunners in their race. Furthermore, his predicted runners-up all have the second largest coffers. And the races he anticipates to avoid a runoff all have enormous financial divides between the frontrunner and any challengers.

We understand that the "money primary" represents votes - and the opportunity to get more votes. Those facts lead toward the obvious conclusion: candidates with the most money normally win. Nevertheless, simply following the money line doesn't strike us as a terribly inspired "prediction."

But it does lead us to wonder... does the Prophet moonlight as an Accountant?

Dear Denver supports Bailey in CD8 race

In the City Council District 8 race, Lisa Jones of Dear Denver is endorsing Sharon Bailey.

In the process, she also discusses some video clips of candidates Paul Lopez and Antoinette Alkire in Council District 3.

Blogger supports Sandoval

Lisa Jones of Dear Denver has endorsed Kathy Sandoval in the City Council District 3 race.

CD9: Support for Benevidez at NoIllegals.com

Folks over at Americans for Legal Immigration are trying to drum up support for City Council District 9 candidate Waldo Benevidez:

You folks on the front range (and elsewhere) might do what you can to help one of ours in the Denver City Council Race. Waldo Benavidez is a Leader in the Colorado YOU DONT SPEAK FOR ME movement.

He was the first signature on the illegal immigration petition last summer. He signed with ex Govenor Lamm on the capitol steps last summer.

Waldo has debated against illegal immigration around Colorado. A fine man. He has good standing in the Latino community in Denver. All might do what you can. His opponent is an incumbent here in the sanctuary city of Denver and will be a tough match up.

Reach out and help where you can.

Further information on the You Don't Speak for Me movement is available online.

CD7: Environmental endorsement for Nevitt

Will Coyne, the program director of Environment Colorado, goes on YouTube to explain why he's endorsing Chris Nevitt for the City Council District 7 seat.

CD8: Darrell Watson picks up endorsements

In Denver's competitive City Council District 8 race (where incumbent Elbra Wedgeworth is term-limited and soon to be out of office), candidate Darrell Watson today received two endorsements: one from the Denver Area Labor Federation and another from Progressive Majority.

Details from the campaign's press release are quoted below:

Leslie Moody, President of DALF stated, “Darrell Watson understands the working person. We are proudly endorsing him because he understands that America’s labor force is the backbone of a thriving economy. With the eyes of the world coming to Denver during the 2008 DNC Convention, Mr. Watson is just the person to show the world that Denver is a gem of the West.”

According to Joe Miklosi, Colorado State Director of Progressive Majority, “We are dedicated to electing fiscally responsible progressives and creating positive change that will positively impact the community. This is a new time for Denver and Darrell will be able to lead the changing dynamic in District 8. More business growth in Downtown Denver is bringing people back to the city. The challenge is to elect someone that understands business and is a strong voice for homeowners. We believe Darrell is that person”